Employment rate in Bhutan
Bhutan: Employment rate was 62.7% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
62.7%
Change on year
down 0.1%
World rank
53rd
of 186 countries
All-time high
69.5%
in 1991
All-time low
59.3%
in 2022
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Employment rate in Bhutan, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Bhutan recorded 62.7% for employment rate in 2025.
The figure is down 0.1% on the previous year and up 1.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment rate in Bhutan peaked at 69.5% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 59.3%, in 2022.
Bhutan ranks 53rd of 186 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Employment rate in Bhutan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 69.5% | — |
| 1992 | 69.4% | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 69.3% | -0.1% |
| 1994 | 69.3% | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 69.2% | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 69.2% | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 69.2% | -0.0% |
| 1998 | 69.2% | -0.0% |
| 1999 | 69.1% | -0.1% |
| 2000 | 68.7% | -0.5% |
| 2001 | 68.4% | -0.5% |
| 2002 | 68.3% | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 68.3% | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 67.7% | -0.8% |
| 2005 | 67.3% | -0.6% |
| 2006 | 67.4% | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 67.0% | -0.5% |
| 2008 | 67.0% | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 66.9% | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 65.9% | -1.6% |
| 2011 | 65.2% | -1.0% |
| 2012 | 63.1% | -3.3% |
| 2013 | 63.4% | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 61.0% | -3.9% |
| 2015 | 61.6% | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 61.3% | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 60.9% | -0.6% |
| 2018 | 60.5% | -0.6% |
| 2019 | 64.6% | +6.7% |
| 2020 | 64.4% | -0.2% |
| 2021 | 65.8% | +2.1% |
| 2022 | 59.3% | -9.8% |
| 2023 | 63.0% | +6.1% |
| 2024 | 62.8% | -0.3% |
| 2025 | 62.7% | -0.1% |
Bhutan compared with similar countries
- Bhutan's 62.7% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 54.4%, 1.2× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Bhutan's 62.7% is above the median for South Asia, which is 54.9%, 1.1× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 69.3% | 69.1% | 69.5% | 9 |
| 2000s | 67.7% | 66.9% | 68.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 62.7% | 60.5% | 65.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 63.0% | 59.3% | 65.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Bhutan
More work & labour data for Bhutan
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.7164 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.6963 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.7381 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -0.816 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.9406 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 573.27 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 420.94 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 334.32 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 356.11 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 690.43 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment rate in Bhutan?
- Employment rate in Bhutan was 62.7% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest employment rate recorded in Bhutan?
- The highest recorded value was 69.5% in 1991.
- What is the lowest employment rate recorded in Bhutan?
- The lowest recorded value was 59.3% in 2022.
- How does Bhutan rank for employment rate?
- Bhutan ranks 53rd out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment rate rising or falling in Bhutan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Bhutan data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Employment rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Share of the working-age population (ages 15 and older) who are employed.