Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Bhutan
Bhutan: Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) was 2.6% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Bhutan, 1998–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Bhutan is 2.6%, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 8.8% on the previous year and up 37.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Bhutan peaked at 4.4% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 1.2%, in 1999.
Bhutan ranks 146th of 181 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 21 years of available data.
Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Bhutan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 1.4% | — |
| 1999 | 1.2% | -14.3% |
| 2001 | 1.3% | +8.3% |
| 2004 | 1.9% | +45.6% |
| 2005 | 2.9% | +53.2% |
| 2006 | 2.6% | -9.2% |
| 2009 | 2.6% | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 2.7% | +2.4% |
| 2011 | 1.8% | -31.6% |
| 2012 | 1.9% | +2.8% |
| 2013 | 2.2% | +15.9% |
| 2014 | 1.9% | -13.2% |
| 2015 | 1.9% | -3.1% |
| 2018 | 2.7% | +44.8% |
| 2019 | 2.2% | -16.5% |
| 2020 | 4.1% | +84.6% |
| 2021 | 3.6% | -12.4% |
| 2022 | 4.4% | +21.1% |
| 2023 | 2.5% | -42.5% |
| 2024 | 2.8% | +11.0% |
| 2025 | 2.6% | -8.8% |
Bhutan compared with similar countries
- Bhutan's 2.6% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 3.8%, 67% of the median. (39 countries reporting)
- Bhutan's 2.6% is below the median for South Asia, which is 4.1%, 62% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.3% | 1.2% | 1.4% | 2 |
| 2000s | 2.3% | 1.3% | 2.9% | 5 |
| 2010s | 2.2% | 1.8% | 2.7% | 8 |
| 2020s | 3.3% | 2.5% | 4.4% | 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 unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Bhutan?
- Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Bhutan was 2.6% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, male (% of male labor force) recorded in Bhutan?
- The highest recorded value was 4.4% in 2022.
- What is the lowest unemployment, male (% of male labor force) recorded in Bhutan?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.2% in 1999.
- How does Bhutan rank for unemployment, male (% of male labor force)?
- Bhutan ranks 146th out of 181 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, male (% of male labor force) rising or falling in Bhutan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 37.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bhutan data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 21 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.