Unemployment rate in Bhutan
Bhutan: Unemployment rate was 3.2% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Unemployment rate in Bhutan, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Bhutan recorded 3.2% for unemployment rate in 2025.
That represents a change of down 1.7% on the previous year and up 31.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate in Bhutan peaked at 5.9% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 1.4%, in 1991.
Bhutan ranks 140th of 186 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment rate in Bhutan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 1.4% | — |
| 1992 | 1.4% | +0.7% |
| 1993 | 1.4% | +1.9% |
| 1994 | 1.4% | -0.9% |
| 1995 | 1.4% | -0.4% |
| 1996 | 1.4% | -0.6% |
| 1997 | 1.4% | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 1.4% | +0.5% |
| 1999 | 1.4% | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 1.7% | +18.2% |
| 2001 | 1.9% | +14.8% |
| 2002 | 1.9% | -2.4% |
| 2003 | 1.8% | -2.9% |
| 2004 | 2.5% | +38.3% |
| 2005 | 3.1% | +24.5% |
| 2006 | 3.1% | +1.0% |
| 2007 | 3.7% | +18.2% |
| 2008 | 3.8% | +4.0% |
| 2009 | 4.0% | +2.9% |
| 2010 | 3.3% | -16.2% |
| 2011 | 3.2% | -2.7% |
| 2012 | 2.0% | -36.5% |
| 2013 | 2.9% | +40.0% |
| 2014 | 2.6% | -8.4% |
| 2015 | 2.5% | -6.8% |
| 2016 | 2.7% | +10.5% |
| 2017 | 3.0% | +11.8% |
| 2018 | 3.4% | +10.7% |
| 2019 | 2.7% | -18.8% |
| 2020 | 5.0% | +84.9% |
| 2021 | 4.8% | -4.5% |
| 2022 | 5.9% | +23.8% |
| 2023 | 3.1% | -47.4% |
| 2024 | 3.3% | +5.0% |
| 2025 | 3.2% | -1.7% |
Bhutan compared with similar countries
- Bhutan's 3.2% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5.1%, 64% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Bhutan's 3.2% is below the median for South Asia, which is 4.1%, 78% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Unemployment rate in Bhutan changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +84.9% | 2.7% | 5.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.4% | 1.4% | 1.4% | 9 |
| 2000s | 2.7% | 1.7% | 4.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.8% | 2.0% | 3.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.2% | 3.1% | 5.9% | 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 rate in Bhutan?
- Unemployment rate in Bhutan was 3.2% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rate recorded in Bhutan?
- The highest recorded value was 5.9% in 2022.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate recorded in Bhutan?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.4% in 1991.
- How does Bhutan rank for unemployment rate?
- Bhutan ranks 140th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rate rising or falling in Bhutan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 31.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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 Unemployment rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of the labor force without work, but actively looking for a job and available to start soon.