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.
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
- Women can take the same jobs as men 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Legislation on sexual harassment in employment 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Criminal sanctions or compensation for workplace sexual harassment 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 79.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 71.8% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 64.8% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 31.1% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 30.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 30.8% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15 56.7% (2025)
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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the labor force without work, but actively looking for a job and available to start soon.