Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Bhutan: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna grade (MCB, ranked #77 of 195).
Bhutan is a constitutional monarchy in Southern Asia, between China and India. The country's capital is Thimphu; it covers 38,394 sq km. Independence: 17 December 1907 (became a unified kingdom under its first hereditary king); 8 August 1949 (Treaty of Friendship with India maintains Bhutanese independence). Terrain: mostly mountainous with some fertile valleys and savanna. Climate: varies; tropical in southern plains; cool winters and hot summers in central valleys; severe winters and cool summers in Himalayas. Population: 893,000 (2025 estimate). Population growth: +0.93% per year. Median age: 31.2 years. Life expectancy: 73.7 years (2024 est.). Languages: Sharchopkha 28%, Dzongkha (offic…
| Capital | Thimphu |
|---|---|
| Population | 892,877 (2025 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $11.517 billion (2023 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $14,600 (2023 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | 4.9% (2023 est.) |
| Inflation | 2.8% |
| Unemployment | 2.9% |
| Public debt | 111% of GDP (2020 est.) |
| Exports | $944.391 million (2024 est.) |
| Imports | $1.513 billion (2024 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 73.7 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 31.2 |
| Urbanization | 44.4% of total population (2023) |
| Government | constitutional monarchy |
| Independence | 17 December 1907 (became a unified kingdom under its first hereditary king); 8 August 1949 (Treaty of Friendship with India maintains Bhutanese independence) |
| Languages | Sharchopkha 28%, Dzongkha (official) 24%, Lhotshamkha 22%, other 26% (includes foreign languages) (2005 est.) |
MCB · 51/100 — The Magna grade is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — five dimensions, 100+ indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
Steadiness was the quarter's defining trait: no rupture, no windfall, no surprise strong enough to move the score.
The trajectory remains set by fundamentals that change over years, not quarters — and this quarter changed little.
Timber, Hydropower, Gypsum.
Tshering Tobgay — Prime Minister. King Jigme Khesar Namgyel WANGCHUCK (since 14 December 2006)
Bhutan maintains 6 embassies and 3 consulates abroad. The breadth of a diplomatic network is a direct measure of diplomatic power — it shows how far a country’s influence, alliances and interests reach.
| Embassies abroad | 6 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 3 |
Source: Outbound: Lowy Institute Global Diplomacy Index 2024 (via Wikipedia 'List of countries by number of diplomatic missions').
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Landlocked — no seacoast; exports move through transit corridors across neighbouring countries. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 4 + 8 heliports (registration prefix A5) |
Paro International Airport (PBH) — Paro.
Sources: OurAirports public-domain extract (2026-10-02); per-entry Wikipedia links included; CIA World Factbook via cia_factbook snapshot (2026-09-28); theodora.com CIA mirror (CIA World Factbook Transportation section), scraped 2026-10-02
| Political system | constitutional monarchy |
|---|---|
| Next election | No election currently scheduled. |
MCB · 51 Ranked #77 of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Bhutan.
