Age dependency ratio in Bhutan
Bhutan: Age dependency ratio was 37.0% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Age dependency ratio in Bhutan, 1960–2025
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in % of working-age population.
Analysis
In 2025, age dependency ratio in Bhutan stood at 37.0%. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.
That represents a change of down 2.1% on the previous year and down 23.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, age dependency ratio in Bhutan peaked at 84.5% in 1987 and was at its lowest, 37.0%, in 2025.
That places Bhutan 207th out of 217 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Age dependency ratio in Bhutan, year by year
| Year | % of working-age population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 80.8% | — |
| 1961 | 80.3% | -0.6% |
| 1962 | 79.7% | -0.8% |
| 1963 | 79.3% | -0.5% |
| 1964 | 79.1% | -0.3% |
| 1965 | 78.9% | -0.2% |
| 1966 | 78.9% | -0.0% |
| 1967 | 78.9% | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 79.0% | +0.1% |
| 1969 | 79.1% | +0.1% |
| 1970 | 79.3% | +0.2% |
| 1971 | 79.5% | +0.3% |
| 1972 | 79.8% | +0.3% |
| 1973 | 80.1% | +0.4% |
| 1974 | 80.5% | +0.4% |
| 1975 | 80.8% | +0.5% |
| 1976 | 81.2% | +0.5% |
| 1977 | 81.7% | +0.5% |
| 1978 | 82.1% | +0.5% |
| 1979 | 82.5% | +0.5% |
| 1980 | 82.9% | +0.5% |
| 1981 | 83.3% | +0.5% |
| 1982 | 83.6% | +0.4% |
| 1983 | 83.9% | +0.4% |
| 1984 | 84.2% | +0.3% |
| 1985 | 84.4% | +0.2% |
| 1986 | 84.5% | +0.1% |
| 1987 | 84.5% | +0.1% |
| 1988 | 84.5% | -0.0% |
| 1989 | 84.4% | -0.1% |
| 1990 | 84.3% | -0.1% |
| 1991 | 84.1% | -0.2% |
| 1992 | 83.8% | -0.4% |
| 1993 | 83.2% | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 82.4% | -0.9% |
| 1995 | 81.4% | -1.2% |
| 1996 | 80.2% | -1.5% |
| 1997 | 78.8% | -1.7% |
| 1998 | 77.2% | -2.1% |
| 1999 | 75.4% | -2.3% |
| 2000 | 73.5% | -2.6% |
| 2001 | 71.3% | -3.0% |
| 2002 | 68.9% | -3.4% |
| 2003 | 66.3% | -3.7% |
| 2004 | 63.6% | -4.1% |
| 2005 | 61.1% | -3.9% |
| 2006 | 59.1% | -3.2% |
| 2007 | 57.3% | -3.0% |
| 2008 | 55.6% | -2.9% |
| 2009 | 54.1% | -2.7% |
| 2010 | 52.8% | -2.5% |
| 2011 | 51.6% | -2.2% |
| 2012 | 50.6% | -1.9% |
| 2013 | 49.8% | -1.6% |
| 2014 | 49.1% | -1.5% |
| 2015 | 48.3% | -1.6% |
| 2016 | 47.5% | -1.6% |
| 2017 | 46.3% | -2.6% |
| 2018 | 44.7% | -3.6% |
| 2019 | 43.0% | -3.6% |
| 2020 | 41.6% | -3.3% |
| 2021 | 40.4% | -2.8% |
| 2022 | 39.4% | -2.5% |
| 2023 | 38.6% | -2.2% |
| 2024 | 37.7% | -2.1% |
| 2025 | 37.0% | -2.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 79.4% | 78.9% | 80.8% | 10 |
| 1970s | 80.7% | 79.3% | 82.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 84.0% | 82.9% | 84.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 81.1% | 75.4% | 84.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 63.1% | 54.1% | 73.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 48.4% | 43.0% | 52.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 39.1% | 37.0% | 41.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Bhutan
- 204 Turks and Caicos Islands 38.2% compare
- 205 Saint Lucia 37.4% compare
- 206 Oman 37.0% compare
- 208 Jamaica 36.7% compare
- 209 Saudi Arabia 36.4% compare
- 210 Singapore 35.0% compare
More health data for Bhutan
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -10 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.0915 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,531 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 9 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 0-14, female, annual growth rate -1.81 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per capita 0.0983 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, annual growth rate -2.15 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per capita 0.1054 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is age dependency ratio in Bhutan?
- Age dependency ratio in Bhutan was 37.0% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest age dependency ratio recorded in Bhutan?
- The highest recorded value was 84.5% in 1987.
- What is the lowest age dependency ratio recorded in Bhutan?
- The lowest recorded value was 37.0% in 2025.
- How does Bhutan rank for age dependency ratio?
- Bhutan ranks 207th out of 217 countries with data for 2025.
- Is age dependency ratio rising or falling in Bhutan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 23.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Bhutan data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division, published as part of Age dependency ratio (% of working-age population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Age dependency ratio is the ratio of dependents--people younger than 15 or older than 64--to the working-age population--those ages 15-64. Data are shown as the proportion of dependents per 100 working-age population.