Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Bhutan
Bhutan: Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates was 3.4% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Bhutan, 1998–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Bhutan stood at 3.4%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.9% on the previous year and up 37.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Bhutan peaked at 5.9% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 1.4%, in 1998.
That places Bhutan 136th out of 185 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 23 years of available data.
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Bhutan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 1.4% | — |
| 1999 | 1.4% | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 1.9% | +35.7% |
| 2003 | 1.8% | -5.3% |
| 2004 | 2.5% | +38.6% |
| 2005 | 3.1% | +24.3% |
| 2006 | 3.1% | +0.9% |
| 2007 | 3.7% | +18.2% |
| 2009 | 4.0% | +7.1% |
| 2010 | 3.3% | -16.7% |
| 2011 | 3.1% | -4.8% |
| 2012 | 2.1% | -34.6% |
| 2013 | 2.9% | +41.2% |
| 2014 | 2.6% | -9.3% |
| 2015 | 2.5% | -6.8% |
| 2018 | 3.4% | +36.7% |
| 2019 | 2.7% | -18.8% |
| 2020 | 5.0% | +84.9% |
| 2021 | 4.8% | -4.5% |
| 2022 | 5.9% | +23.8% |
| 2023 | 3.3% | -44.4% |
| 2024 | 3.4% | +2.4% |
| 2025 | 3.4% | -0.9% |
Bhutan compared with similar countries
- Bhutan's 3.4% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5.0%, 67% of the median. (42 countries reporting)
- Bhutan's 3.4% is below the median for South Asia, which is 4.4%, 76% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.4% | 1.4% | 1.4% | 2 |
| 2000s | 2.9% | 1.8% | 4.0% | 7 |
| 2010s | 2.8% | 2.1% | 3.4% | 8 |
| 2020s | 4.3% | 3.3% | 5.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Bhutan
More reference data data for Bhutan
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0217 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.0671 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.1192 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0167 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 0.1192 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0727 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.0153 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.3489 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.5881 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0909 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Bhutan?
- Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in Bhutan was 3.4% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates recorded in Bhutan?
- The highest recorded value was 5.9% in 2022.
- What is the lowest unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates recorded in Bhutan?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.4% in 1998.
- How does Bhutan rank for unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates?
- Bhutan ranks 136th out of 185 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates rising or falling in Bhutan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 37.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bhutan data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 23 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. Figures refer to national estimates and may not be fully comparable across countries.