Military personnel in Bhutan
Bhutan: Military personnel was 6,000 people in 2000. ▲ Rising
Military personnel in Bhutan, 1971–2000
Source: Correlates of War – National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for military personnel in Bhutan is 6,000 people, measured in 2000.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 25.0% on the previous year and up 20.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military personnel in Bhutan peaked at 8,000 people in 1996 and was at its lowest, 4,000 people, in 1977.
That places Bhutan 142nd out of 194 countries with data for 2000, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 30 years of available data.
Military personnel in Bhutan, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 5,000 people | — |
| 1972 | 5,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 5,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 5,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 5,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 5,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 4,000 people | -20.0% |
| 1978 | 4,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 4,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 4,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 4,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 4,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 4,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 4,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 4,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 4,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 4,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 5,000 people | +25.0% |
| 1989 | 4,000 people | -20.0% |
| 1990 | 5,000 people | +25.0% |
| 1991 | 5,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 5,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 5,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 5,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 5,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 8,000 people | +60.0% |
| 1997 | 8,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 8,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 8,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 6,000 people | -25.0% |
Bhutan compared with similar countries
- Bhutan's 6,000 people is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 15,500 people, 39% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Bhutan's 6,000 people is below the median for South Asia, which is 130,000 people, 5% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 4,667 people | 4,000 people | 5,000 people | 9 |
| 1980s | 4,100 people | 4,000 people | 5,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 6,200 people | 5,000 people | 8,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 6,000 people | 6,000 people | 6,000 people | 1 |
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 military personnel in Bhutan?
- Military personnel in Bhutan was 6,000 people in 2000, according to Correlates of War – National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest military personnel recorded in Bhutan?
- The highest recorded value was 8,000 people in 1996.
- What is the lowest military personnel recorded in Bhutan?
- The lowest recorded value was 4,000 people in 1977.
- How does Bhutan rank for military personnel?
- Bhutan ranks 142nd out of 194 countries with data for 2000.
- Is military personnel rising or falling in Bhutan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bhutan data come from?
- The figures come from Correlates of War – National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Military personnel. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 30 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Troops under the command of the national government, intended for use against foreign adversaries, and held ready for combat as of January 1 of the given year.