Total natural resource rents in Bhutan
Bhutan: Total natural resource rents was 2.7% in 2021. ◆ Volatile
Total natural resource rents in Bhutan, 1980–2021
Source: The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank staff estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Bhutan recorded 2.7% for total natural resource rents in 2021.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.1% on the previous year and down 44.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total natural resource rents in Bhutan peaked at 17.3% in 1982 and was at its lowest, 2.0%, in 2018.
Bhutan ranks 91st of 211 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Total natural resource rents in Bhutan, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 14.4% | — |
| 1981 | 11.7% | -18.7% |
| 1982 | 17.3% | +47.7% |
| 1983 | 10.7% | -38.3% |
| 1984 | 8.6% | -19.2% |
| 1985 | 5.9% | -31.4% |
| 1986 | 8.5% | +43.3% |
| 1987 | 6.2% | -27.4% |
| 1988 | 5.8% | -6.5% |
| 1989 | 5.8% | +0.2% |
| 1990 | 6.3% | +8.6% |
| 1991 | 7.6% | +20.9% |
| 1992 | 7.9% | +4.8% |
| 1993 | 6.5% | -17.9% |
| 1994 | 5.4% | -17.8% |
| 1995 | 6.1% | +14.3% |
| 1996 | 5.8% | -4.7% |
| 1997 | 4.3% | -26.6% |
| 1998 | 4.2% | -2.1% |
| 1999 | 4.3% | +2.3% |
| 2000 | 4.0% | -6.8% |
| 2001 | 3.9% | -3.3% |
| 2002 | 3.6% | -7.4% |
| 2003 | 3.3% | -6.6% |
| 2004 | 3.0% | -11.2% |
| 2005 | 2.7% | -9.2% |
| 2006 | 3.4% | +26.1% |
| 2007 | 4.3% | +26.8% |
| 2008 | 4.2% | -2.4% |
| 2009 | 3.5% | -15.9% |
| 2010 | 5.3% | +50.0% |
| 2011 | 4.9% | -7.2% |
| 2012 | 4.3% | -13.6% |
| 2013 | 3.5% | -18.3% |
| 2014 | 3.4% | -1.7% |
| 2015 | 4.0% | +17.8% |
| 2016 | 4.4% | +10.1% |
| 2017 | 3.4% | -24.2% |
| 2018 | 2.0% | -40.9% |
| 2019 | 2.2% | +10.1% |
| 2020 | 2.8% | +27.5% |
| 2021 | 2.7% | -2.1% |
Bhutan compared with similar countries
- Bhutan's 2.7% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 4.4%, 62% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Bhutan's 2.7% is above the median for South Asia, which is 0.6%, 4.9× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 9.5% | 5.8% | 17.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.8% | 4.2% | 7.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.6% | 2.7% | 4.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.7% | 2.0% | 5.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.8% | 2.7% | 2.8% | 2 |
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 total natural resource rents in Bhutan?
- Total natural resource rents in Bhutan was 2.7% in 2021, according to The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank staff estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest total natural resource rents recorded in Bhutan?
- The highest recorded value was 17.3% in 1982.
- What is the lowest total natural resource rents recorded in Bhutan?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.0% in 2018.
- How does Bhutan rank for total natural resource rents?
- Bhutan ranks 91st out of 211 countries with data for 2021.
- Is total natural resource rents rising or falling in Bhutan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 44.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Bhutan data come from?
- The figures come from The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank staff estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Total natural resource rents. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 42 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Natural resources rents are estimated as the difference between the price of a commodity and the average cost of producing it. Total natural resources rents are the sum of oil rents, natural gas rents, coal rents, mineral rents, and forest rents.