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Total natural resource rents in Bhutan

Bhutan: Total natural resource rents was 2.7% in 2021. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2021)
2.7%
Change on year
down 2.1%
World rank
91st
of 211 countries
All-time high
17.3%
in 1982
All-time low
2.0%
in 2018
Years of data
42
1980–2021

Total natural resource rents in Bhutan, 1980–2021

0510151980200020211980: 14.4 % of GDP1981: 11.7 % of GDP1982: 17.3 % of GDP1983: 10.7 % of GDP1984: 8.6 % of GDP1985: 5.9 % of GDP1986: 8.5 % of GDP1987: 6.2 % of GDP1988: 5.8 % of GDP1989: 5.8 % of GDP1990: 6.3 % of GDP1991: 7.6 % of GDP1992: 7.9 % of GDP1993: 6.5 % of GDP1994: 5.4 % of GDP1995: 6.1 % of GDP1996: 5.8 % of GDP1997: 4.3 % of GDP1998: 4.2 % of GDP1999: 4.3 % of GDP2000: 4 % of GDP2001: 3.9 % of GDP2002: 3.6 % of GDP2003: 3.3 % of GDP2004: 3 % of GDP2005: 2.7 % of GDP2006: 3.4 % of GDP2007: 4.3 % of GDP2008: 4.2 % of GDP2009: 3.5 % of GDP2010: 5.3 % of GDP2011: 4.9 % of GDP2012: 4.3 % of GDP2013: 3.5 % of GDP2014: 3.4 % of GDP2015: 4 % of GDP2016: 4.4 % of GDP2017: 3.4 % of GDP2018: 2 % of GDP2019: 2.2 % of GDP2020: 2.8 % of GDP2021: 2.7 % of GDP

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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest 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

  1. 88 India 3.2% compare
  2. 89 Eswatini 3.0% compare
  3. 90 Gambia 2.9% compare
  4. 92 Argentina 2.7% compare
  5. 93 Vietnam 2.5% compare
  6. 94 Benin 2.3% compare

See the full ranking of 211 places →

More reference data data for Bhutan

All data for Bhutan →

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

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About this data

Indicator
Total natural resource rents
Unit
% of GDP
Source
The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank staff estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
211 places, 9,209 data points, 1970–2021
Last refreshed

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.