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Bhutan Population and religion percentage
Bhutan, officially known as the Thunder Dragon Empire or “The Kingdom of Bhutan, ” is landlocked in the Eastern Himalayas. Bhutan’s northern and western boundary with Tibet, to the south of the Himalayan range, lies Bhutan’s boundary with the Indian states of West Bengal and Assam and Arunachal Pradesh to the east and Sikkim to the southwest.
As per the UN World Population Prospects reports, the population of Bhutan in 2026 is 802,260 (8 lakh)
Bhutan location on Map
Bhutan Demographics
| Bhutan | 2026 Estimates |
| Total Population | 802,260 |
| Global Rank | 165 |
| Share of World Pop. | 0.01% |
| Land Area | 38,394 sq. km (14,824 sq. mi) |
| Area Rank | 133 |
| Pop. Density | 21 people/sq. km |
| Capital City | Thimphu |
| Fertility Rate* | 1.44 |
| Infant mortality rate ** | 19.6 |
| Median Age | 30.5 Years |
| Life Expectancy | 72.77 years |
| Urban Population | 50% |
Source: UN World Population Prospects
*Fertility rate, average number of children born to women during their reproductive years.
**Infant mortality rate is the number of deaths per 1,000 live births of children under one year of age.
Religion in Bhutan
Buddhism is the main religion in Bhutan and 2/3 rd of the population follows it. Vajrayana Buddhism is the state religion of Bhutan. About 22.6% of the population practices Hinduism. Other religions account for less than 1% of the population.
Religion percentage in Bhutan
- Buddhism – 74.8%
- Hinduism – 22.6%
- Bon and other indigenous faiths – 1.9%
- Christianity – 0.4%
- Islam – 0.1%
- Other or none -0.1%
Ethnic groups
There are three major ethnic groups in Bhutan: the Bhutia (also called Ngalop), the Nepalese, and the Sharchop. The Bhutia are the largest ethnic group and makeup about half of the population. They are the descendants of Tibetan immigrants who came southward into Bhutan beginning about the 9th century. The Bhutia are dominant in northern, central, and western Bhutan.
The Nepalese (including members of the Gurung ethnic group) constitute roughly one-third of the country’s total population; they are the most recent arrivals in Bhutan. Most speak Nepali. Most of the people in eastern Bhutan are ethnically related to the hill tribes living in adjacent areas of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. The Sharchop, as these people are called, are believed to have been the earliest inhabitants of Bhutan and they make 15% of the population.
Ethnic Percentage
- Bhutia – 50%
- Nepalese – 35%
- Sharchop – 15%
source: estimates
Largest Cities in Bhutan by Population
Largest cities or towns in Bhutan
1. Thimphu – 114,551
2. Phuntsholing – 27,658
3. Paro – 11,448
4. Gelephu – 9,858
5. Samdrup Jongkhar – 9,325
6. Wangdue Phodrang – 8,954
7. Punakha – 6,626
8. Jakar – 6,243
9. Nganglam – 5,418
10. Samtse – 5,396