Proportion of total government spending on essential services … UIS in Bhutan
Bhutan: Proportion of total government spending on essential services … UIS was 22.2% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
22.2%
Change on year
up 29.3%
World rank
7th
of 197 countries
All-time high
25.3%
in 2015
All-time low
10.3%
in 2010
Years of data
21
2000–2025
Proportion of total government spending on essential services in Bhutan, 2000–2025
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
In 2025, proportion of total government spending on essential services in Bhutan stood at 22.2%.
That represents a change of up 29.3% on the previous year and down 12.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of total government spending on essential services in Bhutan peaked at 25.3% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 10.3%, in 2010.
Bhutan ranks 7th of 197 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 21 years of available data.
Proportion of total government spending on essential services … UIS in Bhutan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 13.9% | — |
| 2001 | 13.2% | -5.0% |
| 2004 | 18.6% | +40.7% |
| 2005 | 22.8% | +22.7% |
| 2008 | 15.1% | -33.8% |
| 2009 | 12.8% | -15.0% |
| 2010 | 10.3% | -19.8% |
| 2011 | 11.4% | +10.6% |
| 2013 | 15.7% | +37.8% |
| 2014 | 17.5% | +11.3% |
| 2015 | 25.3% | +45.2% |
| 2016 | 24.4% | -3.9% |
| 2017 | 23.0% | -5.4% |
| 2018 | 21.9% | -5.2% |
| 2019 | 18.1% | -17.2% |
| 2020 | 16.3% | -10.1% |
| 2021 | 16.9% | +4.0% |
| 2022 | 22.1% | +30.8% |
| 2023 | 19.2% | -13.2% |
| 2024 | 17.2% | -10.5% |
| 2025 | 22.2% | +29.3% |
Bhutan compared with similar countries
- Bhutan's 22.2% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 14.5%, 1.5× the median. (41 countries reporting)
- Bhutan's 22.2% is above the median for South Asia, which is 11.3%, 2.0× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 16.1% | 12.8% | 22.8% | 6 |
| 2010s | 18.6% | 10.3% | 25.3% | 9 |
| 2020s | 19.0% | 16.3% | 22.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Bhutan
- 4 Solomon Islands 25.2% compare
- 5 Namibia 24.6% compare
- 6 Morocco 23.3% compare
- 8 Uzbekistan 22.1% compare
- 9 Kazakhstan 22.0% compare
- 10 Botswana 21.5% compare
More education data for Bhutan
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 6,995 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 9,961 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 6,905 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 6,735 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 67,821 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 91,759 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 3.26 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1159 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is proportion of total government spending on essential services in Bhutan?
- Proportion of total government spending on essential services in Bhutan was 22.2% in 2025, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest proportion of total government spending on essential services recorded in Bhutan?
- The highest recorded value was 25.3% in 2015.
- What is the lowest proportion of total government spending on essential services recorded in Bhutan?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.3% in 2010.
- How does Bhutan rank for proportion of total government spending on essential services?
- Bhutan ranks 7th out of 197 countries with data for 2025.
- Is proportion of total government spending on essential services rising or falling in Bhutan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bhutan data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Proportion of total government spending on essential services, education [UIS methodology] (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 21 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).