Whenever Bhutan attracts global media attention, it is often about the country’s Buddhist spirit or scenic beauty. But the media glare is also on the geostrategic front: Bhutan is a landlocked country, threatened by China from the north, especially as Beijing builds dams and engages in salami-slicing on the border territories.
However, in the last decade, Bhutan has faced a challenge of its own. Its falling birth rate and voluminous migration to countries such as Australia, Canada, and the United States pose an existential crisis.In the first week of May 2026, Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay presented a mid-term review for the health ministry, emphasising the need to boost the birth rate in a country of approximately 8 lakh people.
“It is the responsibility of all of us. Even wartime countries would not suffer such a level of population decline. That is not sustainable,” he said.Where does Bhutan stand today, and what lies ahead? Data speaks louder
The data on Bhutan’s falling birth rate paints an alarming picture. In 2024, a mere 9,914 births were recorded in Bhutan, a 0.5 per cent drop from the previous year.In 1952, Bhutan’s population growth rate was 2.74 per cent, and in 1979, it reached 3.44 per cent. Since 1980, the percentage has been on a downward trajectory, with the lowest dip in 1993, resulting in a growth rate of negative 4 per cent.While multiple factors explain the population decline, globalisation and the opening up of the global economy were indeed key forces in the country’s outward migration, making the latter a direct factor. Though the year 2000 saw a major recovery in population to 2.45 per cent, the country has since seen a further decline. As of May 2026, the population growth stands at 0.69 per cent.Meanwhile, the low birth rate remains a major concern. The situation becomes even more alarming when one looks at migration data over the last two decades.It is estimated that over the last six decades, approximately 66,000 people have left Bhutan in search of employment, education, and other opportunities. Australia has become one of the top destinations for Bhutan’s educated youth. Among those moving to other countries, many are high-skilled, including civil servants, who migrate in search of better remuneration in other occupations.“65% of migrants worked as professionals and technicians before migrating, and 52.6% of aspiring migrants are currently working in these occupations in Bhutan,” read a World Bank report on migration dynamics.The report notes that a quarter of migrants worked in the education sector before leaving the country.“Migrants are attracted by the prospects of better education opportunities, high earning potential, and a growing Bhutanese community in Australia,” said the document.
