This article is about the demographic features of the population of Bhutan, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
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The Royal Government of Bhutan lists their country's population as 752,700 (2003).[1] The CIA Factbook in 2003 estimated the population at 2,327,849.[2]
One explanation for this discrepancy given inside Bhutan is that the higher CIA numbers ultimately trace back to an inflated population number the Bhutanese government supplied to the United Nations in the early 1970s in order to gain entry into that body (the UN reportedly had a cutoff population of one million at that time). According to this theory the CIA population experts have retained this original inflated number year after year while adjusting it each year for normal population growth.
An alternative theory is that the western and central districts of the country wish to underestimate the populations of the southern and eastern districts in order to maintain their historical dominance over those districts. This is the claim made by some Bhutanese refugee groups. Certainly the government numbers do not include people in the refugee camps in Nepal and other persons forced out of Bhutan, which total approximately 125,000.
The Bhutanese numbers can be reconstructed from their 9th Five Year Plan documents,[3] which lists the exact number of households in each gewog. If the Bhutanese refugee advocate groups are correct, a spot check of a southern gewog should show a massive under-reporting of population .
The CIA World Fact book number has since been adjusted with a note of former inconstancies, and explains the difference on the old numbers from the government not including the "first modern census of Bhutan, conducted in 2005".[4] It should also be noted in the 1970s Bhutan was one of the most isolated countries in the world and nobody knew how many people lived there since no census had ever been taken.
The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.
Approximately two-thirds to three-quarters of the population practice Drukpa Kagyupa or Ningmapa Buddhism, both of which are disciplines of Mahayana Buddhism. Approximately one-quarter of the population is ethnic Nepalese and practice Hinduism. They live mainly in the south and follow the Shaivite, Vaishnavite, Shakta, Ghanapathi, Puranic, and Vedic schools. Christians both Roman Catholic and Protestant and nonreligious groups comprised less than 1 percent of the population. Bön, the country's animist and shamanistic belief system, revolves around the worship of nature and predates Buddhism. Very few citizens adhere exclusively to this religious group.
Below is a table of Bhutan vital statistics since 1950 published by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.[6]
| Period | Live births per year | Deaths per year | Natural change per year | CBR1 | CDR1 | NC1 | TFR1 | IMR1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950-1955 | 9 000 | 5 000 | 4 000 | 47.9 | 27.1 | 20.8 | 6.67 | 184.8 |
| 1955-1960 | 10 000 | 6 000 | 5 000 | 49.0 | 26.8 | 22.3 | 6.67 | 181.4 |
| 1960-1965 | 12 000 | 6 000 | 6 000 | 48.5 | 25.7 | 22.8 | 6.67 | 174.1 |
| 1965-1970 | 13 000 | 7 000 | 7 000 | 47.8 | 24.1 | 23.8 | 6.67 | 163.1 |
| 1970-1975 | 16 000 | 7 000 | 8 000 | 47.0 | 22.0 | 25.1 | 6.67 | 149.3 |
| 1975-1980 | 18 000 | 8 000 | 10 000 | 45.8 | 19.6 | 26.2 | 6.67 | 133.2 |
| 1980-1985 | 20 000 | 8 000 | 12 000 | 42.7 | 17.1 | 25.6 | 6.39 | 117.1 |
| 1985-1990 | 21 000 | 8 000 | 13 000 | 40.4 | 15.0 | 25.3 | 6.11 | 104.0 |
| 1990-1995 | 19 000 | 7 000 | 12 000 | 35.2 | 12.5 | 22.7 | 5.27 | 87.5 |
| 1995-2000 | 16 000 | 5 000 | 11 000 | 29.2 | 9.9 | 19.3 | 4.13 | 69.7 |
| 2000-2005 | 15 000 | 5 000 | 11 000 | 25.2 | 7.9 | 17.2 | 3.30 | 52.8 |
| 2005-2010 | 15 000 | 5 000 | 10 000 | 21.5 | 7.2 | 14.4 | 2.61 | 44.4 |
| 1 CBR = crude birth rate (per 1000); CDR = crude death rate (per 1000); NC = natural change (per 1000); TFR = total fertility rate (number of children per woman); IMR = infant mortality rate per 1000 births | ||||||||
In 2011, there were 246 reported cases of HIV in Bhutan, representing just over 0.3% of the population.[7] In July 2010, there were a total of 217 cases detected, however Health Ministry sources indicated actual numbers were estimated at more than 500 by UNAIDS.[8]
Through July 2010, there had been a total of 40 deaths due to HIV/AIDS-related causes, and one suicide.[8]