Economy - overview:
Bhutan's small economy is based largely on hydropower, agriculture, and forestry, which provide the main livelihood for more than half of the population. Because rugged mountains dominate the terrain and make the building of roads and other infrastructure difficult and expensive, industrial production is primarily of the cottage industry type. The economy is closely aligned with India's through strong trade and monetary links and is dependent on India for financial assistance and migrant laborers for development projects, especially for road construction. Bhutan also inked a pact in December 2014 to expand duty-free trade with Bangladesh.Multilateral development organizations administer most educational, social, and environment programs, and take into account the government's desire to protect the country's environment and cultural traditions. For example, the government, in its cautious expansion of the tourist sector, encourages visits by upscale, environmentally conscientious tourists. Complicated controls and uncertain policies in areas such as industrial licensing, trade, labor, and finance continue to hamper foreign investment.Bhutan’s largest export - hydropower to India - could spur sustainable growth in the coming years if Bhutan resolves chronic delays in construction. Bhutan’s hydropower exports comprise 40% of total exports and 25% of the government’s total revenue. Bhutan currently taps only 6.5% of its 24,000-megawatt hydropower potential and is behind schedule in building 12 new hydropower dams with a combined capacity of 10,000 megawatts by 2020 in accordance with a deal signed in 2008 with India. The high volume of imported materials to build hydropower plants has expanded Bhutan's trade and current account deficits. Bhutan also signed a memorandum of understanding with Bangladesh and India in July 2017 to jointly construct a new hydropower plant for exporting electricity to Bangladesh.
GDP (purchasing power parity): GDP (official exchange rate): GDP - real growth rate: GDP - per capita (PPP): Gross national saving: GDP - composition, by end use: GDP - composition, by sector of origin: Agriculture - products: Industries: Industrial production growth rate: Labor force: Labor force - by occupation: Unemployment rate: Population below poverty line: Household income or consumption by percentage share: Distribution of family income - Gini index: Budget: Taxes and other revenues: Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-): Public debt: Fiscal year: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Central bank discount rate: Commercial bank prime lending rate: Stock of narrow money: Stock of broad money: Stock of domestic credit: Market value of publicly traded shares: Current account balance: Exports: Exports - commodities: Exports - partners: Imports: Imports - commodities: Imports - partners: Debt - external: Stock of direct foreign investment - at home: Exchange rates:
$7.011 billion (2017 est.)
$6.621 billion (2016 est.)
$6.232 billion (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 169
$2.321 billion (2016 est.)
[see also: GDP (official exchange rate) country ranks ]
5.9% (2017 est.)
6.2% (2016 est.)
6.1% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 25
[see also: GDP - real growth rate country ranks ]
$8,700 (2017 est.)
$8,400 (2016 est.)
$8,000 (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 147
34.4% of GDP (2017 est.)
33.4% of GDP (2016 est.)
32% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 15
[see also: Gross national saving country ranks ]
household consumption: 50.1%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - household consumption country ranks ]
government consumption: 15.9%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - government consumption country ranks ]
investment in fixed capital: 49.4%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in fixed capital country ranks ]
investment in inventories: 0%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in inventories country ranks ]
exports of goods and services: 25.9%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - exports of goods and services country ranks ]
imports of goods and services: -41.4% (2017 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - imports of goods and services country ranks ]
agriculture: 15.7%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 42.6%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - industry country ranks ]
services: 41.7% (2017 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - services country ranks ]
rice, corn, root crops, citrus; dairy products, eggs
cement, wood products, processed fruits, alcoholic beverages, calcium carbide, tourism
8.9% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 12
[see also: Industrial production growth rate country ranks ]
353,000
note: major shortage of skilled labor (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 162
[see also: Labor force country ranks ]
agriculture: 58%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 20%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - industry country ranks ]
services: 22% (2015 est.)
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - services country ranks ]
3.2% (2017 est.)
3.2% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 36
[see also: Unemployment rate country ranks ]
13.3% (2012 est.)
[see also: Population below poverty line country ranks ]
lowest 10%: 2.8%
[see also: Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10% country ranks ]
highest 10%: 30.6% (2012)
38.8 (2012)
38.1 (2007)
country comparison to the world: 69
[see also: Distribution of family income - Gini index country ranks ]
revenues: $692.6 million
[see also: Budget - revenues country ranks ]
expenditures: $818.8 million
[see also: Budget - expenditures country ranks ]
note: the government of India finances nearly one-quarter of Bhutan's budget expenditures (2017 est.)
29.8% of GDP (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 82
[see also: Taxes and other revenues country ranks ]
-5.4% of GDP (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 167
[see also: Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) country ranks ]
93.7% of GDP (2017 est.)
106.8% of GDP (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 21
[see also: Public debt country ranks ]
1 July - 30 June
3.5% (2017 est.)
3.9% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 141
[see also: Inflation rate (consumer prices) country ranks ]
6%
note: this is the policy rate of Bhutan's central bank
[see also: Central bank discount rate country ranks ]
13.6% (31 December 2017 est.)
14.15% (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 56
[see also: Commercial bank prime lending rate country ranks ]
$963.9 million (31 December 2017 est.)
$769 million (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 157
[see also: Stock of narrow money country ranks ]
$1.69 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$1.379 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 164
[see also: Stock of broad money country ranks ]
$1.434 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$1.17 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 161
[see also: Stock of domestic credit country ranks ]
$355.3 million (31 December 2015)
$283.4 million (31 December 2012)
country comparison to the world: 115
[see also: Market value of publicly traded shares country ranks ]
-$682 million (2017 est.)
-$618 million (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 111
[see also: Current account balance country ranks ]
$580 million (2017 est.)
$495.3 million (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 172
[see also: Exports country ranks ]
electricity (to India), ferrosilicon, cement, cardamom, calcium carbide, steel rods/bars, dolomite, gypsum
India 95.7% (2016)
$1.1 billion (2017 est.)
$1.033 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 177
[see also: Imports country ranks ]
fuel and lubricants, airplanes, machinery and parts, rice, motor vehicles
India 91.1% (2016)
$2.71 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$2.355 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 147
[see also: Debt - external country ranks ]
$185.5 million (31 December 2017 est.)
$168.4 million (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 128
[see also: Stock of direct foreign investment - at home country ranks ]
ngultrum (BTN) per US dollar -
64.97 (2017 est.)
67.2 (2016 est.)
67.2 (2015 est.)
64.15 (2014 est.)
61.03 (2013 est.)