Bhutan
Bhutan is a lower-middle-income economy in South Asia, with its capital at Thimphu. 100.0% of its people had electricity in 2024.
- Electricity access
- 100.0%
- 2024, world 91.9%
- Renewable electricity
- 100.0%
- 2021, world 27.8%
- CO₂ per person
- 2.01 t
- 2024, world 4.69 t
- Clean cooking
- 93.0%
- 2024, world 75.4%
- GDP per person
- 4,493
- 2025, world 14,406
Electricity generation mix
- Oil
- Coal
- Gas
- Hydro
- Nuclear
- Solar, wind & other
Bhutan2021
South Asia2024
World2024
View data table
| Economy | Oil | Coal | Gas | Hydro | Nuclear | Solar, wind & other | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bhutan | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 100.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2021 |
| South Asia | 1.3% | 69.1% | 5.7% | 8.2% | 2.7% | 8.5% | 2024 |
| World | 2.3% | 34.5% | 21.9% | 14.6% | 9.8% | 12.4% | 2024 |
Share of electricity production by source, latest year available. Shares may not sum to exactly 100% because of rounding and minor sources.
Access to electricity
% of population, compared with South Asia and the world.
- Bhutan
- World
- South Asia
0%
50%
100%
BhutanSouth AsiaWorld View data table
| Year | Bhutan | World | South Asia |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 100.0% | 91.9% | 99.8% |
| 2023 | 100.0% | 91.6% | 99.4% |
| 2022 | 100.0% | 91.3% | 99.1% |
| 2021 | 100.0% | 91.3% | 99.4% |
| 2020 | 100.0% | 90.4% | 96.4% |
| 2019 | 100.0% | 90.1% | 95.5% |
| 2018 | 100.0% | 89.8% | 94.8% |
| 2017 | 97.7% | 88.9% | 91.4% |
| 2016 | 99.3% | 88.1% | 88.3% |
| 2015 | 95.4% | 86.9% | 86.5% |
| 2014 | 91.4% | 86.2% | 82.8% |
| 2013 | 87.4% | 85.7% | 80.8% |
| 2012 | 91.5% | 84.9% | 78.4% |
| 2011 | 81.8% | 84.5% | 77.3% |
| 2010 | 73.3% | 83.5% | 74.1% |
| 2009 | 71.5% | 82.9% | 73.0% |
| 2008 | 67.6% | 82.7% | 71.8% |
| 2007 | 71.8% | 82.0% | 69.3% |
| 2006 | 59.7% | 81.4% | 65.9% |
| 2005 | 59.8% | 80.7% | 65.9% |
| 2004 | 51.9% | 80.0% | 61.5% |
| 2003 | 41.1% | 80.0% | 62.3% |
| 2002 | 44.1% | 79.1% | 59.4% |
| 2001 | 40.2% | 78.7% | 58.3% |
| 2000 | 31.1% | 78.2% | 56.8% |
| 1999 | – | 74.5% | 56.0% |
| 1998 | – | 73.2% | 52.2% |
| 1997 | – | – | 50.3% |
| 1996 | – | – | 48.8% |
| 1995 | – | – | 47.7% |
Energy production and use
| Measure | Latest | Year | World rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oil consumption | 5 thousand b/d | 2024 | 178 of 216 |
| Coal production | 0.2 million tonnes | 2024 | 59 of 67 |
| Electricity generation | 11.0 TWh | 2024 | 107 of 211 |
| Renewable generation | 11.0 TWh | 2024 | 69 of 206 |
| Primary energy consumption | 0.06 quad Btu | 2024 | 147 of 215 |
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, International Energy Statistics.
Power generation, 2024
Bhutan generated 11.0 TWh of electricity in 2024, 100% of it from low-carbon sources, at 24 grams of CO₂ per kWh.
Source: Ember, yearly electricity data (CC BY 4.0).
Bhutan in world rankings
- Oil consumption#174 of 203
- Coal production#58 of 66
- Electricity generation#106 of 202
- Renewable generation#68 of 200
- Primary energy consumption#144 of 203
- Clean electricity share#4 of 190
- Grid carbon intensity#3 of 190
- Hydro share of electricity#1 of 140
Emissions
CO₂ per person, tonnes, excluding land use.
- Bhutan
- World
- South Asia
0 t
2 t
4 t
6 t
WorldBhutanSouth Asia View data table
| Year | Bhutan | World | South Asia |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2.01 t | 4.69 t | 1.98 t |
| 2023 | 1.98 t | 4.68 t | 1.91 t |
| 2022 | 1.94 t | 4.67 t | 1.80 t |
| 2021 | 1.99 t | 4.68 t | 1.69 t |
| 2020 | 1.84 t | 4.47 t | 1.54 t |
| 2019 | 2.36 t | 4.70 t | 1.68 t |
| 2018 | 2.30 t | 4.73 t | 1.70 t |
| 2017 | 1.95 t | 4.67 t | 1.64 t |
| 2016 | 1.90 t | 4.65 t | 1.57 t |
| 2015 | 1.77 t | 4.70 t | 1.56 t |
| 2014 | 1.54 t | 4.78 t | 1.54 t |
| 2013 | 1.53 t | 4.81 t | 1.44 t |
| 2012 | 1.47 t | 4.77 t | 1.42 t |
| 2011 | 1.56 t | 4.76 t | 1.32 t |
| 2010 | 1.29 t | 4.67 t | 1.25 t |
| 2009 | 1.15 t | 4.45 t | 1.19 t |
| 2008 | 0.84 t | 4.56 t | 1.13 t |
| 2007 | 0.85 t | 4.59 t | 1.07 t |
| 2006 | 0.85 t | 4.48 t | 1.00 t |
| 2005 | 0.82 t | 4.39 t | 0.95 t |
| 2004 | 0.77 t | 4.28 t | 0.92 t |
| 2003 | 0.78 t | 4.15 t | 0.87 t |
| 2002 | 0.76 t | 4.02 t | 0.86 t |
| 2001 | 0.72 t | 4.01 t | 0.84 t |
| 2000 | 0.68 t | 4.01 t | 0.84 t |
| 1999 | 0.69 t | 3.95 t | 0.83 t |
| 1998 | 0.70 t | 3.98 t | 0.79 t |
| 1997 | 0.68 t | 4.02 t | 0.78 t |
| 1996 | 0.65 t | 4.01 t | 0.76 t |
| 1995 | 0.59 t | 3.99 t | 0.74 t |
Currency
95.31 BTN
per US dollar, mid-market reference. 1 BTN = ₦13.97
Sunshine in Thimphu
6.0 kWh/m² today
- We6.0 kWh per square metre
- Th4.9 kWh per square metre
- Fr3.6 kWh per square metre
- Sa4.5 kWh per square metre
- Su5.1 kWh per square metre
- Mo4.8 kWh per square metre
- Tu5.5 kWh per square metre
Open-Meteo forecast, modelled irradiation.
Power plants
Installed capacity by fuel
5 plants, 1,482 MW recorded in WRI’s Global Power Plant Database.
- Hydro1,482 MW
Snapshot as of the database’s 2021 release; newer plants are not included. Nameplate capacity, not available generation.
Largest plants
| Plant | Fuel | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tala Hydroelectric Power Plant Bhutan | Hydro | 1,020 | – |
| Chhukha Hydroelectric Power Plant Bhutan | Hydro | 336 | – |
| Basochhu Hydroelectric Power Plant Bhutan | Hydro | 64 | – |
| Kurichhu Hydro-electric Power Station Bhutan | Hydro | 60 | – |
| Rangjung Small Hydroelectric Power Plant Bhutan | Hydro | 2 | – |
All indicators
Bhutan in numbers
Energy access
| Indicator | Bhutan | Year | South Asia | World |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Access to electricity % of population | 100.0% | 2024 | 99.8% | 91.9% |
| Access to electricity, rural % of rural population | 100.0% | 2024 | 99.8% | 84.9% |
| Access to electricity, urban % of urban population | 100.0% | 2024 | 99.9% | 97.8% |
| Access to clean fuels and technologies for cooking % of population | 93.0% | 2024 | 74.3% | 75.4% |
Power supply and mix
| Indicator | Bhutan | Year | South Asia | World |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electricity production from coal % of total | 0.0% | 2021 | 69.1% | 34.5% |
| Electricity production from natural gas % of total | 0.0% | 2021 | 5.7% | 21.9% |
| Electricity production from oil % of total | 0.0% | 2021 | 1.3% | 2.3% |
| Electricity production from nuclear % of total | 0.0% | 2021 | 2.7% | 9.8% |
| Electricity production from hydroelectric sources % of total | 100.0% | 2021 | 8.2% | 14.6% |
| Electric power transmission and distribution losses % of output | – | 13.8% | 6.9% | |
| Electric power consumption per capita kWh per capita | – | 1,140 kWh | 3,708 kWh |
Energy transition
| Indicator | Bhutan | Year | South Asia | World |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electricity production from renewables, excluding hydro % of total | 0.0% | 2021 | 8.5% | 12.4% |
| Renewable electricity output % of total electricity output | 100.0% | 2021 | 19.3% | 27.8% |
| Renewable energy consumption % of total final energy consumption | 82.5% | 2022 | 36.9% | 19.7% |
| CO₂ emissions per capita (excluding LULUCF) t CO₂e per capita | 2.01 t | 2024 | 1.98 t | 4.69 t |
| CO₂ emissions, total (excluding LULUCF) Mt CO₂e | 1.6 Mt | 2024 | 3,320.7 Mt | 39,632.7 Mt |
| Energy intensity of primary energy MJ per $2017 PPP GDP | 9.04 MJ/$ | 2022 | 3.94 MJ/$ | 4.54 MJ/$ |
Energy economy
| Indicator | Bhutan | Year | South Asia | World |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel exports % of merchandise exports | 0.0% | 2025 | 12.8% | 9.5% |
| Oil rents % of GDP | 0.00% | 2021 | 0.28% | 1.36% |
| Natural gas rents % of GDP | 0.00% | 2021 | 0.12% | 0.52% |
| GDP per capita current US$ | 4,493 | 2025 | 2,705 | 14,406 |
| Population, total people | 796,682 | 2025 | 1.7B | 8.2B |
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0). Latest year available per series.