MigrantoMigration trends in Bhutan
Asia
66.1K people from Bhutan have built lives abroad. That's 8.4% of the country population, spread across 17 different countries
791.5K
Population
51.4K
Immigrants
66.1K
Emigrants
−14.7K
Outflow
1 in every 13 people born in Bhutan now lives abroad
The #158 largest source of emigrants worldwide
Top corridors
The largest migration routes in Bhutan
Key moments
How migration has changed since 1990
1990
22K immigrants · 27.2K emigrants
1995
- An accelerating exodus — the diaspora abroad grew by 331%
- Surge of departures to Nepal — 90.9K people left
- The outflow deepened — net losses doubled to 91.4K
- The diaspora abroad passed 100K people
2005
- Roughly 1 in 20 residents was now foreign-born
2015
- The exodus eased — the diaspora abroad shrank by 46%
- The gap between arrivals and departures was cut in half
Today
- The outflow deepened — net losses doubled to 14.7K
- Since 1990: roughly the same number of foreign-born residents and roughly the same number of citizens living abroad
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Ask Migo
Tap a question — our AI assistant answers it in chat, with real migration data
Where to live?
Match a country to your priorities
Living in Bhutan
See the full country overview