MigrantoMigration trends in Bhutan
Asia
Bhutan loses more people than it takes in: 66.1K emigrants against 51.4K immigrants. Net balance −14.7K — 2% of the country's population
791.5K
Population
51.4K
Immigrants
66.1K
Emigrants
−14.7K
Outflow
1 in 15 residents of Bhutan was born abroad — and 1 in 13 people born in Bhutan lives abroad
#158 in the world by net migration loss
Top corridors
The largest migration flows in Bhutan
Key moments
How migration has changed since 1990
1990
22K immigrants · 27.2K emigrants
1995
- An accelerating exodus — the diaspora grew by 331%
- Surge of departures to Nepal — 90.9K people left
- The outflow deepened — net losses doubled to 91.4K
- The diaspora passed 100K people
2005
- Roughly 1 in 20 residents was now foreign-born
2015
- The exodus eased — the diaspora 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 emigrants
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
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