Freedom in Bhutan
Where Bhutan sits on every statistic this site carries, each against the countries the same source covers. Bhutan has a figure for 52 of 60 indicators.
Personal
What a person may say, believe, publish, join and where they may go.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freedom of expression | 0.682 | 2025 | 85 of 163 |
| Freedom of association | 0.609 | 2025 | 98 of 163 |
| Civil liberties | 0.701 | 2025 | 87 of 163 |
| Freedom from political violence | 0.834 | 2025 | 66 of 163 |
| Equal protection of rights | 0.772 | 2025 | 41 of 163 |
| Academic freedom | 0.401 | 2025 | 106 of 163 |
| Media censorship effort | 1.241 | 2025 | 53 of 163 |
| Harassment of journalists | 0.968 | 2025 | 60 of 163 |
| Media self-censorship | -0.848 | 2025 | 130 of 163 |
| Universal right to vote | 1.000 | 2025 | 18 of 167 |
| Legal rights for women | 75.0 | 2023 | 110 of 164 |
| Women can get a passport as men do | 1.000 | 2023 | 23 of 164 |
| Access to justice for women | 0.000 | 2025 | 56 of 163 |
| Access to justice for men | 1.000 | 2025 | 7 of 163 |
| Civil liberties score | 36.0 | 2025 | 75 of 167 |
| Political rights score | 33.0 | 2025 | 48 of 167 |
Economic
What a person may own, trade, earn and keep.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regulatory quality | 53.4 | 2024 | 77 of 169 |
| GDP per capita | $16.7K | 2025 | 79 of 157 |
| GDP growth | 8.0% | 2025 | — |
| Inflation | 3.6% | 2025 | — |
| Unemployment | 3.2% | 2025 | 41 of 163 |
Digital
What a person may read, send and encrypt online, and who is watching.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet use | 91.3% | 2024 | 41 of 154 |
| Fixed broadband subscriptions | 2.9 | 2024 | 104 of 134 |
| Mobile subscriptions | 99.8 | 2024 | 103 of 134 |
Government
How power is held, checked and abused.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electoral democracy | 0.566 | 2025 | 69 of 163 |
| Liberal democracy | 0.457 | 2025 | 65 of 163 |
| Rule of law | 0.871 | 2025 | 36 of 163 |
| Judicial checks on government | 0.802 | 2025 | 51 of 163 |
| Legislative checks on government | 0.833 | 2025 | 44 of 157 |
| Political corruption | 0.148 | 2025 | 30 of 163 |
| Civil society participation | 0.694 | 2025 | 83 of 163 |
| Women’s political empowerment | 0.675 | 2025 | 108 of 163 |
| Voice and accountability | 63.9 | 2024 | 45 of 170 |
| Control of corruption | 77.7 | 2024 | 18 of 170 |
| Government effectiveness | 62.6 | 2024 | 45 of 169 |
| Political stability | 89.0 | 2024 | 1 of 170 |
Society
Health, schooling, safety and who takes part.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Human Development Index | 0.698 | 2023 | 103 of 165 |
| Life expectancy | 73.3 | 2024 | 91 of 170 |
| Secondary school enrolment | 86.2% | 2024 | 58 of 85 |
| Government spending on education | 5.8% | 2023 | — |
| Health spending | 4.4% | 2023 | — |
| Health costs paid out of pocket | 25.5% | 2023 | 67 of 164 |
| Maternal mortality | 47.0 | 2023 | 84 of 167 |
| Women in parliament | 4.3% | 2025 | 151 of 156 |
| Women in the workforce | 56.7% | 2025 | — |
| Fertility rate | 1.45 | 2024 | — |
| Urban population | 43.4% | 2025 | — |
| Refugees who left | 939.1 | 2024 | 150 of 168 |
| Population | 796.7K | 2025 | — |
Environment
Energy, emissions and access to power.
| Statistic | Value | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| CO₂ emissions per person | 2.01 | 2024 | 70 of 165 |
| Renewable energy use | 81.8% | 2021 | 14 of 169 |
| Access to electricity | 100.0% | 2024 | 13 of 169 |
What is missing
8 of the 60 statistics here have no figure for Bhutan in the year they were last ranked. Coverage differs by source: an indicator missing here is one its producer does not publish for Bhutan, not a zero. Who publishes what