Bhutan vs China
Bhutan vs China: GDP growth
GDP growth: 6.1% a year in Bhutan in 2024 and 5% a year in China in 2025, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in Bhutan, by 1.1 percentage points, or 1.22 times that in China.
% a year · IMF
What the numbers say
- Bhutan has been higher since 2024, when it overtook China.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Bhutan at 5.5% a year and China at 3.3% a year in 2031.
Every year
% a year · IMF
| Year | Bhutan | China |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 8.2 | 5 |
| 2024 | 6.1 | 5 |
| 2023 | 4.9 | 5.4 |
| 2022 | 4.8 | 3.1 |
| 2021 | -3.3 | 8.6 |
| 2020 | -2.5 | 2.3 |
| 2019 | 4.6 | 6.1 |
| 2018 | 2.8 | 6.8 |
| 2017 | 5.2 | 6.9 |
| 2016 | 7.6 | 6.8 |
| 2015 | 6.3 | 7 |
| 2014 | 3.8 | 7.5 |
| 2013 | 3.4 | 7.8 |
| 2012 | 6.8 | 7.8 |
| 2011 | 10.5 | 9.5 |
| 2010 | 10.3 | 10.6 |
| 2009 | 6.1 | 9.4 |
| 2008 | 9.9 | 9.6 |
| 2007 | 11 | 14.2 |
| 2006 | 6.3 | 12.7 |
| 2005 | 6.1 | 11.4 |
| 2004 | 6.4 | 10.1 |
| 2003 | 9 | 10.1 |
| 2002 | 9.5 | 9.2 |
| 2001 | 7 | 8.3 |
| 2000 | 6.9 | 8.6 |
| 1999 | 7.1 | 7.8 |
| 1998 | 6 | 7.9 |
| 1997 | 5.5 | 9.3 |
| 1996 | 6 | 10 |
| 1995 | 6 | 11 |
| 1994 | 2.2 | 13.1 |
| 1993 | 3.2 | 13.9 |
| 1992 | 2.1 | 14.3 |
| 1991 | 4.9 | 10.2 |
| 1990 | 9.1 | 3.9 |
| 1989 | 6.2 | 4.2 |
| 1988 | 15.1 | 11.2 |
| 1987 | 20.2 | 11.7 |
| 1986 | 8 | 8.9 |
| 1985 | 4.3 | 13.5 |
| 1984 | 7.6 | 15.2 |
| 1983 | 7.3 | 10.8 |
| 1982 | 8.2 | 9 |
| 1981 | 13.6 | 5.1 |
| 1980 | 5 | 7.9 |
- 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Bhutan | China |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 7 | 4.5 |
| 2027 | 6.9 | 4 |
| 2028 | 6.1 | 4 |
| 2029 | 7.2 | 3.7 |
| 2030 | 6.5 | 3.3 |
| 2031 | 5.5 | 3.3 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- How much the economy grew or shrank in a year, after inflation.
- Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook, October 2026.
- The dashed line is the IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 143 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Bhutan vs China
Health
- Life expectancyBhutan: 73 years in 2023China: 78 years in 2023
- Child mortalityBhutan: 1.7 per 100 live births in 2024China: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityBhutan: 19.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023China: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionBhutan: 3.44% in 2017China: 3.31% in 2017
- Suicide rateBhutan: 5.7 per 100,000 people in 2017China: 7.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationBhutan: 786,400 people in 2023China: 1.42 billion people in 2023
- Population growthBhutan: 0.69% a year in 2023China: -0.24% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateBhutan: 1.46 births per woman in 2023China: 1 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationBhutan: 43.4% in 2025China: 66.3% in 2025
- Median ageBhutan: 29.4 years in 2023China: 39.1 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overBhutan: 6.4% in 2023China: 14.3% in 2023
- Net migration rateBhutan: 0.4 per 1,000 people in 2023China: -0.4 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Armed forces personnelBhutan: 6,000 people in 2000China: 2.54 million people in 2020
- National powerBhutan: 0.01% of world capability in 2022China: 23.41% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersBhutan: 2.34% of the labour force in 2000China: 0.33% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsBhutan: 5 million TIV in 2021China: 207 million TIV in 2025