Bhutan vs China
Bhutan vs China: Government debt
Government debt: 108.7% of GDP in Bhutan in 2024 and 98.6% of GDP in China in 2025, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in Bhutan, by 18.2 percentage points, or 1.2 times that in China.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- Bhutan has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1995.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Bhutan at 115.5% of GDP and China at 122.1% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Bhutan | China |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 102.6 | 98.6 |
| 2024 | 108.7 | 90.5 |
| 2023 | 117.2 | 84.1 |
| 2022 | 119.9 | 77.3 |
| 2021 | 124.5 | 72.1 |
| 2020 | 116 | 70.6 |
| 2019 | 100.8 | 59.9 |
| 2018 | 103.4 | 55.7 |
| 2017 | 104.1 | 53.7 |
| 2016 | 103 | 50 |
| 2015 | 90.2 | 40.9 |
| 2014 | 89.8 | 39.4 |
| 2013 | 87.4 | 36.6 |
| 2012 | 71.5 | 33.9 |
| 2011 | 62.3 | 33 |
| 2010 | 55.8 | 33.1 |
| 2009 | 61 | 33.9 |
| 2008 | 60.6 | 26.6 |
| 2007 | 67.3 | 28.8 |
| 2006 | 80.1 | 25.2 |
| 2005 | 80.8 | 26 |
| 2004 | 76 | 25.9 |
| 2003 | 68.5 | 26.4 |
| 2002 | 57.7 | 25.5 |
| 2001 | 52.4 | 24.2 |
| 2000 | 44 | 22.6 |
| 1999 | 39.2 | 21.6 |
| 1998 | 36.4 | 20.4 |
| 1997 | 33 | 20.4 |
| 1996 | 36.9 | 21.2 |
| 1995 | 38.8 | 21.4 |
| 1994 | 53.2 | – |
| 1993 | 60.2 | – |
- 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Bhutan | China |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 116.2 | 104.4 |
| 2027 | 116.7 | 109.1 |
| 2028 | 115.7 | 113.2 |
| 2029 | 127.9 | 116.4 |
| 2030 | 122.1 | 119.5 |
| 2031 | 115.5 | 122.1 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the government owes, as a share of the economy’s yearly output.
- 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 149 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