Central government debt, total (current LCU) in Bhutan
Bhutan: Central government debt, total (current LCU) was 202.15 billion current LCU in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Central government debt, total in Bhutan, 1990–2020
Source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in current LCU.
Analysis
The most recent figure for central government debt, total in Bhutan is 202.15 billion current LCU, measured in 2020. That is the highest value across all 31 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 16.1% on the previous year and up 408.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, central government debt, total in Bhutan peaked at 202.15 billion current LCU in 2020 and was at its lowest, 2.66 billion current LCU, in 1995.
That places Bhutan 48th out of 83 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Central government debt, total (current LCU) in Bhutan, year by year
| Year | current LCU | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 2.69 billion current LCU | — |
| 1991 | 2.70 billion current LCU | +0.4% |
| 1992 | 2.96 billion current LCU | +9.5% |
| 1993 | 2.82 billion current LCU | -4.6% |
| 1994 | 2.80 billion current LCU | -0.8% |
| 1995 | 2.66 billion current LCU | -4.9% |
| 1996 | 4.07 billion current LCU | +52.9% |
| 1997 | 4.08 billion current LCU | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 4.66 billion current LCU | +14.1% |
| 1999 | 6.21 billion current LCU | +33.1% |
| 2000 | 7.72 billion current LCU | +24.4% |
| 2001 | 15.72 billion current LCU | +103.6% |
| 2002 | 14.72 billion current LCU | -6.4% |
| 2003 | 19.93 billion current LCU | +35.4% |
| 2004 | 23.96 billion current LCU | +20.2% |
| 2005 | 28.72 billion current LCU | +19.9% |
| 2006 | 30.46 billion current LCU | +6.0% |
| 2007 | 31.06 billion current LCU | +2.0% |
| 2008 | 33.07 billion current LCU | +6.5% |
| 2009 | 34.76 billion current LCU | +5.1% |
| 2010 | 39.79 billion current LCU | +14.5% |
| 2011 | 53.12 billion current LCU | +33.5% |
| 2012 | 70.67 billion current LCU | +33.0% |
| 2013 | 101.31 billion current LCU | +43.4% |
| 2014 | 108.37 billion current LCU | +7.0% |
| 2015 | 113.76 billion current LCU | +5.0% |
| 2016 | 146.20 billion current LCU | +28.5% |
| 2017 | 161.63 billion current LCU | +10.6% |
| 2018 | 169.34 billion current LCU | +4.8% |
| 2019 | 174.07 billion current LCU | +2.8% |
| 2020 | 202.15 billion current LCU | +16.1% |
Bhutan compared with similar countries
- Bhutan's 202.15 billion current LCU is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 149.14 billion current LCU, 1.4× the median. (16 countries reporting)
- Bhutan's 202.15 billion current LCU is below the median for South Asia, which is 1.74 trillion current LCU, 12% of the median. (5 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Central government debt, total (current LCU) in Bhutan changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | +103.6% | 7.72 billion current LCU | 15.72 billion current LCU |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.56 billion current LCU | 2.66 billion current LCU | 6.21 billion current LCU | 10 |
| 2000s | 24.01 billion current LCU | 7.72 billion current LCU | 34.76 billion current LCU | 10 |
| 2010s | 113.83 billion current LCU | 39.79 billion current LCU | 174.07 billion current LCU | 10 |
| 2020s | 202.15 billion current LCU | 202.15 billion current LCU | 202.15 billion current LCU | 1 |
Countries ranked near Bhutan
- 45 Mauritius 296.83 billion current LCU compare
- 46 Norway 275.92 billion current LCU compare
- 47 New Zealand 224.61 billion current LCU compare
- 49 Switzerland 190.25 billion current LCU compare
- 50 Netherlands 170.01 billion current LCU compare
- 51 Moldova 121.39 billion current LCU compare
More public sector data for Bhutan
- Democracy, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Elected parliament, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote in practice, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Arms imports 5.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2021)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 5.16 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2021)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), gaps filled 4.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2021)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per square kilometre 104.88 SIPRI trend indicator values per square kilometre (2021)
Frequently asked questions
- What is central government debt, total in Bhutan?
- Central government debt, total in Bhutan was 202.15 billion current LCU in 2020, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest central government debt, total recorded in Bhutan?
- The highest recorded value was 202.15 billion current LCU in 2020.
- What is the lowest central government debt, total recorded in Bhutan?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.66 billion current LCU in 1995.
- How does Bhutan rank for central government debt, total?
- Bhutan ranks 48th out of 83 countries with data for 2020.
- Is central government debt, total rising or falling in Bhutan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 408.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Bhutan data come from?
- The figures come from Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Central government debt, total (current LCU). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 31 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Debt is the entire stock of direct government fixed-term contractual obligations to others outstanding on a particular date. It includes domestic and foreign liabilities such as currency and money deposits, securities other than shares, and loans. It is the gross amount of government liabilities reduced by the amount of equity and financial derivatives held by the government. Because debt is a stock rather than a flow, it is measured as of a given date, usually the last day of the fiscal year. Central government is the part of general government that includes all administrative departments of the national executive, legislative, and judicial functions, other central agencies and those non-market producers controlled by the central government, whose competence extends normally over the whole economic territory. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This series is expressed in local currency units.