Demographics of Bhutan

Population: In 1999, Bhutan's population was 657,548 according to the Planning Commission of the Royal Government of Bhutan. There are 125,000 Bhutanese refugees living in Nepal and India, out of which around 105,000 live in Nepal and another 20,000 in India.. Thus, the total population of Bhutan was estimated at 782,548 ( 657,548 + 125,000). The World Bank's population figure for the year 2000 was 782,000.

Age structure:
0-14 years: 40% (male 417,627; female 387,927)
15-64 years: 56% (male 576,533; female 544,076)
65 years and over: 4% (male 40,081; female 38,978) (2000 estimate)

Population growth rate: 2.19% (2000 estimate)

Birth rate: 36.22 births/1,000 population (2000 estimate)

Death rate: 14.32 deaths/1,000 population (2000 estimate)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 estimate)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.03 male(s)/female
total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2000 estimate)

Infant mortality rate: 110.99 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 estimate)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 52.4 years
male: 52.79 years

female: 51.99 years (2000 estimate)

Total fertility rate: 5.13 children born/woman (2000 estimate)

Nationality:
noun: Bhutanese (singular and plural)
adjective: Bhutanese

Ethnic groups: Ngalung[?] or Drukpa[?] 129, 068 (16.50 %); Sharchop[?] 187,252 (23.92 %); Bumthangpa[?] 34,309 (04.40 %); Kheng[?] 28,553 (03.65 %); Nepali/Lhotshampa 366,224 (46.79 %); Kurteop[?] 21,108 (02.68 %); Brokpa[?] 4,034 (00.50 %); Lhop/Doya 2,000 (00.26 %); Adivasis[?] 1,000 (00.13 %) Lepcha[?] 2,000 (00.26 %); Tibetan 3,000 (00.39 %); Gongduk[?] 2,000 (00.26 %)and Monpa[?] 2,000(00.26 %).

Religions:

Drukpa Krgyupa Buddhism 127, 068 (16.24 %); Nyngmapa Buddhism 270,222(34,53 %); Hinduism 354,224 (46.25 %); Christians 16,000(02.04 %); Tibetan Buddhism 7,000 (00.90 %) ; Animist[?] or nature worshippers 8,034(01.02 %) Grand Total 782,548 (100.00 %). Out of 16,000 Christians, 10,000 are living as refugees in Nepal and India

Languages: Dzongkha[?] (official), Sharchhops speak Sharshopkha[?] or Tsangla[?], Bhotes speak various Tibetan dialects, Nepalese speak Nepali language.

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 42.2%
male: 56.2%
female: 28.1% (1995 est.)

People - note: refugee issue over the presence in Nepal of approximately 96,500 Bhutanese refugees, 90% of whom are in seven United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) camps

Reference Much of the material in this article comes from the CIA World Factbook 2000 and the 2003 U.S. Department of State website.