Land use in Bhutan
Bhutan: Land use was 114,000 hectares in 2023. ▬ Flat
Latest (2023)
114,000 hectares
Change on year
up 3.2%
World rank
156th
of 224 countries
All-time high
186,000 hectares
in 2005
All-time low
100,000 hectares
in 2017
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Land use in Bhutan, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
The most recent figure for land use in Bhutan is 114,000 hectares, measured in 2023.
The figure is up 3.2% on the previous year and up 1.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, land use in Bhutan peaked at 186,000 hectares in 2005 and was at its lowest, 100,000 hectares, in 2017.
Bhutan ranks 156th of 224 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Land use in Bhutan, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 113,000 hectares | — |
| 1962 | 113,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 113,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 113,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 114,000 hectares | +0.9% |
| 1966 | 114,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 114,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 115,000 hectares | +0.9% |
| 1969 | 115,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 125,000 hectares | +8.7% |
| 1971 | 125,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 126,000 hectares | +0.8% |
| 1973 | 126,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 131,000 hectares | +4.0% |
| 1975 | 131,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 137,000 hectares | +4.6% |
| 1977 | 137,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 137,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 142,000 hectares | +3.6% |
| 1980 | 148,000 hectares | +4.2% |
| 1981 | 148,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 153,000 hectares | +3.4% |
| 1983 | 163,000 hectares | +6.5% |
| 1984 | 164,000 hectares | +0.6% |
| 1985 | 164,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 164,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 165,000 hectares | +0.6% |
| 1988 | 160,000 hectares | -3.0% |
| 1989 | 152,000 hectares | -5.0% |
| 1990 | 154,000 hectares | +1.3% |
| 1991 | 154,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 154,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 155,000 hectares | +0.6% |
| 1994 | 159,000 hectares | +2.6% |
| 1995 | 165,000 hectares | +3.8% |
| 1996 | 170,000 hectares | +3.0% |
| 1997 | 172,000 hectares | +1.2% |
| 1998 | 172,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 172,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 173,000 hectares | +0.6% |
| 2001 | 174,000 hectares | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 175,000 hectares | +0.6% |
| 2003 | 176,000 hectares | +0.6% |
| 2004 | 177,000 hectares | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 186,000 hectares | +5.1% |
| 2006 | 170,000 hectares | -8.6% |
| 2007 | 156,000 hectares | -8.2% |
| 2008 | 114,300 hectares | -26.7% |
| 2009 | 113,000 hectares | -1.1% |
| 2010 | 113,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 112,600 hectares | -0.4% |
| 2012 | 112,600 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 112,600 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 112,600 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 112,600 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 106,000 hectares | -5.9% |
| 2017 | 100,000 hectares | -5.7% |
| 2018 | 100,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 100,000 hectares | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 103,500 hectares | +3.5% |
| 2021 | 107,000 hectares | +3.4% |
| 2022 | 110,500 hectares | +3.3% |
| 2023 | 114,000 hectares | +3.2% |
Bhutan compared with similar countries
- Bhutan's 114,000 hectares is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 2.82 million hectares, 4% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Bhutan's 114,000 hectares is below the median for South Asia, which is 2.26 million hectares, 5% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Land use 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | -26.7% | 156,000 hectares | 114,300 hectares |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 113,778 hectares | 113,000 hectares | 115,000 hectares | 9 |
| 1970s | 131,700 hectares | 125,000 hectares | 142,000 hectares | 10 |
| 1980s | 158,100 hectares | 148,000 hectares | 165,000 hectares | 10 |
| 1990s | 162,700 hectares | 154,000 hectares | 172,000 hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 161,430 hectares | 113,000 hectares | 186,000 hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 108,200 hectares | 100,000 hectares | 113,000 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 108,750 hectares | 103,500 hectares | 114,000 hectares | 4 |
Countries ranked near Bhutan
More environment data for Bhutan
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 0.2782 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 0.5977 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.257 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 2.08 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.487 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate -5.53 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is land use in Bhutan?
- Land use in Bhutan was 114,000 hectares in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest land use recorded in Bhutan?
- The highest recorded value was 186,000 hectares in 2005.
- What is the lowest land use recorded in Bhutan?
- The lowest recorded value was 100,000 hectares in 2017.
- How does Bhutan rank for land use?
- Bhutan ranks 156th out of 224 countries with data for 2023.
- Is land use rising or falling in Bhutan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Bhutan data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Land use. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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