Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Bhutan
Bhutan: Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income was 8.8% in 2022. ▼ Falling
Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Bhutan, 2003–2022
Source: World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Bhutan is 8.8%, measured in 2022. That is the lowest value across all 5 years on record.
The figure is down 28.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Bhutan peaked at 13.8% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 8.8%, in 2022.
Bhutan ranks 93rd of 123 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Bhutan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 12.5% | — |
| 2007 | 13.7% | +9.6% |
| 2012 | 12.3% | -10.2% |
| 2017 | 13.8% | +12.2% |
| 2022 | 8.8% | -36.2% |
Bhutan compared with similar countries
- Bhutan's 8.8% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 10.8%, 81% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
- Bhutan's 8.8% is above the median for South Asia, which is 7.9%, 1.1× the median. (5 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 13.1% | 12.5% | 13.7% | 2 |
| 2010s | 13.1% | 12.3% | 13.8% | 2 |
| 2020s | 8.8% | 8.8% | 8.8% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Bhutan
More poverty & inequality data for Bhutan
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 2 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 1.46 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 3,552 kg per hectare (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate 2.62 % change on previous year (2024)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 12.38 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 12.4% (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Bhutan?
- Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Bhutan was 8.8% in 2022, according to World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ.
- What is the highest proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income recorded in Bhutan?
- The highest recorded value was 13.8% in 2017.
- What is the lowest proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income recorded in Bhutan?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.8% in 2022.
- How does Bhutan rank for proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income?
- Bhutan ranks 93rd out of 123 countries with data for 2022.
- Is proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income rising or falling in Bhutan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 28.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Bhutan data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ, published as part of Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The percentage of people in the population who live in households whose per capita income or consumption is below half of the median income or consumption per capita. The median is measured at 2021 Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) using the Poverty and Inequality Platform (http://www.pip.worldbank.org). For some countries, medians are not reported due to grouped and/or confidential data. The reference year is the year in which the underlying household survey data was collected. In cases for which the data collection period bridged two calendar years, the first year in which data were collected is reported.