Bhutan
The Kingdom of Bhutan exhibits mid-range performance across all four categories of the Global State of Democracy framework. It falls among the top 25 per cent of countries in many factors of Rule of Law and Representation. Between 2019 and 2024, Bhutan experienced declines in Access to Justice and Judicial Independence. At the same time, it has made noticeable progress in addressing extreme poverty over the last two decades, adopting a unique development strategy called ‘Gross National Happiness’ - a holistic concept balancing equitable economic development, good governance and sustainability. Such a holistic approach to development also made Bhutan the first country in the world to be recognized as carbon neutral. The country is small, landlocked, and classified as lower-middle-income. Its economy is mainly driven by the services sector, but hydropower, agriculture and forestry provide the main livelihood opportunities for over half of the population.
Bhutan was never colonized, following a self-imposed policy of isolation until the mid-20th century. Ruled as a hereditary monarchy since 1907, Bhutan began its democratic transition in 1998 and formally became a parliamentary democracy in 2008, with the adoption of a constitution, and the commencement of parliamentary elections. Uniquely, this transformation was largely initiated and guided by King Jigme Singye Wangchuk until his voluntary abdication in 2006. His leadership is widely recognized as a pivotal force in Bhutan’s peaceful transition to democracy. Since democratization, the country has held four competitive multiparty elections (and four peaceful transitions of power) contested primarily over the best technical program to meet a struggling economy and amass exodus of its youth.
Bhutan is a distinctly multi-ethnic and multi-lingual nation, with its population comprising three main groups: Ngalong (of Tibetan origin), who have historically held political and economic dominance; the Sharchop, originating in northern Burma and northeast India, and primarily residing in the eastern and central regions; and the Lhotshampas (of Nepali origin), concentrated in the south. The government’s ‘one nation, one people’ policy, which promoted a singular national identity starting in the 1970s, has been criticized by some for what was seen as the suppression of competing cultural traditions, with a disproportionate impact on the Lhotshampa. This campaign - often referred to as the ‘Bhutanization’ process - culminated in an ethnic crisis that forced over 100,000 Lhotshampas to flee the country. The remaining Lhotshampa population numbers roughly a third of the country’s population today, but continue to facediscrimination; those who fled remain largely unable to return due to unresolved citizenship issues. . , high youth unemployment rates, and climate-related shocks.
Despite a robust legal framework to address violence against women, Bhutan continues to grapple with increasing levels of gender-based violence. Likewise, the country decriminalized same-sex acts in 2021, but the LGBTQIA+ community continue to face societal stigmatization.
Looking ahead, both Rights and Access to Justice should be monitored. The continued arbitrary detention of protesters and political prisoners in relation to the Lhotshampa expulsion remain a pressing concern. Press freedoms will also be key to track in assessing the Bhutanese trajectory, amidst reports about an increasingly constrained media landscape shaped by limited access to information, self-censorship, and a restrictive national security law.
Last Updated: June 2025
https://www.idea.int/democracytracker/
June 2025
Parliament sets minimum marriage age to 18 for men and women
On 25 June, the parliament of Bhutan passed the Marriage (Amendment) Bill of 2024, which standardizes the minimum age for marriage at 18 for both men and women. Previously, the minimum legal age was 18 for men and 16 for women. The government pointed out that while the law was generally already interpreted to consider 18 the minimum age for women, this had not been explicitly stated in the existing law. Officials noted that the new amendment marks an important step for children’s rights and gender equality, ensuring that both men and women are treated equally under the law.
Sources: Kuensel, The Bhutanese
January 2024
Tshering Tobgay elected prime minister
Bhutan held the fourth parliamentary election in its democratic history on 9 January. Former Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay’s People’s Democratic Party (PDP) won 30 of the 47 National Assembly seats, with Bhutan Tendrel Party declared as the opposition party and securing 17 seats. Initially, five parties participated in the election, three of which were eliminated in the primary round held on 30 November 2023. Voter turnout decreased to 65.6 per cent from 71.46 per cent in the 2018 election. The drop coincides with the withdrawal of postal ballot facilities for Bhutanese residing overseas last year, as well as other cost-cutting measures such as reduced polling stations and officials amid post-pandemic economic considerations. The number of women elected decreased to two (4.3 per cent) from seven in the previous election. International observers praised the election for its free and fair conduct.
Sources: Election Commission of Bhutan, International IDEA (1), International IDEA (2), Keunsel, Foreign policy
April 2023
National Council elections held
Bhutan’s National Council (NC) elections were held on 20 April. Voter turnout was at a historic high of 54.64 per cent (compared to 54.29 per cent in the 2018 NC elections), despite concerns that postal ballot restrictions and the removal of postal ballot facilitation booths would negatively impact turnout. While experiencing a drop in voter participation between 2008-2013, voter turnout has increased gradually for each NC election cycle due to key electoral reforms introduced by the Election Commission. Overall, two out of ten contesting incumbents returned, with eighteen new members elected to the council. The election failed to advance women’s representation, with only one woman out of five aspiring candidates elected to the 20-member NC, compared to two women elected in the last 2018 NC election. Parties are now gearing up for the National Assembly elections expected to be held later this year.
Sources: Kuensel, Bhutan Times, Election Commission of Bhutan
March 2023
Postal voting restrictions ahead of National Council election
Ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled for 20 April 2023, the Election Commission of Bhutan (ECB) has declared it will only provide postal ballot services to eligible voters covered under Section 331 of the Election Act of Bhutan 2008. This excludes Bhutanese working in State Owned Enterprises, private companies and persons living abroad who are not registered, students and civil servants. ECB also declared that the system of voting through Postal Ballot Facilitation Booths (PBFB) is discontinued ahead of the upcoming election. As a result, those working in the private and corporate sectors residing in urban centres will have to incur time and travel costs to register votes at designated polling stations in their constituencies i.e., hometowns. Many fear the decision may result in lower voter turnout.
Sources: Kuensel (1), Kuensel (2), Bhutan Times
See all event reports for this country
Global ranking per category of democratic performance in 2024
Basic Information
Human Rights Treaties
State party
Signatory
No action
Performance by category over the last 6 months
Global State of Democracy Indices
Hover over the trend lines to see the exact data points across the years
Factors of Democratic Performance Over Time
Use the slider below to see how democratic performance has changed over time
