Bhutan has a population density of 54.5 people per square mile compared to 535 people in Nepal. Bhutan has 522,119 sq ft of land per person vs 53,430 sq ft in Nepal. Bhutan and Nepal rank 168th and 54th by population density, respectively.
Population density is calculated as the ratio of population to land area. Bhutan has 0.01% of the world's population and 0.03% of all countries' land area, compared to 0.36% of the population and 0.1% of the land area for Nepal, making the population density in Bhutan 89.8% lower than in Nepal.
Population density by year
people per square mile
| Year | Population density | |
|---|---|---|
Bhutan
|
Nepal
|
|
| 2026 | 54.5 | 535 |
| 2025 | 54.1 | 535 |
| 2024 | 53.8 | 536 |
| 2023 | 53.4 | 537 |
| 2022 | 53 | 537 |
| 2021 | 52.7 | 533 |
| 2020 | 52.3 | 523 |
| 2019 | 51.9 | 513 |
| 2018 | 51.6 | 507 |
| 2017 | 51.2 | 506 |
| 2016 | 50.8 | 505 |
| 2015 | 50.3 | 503 |
| 2014 | 49.8 | 500 |
| 2013 | 49.3 | 498 |
| 2012 | 48.7 | 497 |
| 2011 | 48.2 | 496 |
| 2010 | 47.7 | 494 |
| 2009 | 47.2 | 491 |
| 2008 | 46.6 | 488 |
| 2007 | 46.1 | 484 |
| 2006 | 45.6 | 480 |
| 2005 | 45 | 475 |
| 2004 | 44.2 | 470 |
| 2003 | 41.5 | 464 |
| 2002 | 40.6 | 458 |
| 2001 | 39.7 | 451 |
| 2000 | 38.8 | 443 |
| 1999 | 37.9 | 437 |
| 1998 | 37.1 | 429 |
| 1997 | 36.4 | 421 |
| 1996 | 35.7 | 412 |
| 1995 | 35.7 | 403 |
| 1994 | 36.1 | 393 |
| 1993 | 30.7 | 384 |
| 1992 | 32 | 373 |
| 1991 | 33.2 | 363 |
| 1990 | 32.7 | 354 |
| 1989 | 31.8 | 345 |
| 1988 | 30.9 | 338 |
| 1987 | 30 | 331 |
| 1986 | 29.1 | 324 |
| 1985 | 28.2 | 317 |
| 1984 | 27.3 | 309 |
| 1983 | 26.5 | 302 |
| 1982 | 25.6 | 295.2 |
| 1981 | 24.8 | 288.4 |
| 1980 | 24 | 281.7 |
| 1979 | 23.2 | 275.1 |
| 1978 | 22.5 | 268.8 |
| 1977 | 21.7 | 262.6 |
| 1976 | 21 | 256.8 |
| 1975 | 20.3 | 251.2 |
| 1974 | 19.6 | 245.7 |
| 1973 | 18.9 | 240.4 |
| 1972 | 18.3 | 235.3 |
| 1971 | 17.7 | 230.2 |
| 1970 | 17.1 | 225.2 |
| 1969 | 16.5 | 220.4 |
| 1968 | 16 | 215.6 |
| 1967 | 15.5 | 211.1 |
| 1966 | 15 | 206.6 |
| 1965 | 14.5 | 202.4 |
| 1964 | 14 | 198.3 |
| 1963 | 13.6 | 194.3 |
| 1962 | 13.2 | 190.6 |
| 1961 | 12.8 | 186.9 |
Data sources: World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-04-06); United Nations | World Population Prospects (2025–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10).
GeoRank.org/population-density/bhutan/nepal | CC BY 
From 2006 to 2026, population density in Bhutan increased by 19.5%, compared to a 11.4% growth in Nepal.
In 2006, Bhutan ranked 160th by population density and is 168th now. Nepal was 45th in 2006 and ranks 54th out of 197 currently.
Population density comparison
|
Bhutan
|
Nepal
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population density | 54.5 ppl/mi² | 535 ppl/mi² |
| Population density rank | 168/197 | 54/197 |
| Population |
803385
|
29596762
|
| Land area | 14,726 sq mi | 55,348 sq mi |
| Land area per capita | 518,665 sq ft | 52,039 sq ft |
| Rural population | 57.4% | 33.2% |
| Urban population | 42.6% | 66.8% |
| Living in agglomerations of 1M+ people | 0% | 0% |
Share of urban population by year
| Year | Urban population | |
|---|---|---|
|
Bhutan
|
Nepal
|
|
| 2024 | 42.6% | 66.8% |
| 2023 | 41.7% | 66.5% |
| 2022 | 40.9% | 66.3% |
| 2021 | 40.3% | 66.1% |
| 2020 | 39.7% | 66.1% |
| 2019 | 39.1% | 66% |
| 2018 | 38.5% | 65.8% |
| 2017 | 37.9% | 65.6% |
| 2016 | 37.3% | 65.3% |
| 2015 | 36.7% | 65% |
| 2014 | 36.1% | 64.6% |
| 2013 | 35.6% | 64.1% |
| 2012 | 35% | 63.7% |
| 2011 | 34.5% | 63.1% |
| 2010 | 33.9% | 62% |
| 2009 | 33.3% | 59.9% |
| 2008 | 32.8% | 56.9% |
| 2007 | 32.2% | 53.4% |
| 2006 | 31.6% | 49.5% |
| 2005 | 30.9% | 45.5% |
| 2004 | 30.3% | 41.6% |
| 2003 | 29.6% | 38% |
| 2002 | 29% | 35% |
| 2001 | 28.3% | 32.8% |
| 2000 | 27.6% | 31.1% |
| 1999 | 26.9% | 29.5% |
| 1998 | 26.2% | 28% |
| 1997 | 25.5% | 26.6% |
| 1996 | 24.7% | 25.3% |
| 1995 | 24% | 24.1% |
| 1994 | 23.3% | 23% |
| 1993 | 22.5% | 22% |
| 1992 | 21.7% | 21.2% |
| 1991 | 21% | 20.4% |
| 1990 | 20.2% | 19.8% |
| 1989 | 19.4% | 19.2% |
| 1988 | 18.6% | 18.7% |
| 1987 | 17.9% | 18.3% |
| 1986 | 17.1% | 17.9% |
| 1985 | 16.3% | 17.5% |
| 1984 | 15.5% | 17.1% |
| 1983 | 14.7% | 16.6% |
| 1982 | 13.9% | 16.1% |
| 1981 | 13% | 15.5% |
| 1980 | 12.2% | 14.6% |
| 1979 | 11.2% | 13.4% |
| 1978 | 10.1% | 12% |
| 1977 | 8.99% | 10.5% |
| 1976 | 7.87% | 8.99% |
| 1975 | 6.78% | 7.51% |
| 1974 | 5.77% | 6.18% |
| 1973 | 4.86% | 5.09% |
| 1972 | 4.09% | 4.33% |
| 1971 | 3.51% | 4% |
| 1970 | 3.16% | 3.93% |
| 1969 | 3.01% | 3.87% |
| 1968 | 2.91% | 3.82% |
| 1967 | 2.83% | 3.78% |
| 1966 | 2.77% | 3.75% |
| 1965 | 2.71% | 3.72% |
| 1964 | 2.66% | 3.69% |
| 1963 | 2.61% | 3.66% |
| 1962 | 2.57% | 3.62% |
| 1961 | 2.53% | 3.57% |
| 1960 | 2.48% | 3.51% |
Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06).
GeoRank.org/population-density/bhutan/nepal | CC BY
From 2004 to 2024, the share of urban population changed from 30.3% to 42.6% in Bhutan and from 41.6% to 66.8% in Nepal.
Densely populated cities
|
Nepal
|
|
|---|---|
| City | Population |
| Kathmandu | 846K |
| Lalitpur | 513K |
| Pokhara | 354K |
| Birgunj | 268K |
| Biratnagar | 243K |
| Bheemdatta | 105K |
| Dhangadhi | 102K |
| Janakpur | 97.8K |
| Hetauda | 84.7K |
| Damak | 75.1K |
Compare countries by 7 more topics
Population density in other countries
Data sources: World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-04-06); United Nations | World Population Prospects (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10); U.S. Census Bureau (1961–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08); Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20).
GeoRank.org/population-density/bhutan/nepal | CC BY
Help us show the world through your eyes
Share a photo of your city and help others discover what it looks like to live there. Your contribution makes our data come alive.
Data sources:
- World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-04-06)
- United Nations | World Population Prospects (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10)
- U.S. Census Bureau (1961–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08)
- Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20)
- Wikidata (2011–2024, retrieved 2026-02-08)
Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) — you’re free to copy, share, remix, adapt, and use even commercially as long as you give appropriate credit and clearly indicate if you made changes. Other sources may be subject to different license terms.