AGUACYCLE
South Asia

Bhutan

Capital: Thimphu · Lower middle income · Pop. 791,524

65.59%
Safely managed drinking water
49.48%
Safely managed sanitation
99,883
m³ freshwater / person / yr
0%
Water stress · Low

Source: World Bank Open Data (WHO/UNICEF JMP & FAO AQUASTAT) · drinking water 2024

In Bhutan, 65.59% of the population uses safely managed drinking water — an improved source, located on premises, available when needed, and free from contamination (2024 estimate). That leaves roughly 272,363 people without safely managed drinking water at home.

Sanitation tracks closely: 49.48% use safely managed sanitation services and 86.84% have at least a basic service (2024).

Bhutan has about 99,883 cubic meters of renewable internal freshwater per person each year. It withdraws the equivalent of 0% of those internal resources annually (low water stress).

Agriculture accounts for about 94% of Bhutan's water withdrawals, the rest going to households and industry.

Common questions

How many people in Bhutan have safe drinking water?

65.59% of Bhutan's population uses safely managed drinking water (2024), per WHO/UNICEF data; about 272,363 people do not.

Does Bhutan have enough freshwater?

Bhutan has roughly 99,883 m³ of renewable internal freshwater per person per year, and uses about 0% of it annually (low stress).

Elsewhere in South Asia