Life Expectancy in Bhutan (2024): Men 71.6, Women 75.3

Life expectancy in Bhutan since 1960

Women
Men

Since 1960, life expectancy in Bhutan has risen by 36.9 years, from 36.4 to 73.3. Women live 3.7 years longer than men (75.3 vs 71.6).

Expected age at death in Bhutan by age

Life expectancy at birth includes deaths in childhood. Once people reach adulthood they can expect to live longer — here is the average expected age at death for people who have already reached each age:

Current age	Birth	20	40	60	80
Men	71.6	73.4	74.3	76.9	85.1
Women	75.3	77.1	78.0	80.0	86.8

Birth: World Bank. Other ages: our survival model calibrated to Bhutan’s figures (method).

How people die in Bhutan

Chronic diseases: 70.6%
Infections, maternal & nutritional: 16.4%
Injuries: 13.1%

In 2019, 71% of deaths in Bhutan were caused by chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes (world: 74%). A Bhutan man has a 17% chance and a woman 15% of dying of one of these diseases between the ages of 30 and 70 (world: 21% and 16%). Road traffic accidents kill 16.2 people per 100,000 each year (world: 16.7).

See which causes of death are most likely for you →

Child mortality

Out of every 1,000 babies born in Bhutan, about 17.2 die before their fifth birthday (world: 37.4). This is one of the main reasons life expectancy at birth differs so much between countries.

Bhutan compared with its region

Bhutan is in the World Bank’s South Asia region, where the average life expectancy is 75.0 years. It ranks #4 of 6 countries there.

#	Country	Overall	Men	Women
1	Maldives	81.3	79.9	83.0
2	Sri Lanka	77.7	74.4	80.7
3	Bangladesh	74.9	73.3	76.7
4	Bhutan	73.3	71.6	75.3
5	India	72.2	70.7	73.9
6	Nepal	70.6	69.1	72.1

See all 217 countries ranked →

Frequently asked questions

What is the life expectancy in Bhutan?

73.3 years in 2024: 71.6 for men and 75.3 for women, according to the World Bank.

Do women live longer than men in Bhutan?

Yes. Women in Bhutan live about 3.7 years longer than men. Worldwide the gap is 4.9 years in favour of women.

How does Bhutan rank for life expectancy?

Bhutan ranks #123 out of 217 countries and territories with data. That is 0.2 years below the world average of 73.5.

What is the average age of death in Bhutan?

Life expectancy at birth (73.3) is pulled down by deaths in childhood. Adults live longer: a 40-year-old man in Bhutan can expect to live to about 74.3, and a 40-year-old woman to about 78.0.

Sources

World Bank, World Development Indicators: life expectancy at birth (SP.DYN.LE00.IN, SP.DYN.LE00.MA.IN, SP.DYN.LE00.FE.IN), under-5 mortality (SH.DYN.MORT), causes of death (SH.DTH.NCOM.ZS, SH.DTH.INJR.ZS), mortality from major chronic diseases (SH.DYN.NCOM.MA.ZS, SH.DYN.NCOM.FE.ZS) and road traffic deaths (SH.STA.TRAF.P5). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Link

Data updated October 25, 2026.