Bhutan — Health spending
Health Spending (% of GDP) for Bhutan, 2000–2023.
Health spending for Bhutan was 4.42% in 2023, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 24 years, from 2000 to 2023. The highest recorded value was 4.79% in 2021. The lowest was 3.02% in 2011 (about 1.5× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 0.28% per year.
Bhutan ranks 141 of 189 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 75%. The median for South Asia is 4.42%, so Bhutan sits level with it. It peaked in 2021 and has fallen 8% since. Over the last decade (2013–2023) the figure moved up 32%. Within South Asia it ranks 3 of 6 economies; Sri Lanka (3.68%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 21% in 2020. That is 21% above this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
World ranking. Slipped: 124th of 184 in 2000 → 165th of 188 in 2010 → 159th of 189 in 2020 → 140th of 188 in 2023.
Key figures
Full history — 2000 to 2023
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 4.42% | +0.5 pp |
| 2022 | 3.92% | -0.9 pp |
| 2021 | 4.79% | +0.7 pp |
| 2020 | 4.08% | +0.7 pp |
| 2019 | 3.38% | +0.3 pp |
| 2018 | 3.07% | -0.0 pp |
| 2017 | 3.11% | -0.2 pp |
| 2016 | 3.28% | -0.2 pp |
| 2015 | 3.44% | +0.2 pp |
| 2014 | 3.23% | -0.1 pp |
| 2013 | 3.35% | +0.1 pp |
| 2012 | 3.26% | +0.2 pp |
| 2011 | 3.02% | -0.2 pp |
| 2010 | 3.26% | -0.0 pp |
| 2009 | 3.3% | +0.1 pp |
| 2008 | 3.15% | -0.7 pp |
| 2007 | 3.84% | -0.2 pp |
| 2006 | 4.09% | +0.3 pp |
| 2005 | 3.83% | -0.4 pp |
| 2004 | 4.26% | +0.4 pp |
| 2003 | 3.83% | -0.1 pp |
| 2002 | 3.95% | -0.6 pp |
| 2001 | 4.6% | +0.5 pp |
| 2000 | 4.14% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Bhutan’s Health spending in 2001?
4.6% (2001). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are changes in this series measured in percentage points?
Yes. The series is a share expressed in % of GDP, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Bhutan’s Health spending growing or shrinking?
Between 2000 and 2023 the series was growing overall: +6.7% in total — about 0.3% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SH.XPD.CHEX.GD.ZS. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2023: 4.42%; 2022: 3.92%; 2021: 4.79%; 2020: 4.08%; 2019: 3.38%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SH.XPD.CHEX.GD.ZS — Health Spending (% of GDP). Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.