Digital 2022: Bhutan
This page contains all the data, insights, and trends you need to help you understand how people in Bhutan use connected devices and services in 2022.
You’ll find our complete Digital 2022 report on Bhutan in the “full report” section below, but let’s start by taking a look at the essential headlines for digital adoption and use in Bhutan this year.
Bhutan’s population in 2022
Bhutan’s total population was 783.9 thousand in January 2022.
Data show that Bhutan’s population increased by 8,167 (+1.1 percent) between 2021 and 2022.
46.8 percent of Bhutan’s population is female, while 53.2 percent of the population is male.
At the start of 2022, 43.6 percent of Bhutan’s population lived in urban centres, while 56.4 percent lived in rural areas.
Note: gender data are currently only available for “female” and “male”.
Bhutan’s population by age
The median age of the population in Bhutan is 29.1.
For additional context, here’s a look at how the population in Bhutan breaks down by age group:
8.2 percent of Bhutan’s population is between the ages of 0 and 4.
12.6 percent of Bhutan’s population is between the ages of 5 and 12.
8.5 percent of Bhutan’s population is between the ages of 13 and 17.
12.7 percent of Bhutan’s population is between the ages of 18 and 24.
19.8 percent of Bhutan’s population is between the ages of 25 and 34.
15.6 percent of Bhutan’s population is between the ages of 35 and 44.
9.9 percent of Bhutan’s population is between the ages of 45 and 54.
6.4 percent of Bhutan’s population is between the ages of 55 and 64.
6.5 percent of Bhutan’s population is aged 65 and above.
Note: percentages may not sum to 100 percent due to rounding.
Internet use in Bhutan in 2022
There were 377.1 thousand internet users in Bhutan in January 2022.
Bhutan’s internet penetration rate stood at 48.1 percent of the total population at the start of 2022.
Kepios analysis indicates that internet users in Bhutan increased by 3,957 (+1.1 percent) between 2021 and 2022.
For perspective, these user figures reveal that 406.8 thousand people in Bhutan did not use the internet at the start of 2022, meaning that 51.9 percent of the population remained offline at the beginning of the year.
However, issues relating to COVID-19 continue to impact research into internet adoption, so actual internet user figures may be higher than these published numbers suggest (see here for further details).
For the latest insights into internet adoption and use around the world, follow our regular Global Statshot reports.
Internet connection speeds in Bhutan in 2022
Data published by Ookla indicate that internet users in Bhutan could have expected the following internet connection speeds at the start of 2022:
Median fixed internet connection speed: 8.12 Mbps.
Ookla’s data shows that fixed internet connection speeds in Bhutan increased by 1.45 Mbps (+21.7 percent) in the twelve months to the start of 2022.
Social media statistics for Bhutan in 2022
There were 553.6 thousand social media users in Bhutan in January 2022.
The number of social media users in Bhutan at the start of 2022 was equivalent to 70.6 percent of the total population, but it’s important to note that social media users may not represent unique individuals (see our detailed notes on data to learn why).
Note: due to significant revisions in user numbers in the source data, we regret that we’re currently unable to provide figures for the year-on-year change in social media users in Bhutan.
Facebook users in Bhutan in 2022
Data published in Meta’s advertising resources indicates that Facebook had 475.9 thousand users in Bhutan in early 2022.
However, Meta made important changes to the way its advertising resources report audience reach data at the end of 2021 – including making significant revisions to its base audience data for Facebook – so the figures shown here are not directly comparable with figures published in our previous reports.
To learn more about these changes, please see this article, as well as our comprehensive notes on data.
The company’s revised audience figures mean that Facebook’s ad reach in Bhutan was equivalent to 60.7 percent of the total population at the start of 2022.
However, Facebook restricts the use of its platform to people aged 13 and above, so it’s also worth highlighting that 76.7 percent of the “eligible” audience in Bhutan uses Facebook in 2022.
For additional context, Facebook’s ad reach in Bhutan was equivalent to 126 percent* of the local internet user base (regardless of age) in January 2022.
At the start of 2022, 47.6 percent of Facebook’s ad audience in Bhutan was female, while 52.4 percent was male.
Note: Meta’s advertising resources only publish audience gender data for “female” and “male” users.
*Advisory: we’re aware that usage rates in excess of 100 percent of the population, “eligible” population, and / or internet users may seem implausible, but we’ve elected to republish source data “as is”, to enable readers to make their own judgments. Please see our detailed notes on data to learn more about these anomalies.
Looking for more Facebook stats? Click here to explore our in-depth Facebook data for every country in the world.
Instagram users in Bhutan in 2022
Numbers published in Meta’s advertising tools indicate that Instagram had 145.7 thousand users in Bhutan in early 2022.
This figure suggests that Instagram’s ad reach in Bhutan was equivalent to 18.6 percent of the total population at the start of the year.
However, Instagram restricts the use of its platform to people aged 13 and above, so it’s helpful to know that 23.5 percent of the “eligible” audience in Bhutan uses Instagram in 2022.
It’s also worth noting that Instagram’s ad reach in Bhutan at the start of 2022 was equivalent to 38.6 percent of the local internet user base (regardless of age).
In early 2022, 55.5 percent of Instagram’s ad audience in Bhutan was female, while 44.5 percent was male.
Note: Meta’s advertising resources only publish audience gender data for “female” and “male” users.
Looking for more Instagram stats? Click here to explore our in-depth Instagram data for every country in the world.
Facebook Messenger users in Bhutan in 2022
Data published in Meta’s advertising resources indicate that ads on Facebook Messenger reached 438.6 thousand users in Bhutan in early 2022.
However, Meta made important changes to the way its advertising resources report audience reach data at the end of 2021 – including making significant revisions to its base audience data for Facebook Messenger – so the figures shown here are not directly comparable with figures published in our previous reports.
To learn more about these changes, please see this article, as well as our comprehensive notes on data.
The company’s revised audience numbers suggest that Facebook Messenger’s ad reach in Bhutan was equivalent to 55.9 percent of the total population at the start of the year.
Facebook Messenger restricts the use of its platform to people aged 13 and above though, so it’s also worth highlighting that ads reach 70.6 percent of Facebook Messenger’s “eligible” audience in Bhutan in 2022.
For additional context, Facebook Messenger’s ad reach in Bhutan is equivalent to 116 percent* of the local internet user base (regardless of age).
At the start of 2022, 48.1 percent of Facebook Messenger’s ad audience in Bhutan was female, while 51.9 percent was male.
Notes: Meta’s advertising resources only publish audience gender data for “female” and “male” users.
*Advisory: we’re aware that usage rates in excess of 100 percent of the population, “eligible” population, and / or internet users may seem implausible, but we’ve elected to republish source data “as is”, to enable readers to make their own judgments. Please see our detailed notes on data to learn more about these anomalies.
Looking for more Facebook Messenger stats? Click here to explore our in-depth Facebook Messenger data for every country in the world.
LinkedIn users in Bhutan in 2022
Figures published in LinkedIn’s advertising resources indicate that LinkedIn had 90.0 thousand “members” in Bhutan in early 2022.
However, note that LinkedIn’s advertising tools publish audience reach data based on total registered members, rather than the monthly active users that form the basis of the ad reach figures published by most other social media platforms.
As a result, these LinkedIn figures are not directly comparable with the figures for other social media platforms published on this page, or in our Digital 2022 reports.
The company’s advertising reach figures suggest that LinkedIn’s audience in Bhutan was equivalent to 11.5 percent of the total population at the start of 2022.
LinkedIn restricts the use of its platform to people aged 18 and above though, so it’s also helpful to know that 16.2 percent of the “eligible” audience in Bhutan uses LinkedIn in 2022.
For additional context, LinkedIn’s ad reach in Bhutan was equivalent to 23.9 percent of the local internet user base (regardless of age) at the start of the year.
In early 2022, 59.6 percent of LinkedIn’s ad audience in Bhutan was female, while 40.4 percent was male.
Note: LinkedIn’s advertising resources only publish audience gender data for “female” and “male” users.
Looking for more LinkedIn stats? Click here to explore our in-depth LinkedIn data for every country in the world.
Twitter users in Bhutan in 2022
Numbers published in Twitter’s advertising resources indicate that Twitter had 14.7 thousand users in Bhutan in early 2022.
This figure means that Twitter’s ad reach in Bhutan was equivalent to 1.9 percent of the total population at the time.
However, Twitter restricts the use of its platform to people aged 13 and above, so it may be helpful to know that 2.4 percent of the “eligible” audience in Bhutan uses Twitter in 2022.
For additional context, Twitter’s ad reach in Bhutan was equivalent to 3.9 percent of the local internet user base (regardless of age) at the start of the year.
Note: due to anomalies in the source data, we regret that we’re currently unable to provide insights into Twitter’s ad audience by gender.
Looking for more Twitter stats? Click here to explore our in-depth Twitter data for every country in the world.
Mobile connections in Bhutan in 2022
Data from GSMA Intelligence shows that there were 744.0 thousand cellular mobile connections in Bhutan at the start of 2022.
However, note that many people around the world make use of more than one mobile connection – for example, they might have one connection for personal use, and another one for work – so it’s not unusual for mobile connection figures to significantly exceed figures for total population.
GSMA Intelligence’s numbers indicate that mobile connections in Bhutan were equivalent to 94.9 percent of the total population in January 2022.
The number of mobile connections in Bhutan decreased by 1,142 (-0.2 percent) between 2021 and 2022.
Additional resources
Just before we get to the full report, here are some suggestions for further reading, which will provide additional context for our full set of Digital 2022 numbers for Bhutan:
Read our complete Digital 2022 Global Overview Report to get a comprehensive overview of the “state of digital” around the world in 2022.
Click here to see all of the Global Digital Reports we’ve published on Bhutan over the past decade.
Explore all of our reports on countries in Southern Asia by clicking here.
Visit our complete online reports library to find all of the (free!) reports in the Global Digital Reports series.
If you’d like to receive updates when we publish new reports, click here to sign up for our newsletter.
Full report
You’ll find our complete Digital 2022: Bhutan report in the SlideShare embed below (click here if that’s not working for you).