With a Human Development Index score of 0.698, Bhutan now sits at the top of the medium human development category. This means Bhutan is now just a small step away from joining the ranks of countries with high human development. This is according to the Human Development Report 2025. The Human Development Index, prepared by the UNDP shows how well people are living in a country based on health, education and living standard.
Globally, the Human Development Report 2025 shows that progress in human development has slowed in recent years. However, Bhutan remains an exception.
Bhutan is the highest-ranking country in the medium human development category, and the UNDP attributes this to the steady improvements in life expectancy, education, health, and the overall quality of life.
Life Expectancy at Birth is now 73.0 years, up from 72.2 last year’s report. Expected Years of Schooling is 13.2 years and Mean Years of Schooling is 5.8 years. The GNI per Capita has risen to 13,843 US dollars from 10,625 US dollars.
Bhutan currently ranks 125th among 192 countries, with an HDI score of 0.698, just 0.002 points short of qualifying for the high human development category.
Mohammad Younus, Resident Representative of UNDP said “What does it take to cross that 0.002 points? It is probably the gross national income threshold that Bhutan needs to cross. I am quite confident that with the current focus on inclusive growth and the rollout of the Bhutan economic roadmap of 10X by 2050, it will enable Bhutan to cross the threshold of the GNI. And that will place Bhutan in the high human development category.”
This year’s report titled ‘A Matter of Choice: People and Possibilities in the Age of AI’ recommends investment in digital infrastructure, AI literacy, and the integration of AI into government agencies and the private sector, among others.
Resident Representative of UNDP said “For example, AI is already being used to detect early stages of tuberculosis that might be missed by the human eye. It can transform the economy and will be an important tool to achieve the aspirations of the 10X and the economic roadmap 2050.”
As more people engage with AI tools, the report highlights the growing need for policies and investments in digital literacy.
Deki Lhazom
Edited by Kipchu
