Nepal vs Bhutan
Nepal
Bhutan
| Metric | Nepal | Bhutan |
|---|---|---|
| Capital | Kathmandu | Thimphu |
| Population | 29,618,118 | 796,682 |
| Area (km²) | 147,516 | 38,394 |
| Population density (/km²) | 201 | 21 |
| GDP per capita (USD) | $1,500 | $4,500 |
| Region | Southern Asia | Southern Asia |
| Currency | NPR | BTN |
| Languages | Nepali | Dzongkha |
| Main religions | Hinduism, Buddhism | Buddhism |
| Time zone | UTC+5:45 | UTC+6 |
Green highlights the higher value (or higher GDP per capita). Figures are approximate.
At a glance
Nepal and Bhutan are both located in Asia (both in Southern Asia). Nepal has the larger population — about 37× the population of Bhutan, while Nepal covers more land area.
For full geographic detail, see the Nepal map and the Bhutan map.
Close, but not neighbours
Nepal and Bhutan are both landlocked Himalayan countries wedged between China and India, and they are often mentioned together, but they do not share a border. The Indian state of Sikkim, together with a narrow strip of West Bengal, lies between them. Nepal is far larger in population, with roughly 37 people for every one in Bhutan, and stretches from the Terai lowlands to eight of the world's ten highest peaks, including Everest. Bhutan is smaller and more thinly populated, with a large share of its land under forest.
Kingdom and republic
The political paths converged in timing and diverged in outcome. In 2008 Bhutan held its first parliamentary elections and adopted a constitution, becoming a constitutional monarchy at the king's own initiative. The same year Nepal abolished its centuries-old monarchy and became a federal republic, after a decade-long Maoist insurgency ended in 2006. Nepal's politics have remained turbulent since, while Bhutan's have been comparatively stable.
A painful shared chapter
The main issue between the two governments concerns the Lhotshampa, Bhutanese of Nepali origin from southern Bhutan. In the early 1990s, amid citizenship and cultural policies they saw as discriminatory, more than 100,000 left or were expelled and lived for years in refugee camps in eastern Nepal. Repatriation talks failed, and most were eventually resettled in third countries, especially the United States.
Tourism, religion and India
The two take opposite approaches to tourism. Nepal welcomes trekkers and climbers on budgets of every size. Bhutan follows a "high value, low volume" policy and charges most visitors a daily Sustainable Development Fee, and it frames national policy around Gross National Happiness.
Nepal is majority Hindu with a large Buddhist minority; Buddhism is central to Bhutan's identity, mostly the Drukpa Kagyu school of Vajrayana Buddhism. Both depend heavily on India for trade and transit: Bhutan's ngultrum is pegged at par with the Indian rupee and its hydropower is sold mainly to India, while the Nepalese rupee is pegged to the Indian rupee too. One quirk: Nepal's clocks run at UTC+5:45 and Bhutan's at UTC+6, so they are just 15 minutes apart.
Frequently asked questions
- Do Nepal and Bhutan share a border?
- No. They are separated by the Indian state of Sikkim and a narrow part of West Bengal, so travelling overland between them means passing through India.
- Which is bigger, Nepal or Bhutan?
- Nepal, by a wide margin. It has roughly four times Bhutan's land area and dozens of times its population.