Languages spoken in Bhutan
Asia · Capital: Thimphu · Population 784,043
The official language of Bhutan is Dzongkha. An estimated 47% of the population speaks it as a first or additional language, or roughly 368,500 people. After Dzongkha, the most widely spoken are Nepali at 17% and English at 11%. Dzongkha belongs to the Sino-Tibetan language family. Dzongkha is not recorded in any of Bhutan's two neighbours. In total, three languages are recorded in Bhutan, and their shares add up to 75% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 0.8 of them.
What languages are spoken in Bhutan?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| DzongkhaSino-Tibetan | 47% | Official | 368,500 |
| NepaliIndo-European | 17% | Spoken | 133,287 |
| EnglishIndo-European | 11% | Spoken | 86,245 |
Percentages are the share of the population that speaks each language, including as a second language, so they add up to well over 100% in multilingual countries. Speaker counts are estimates derived from the percentage and the country's population, not counted figures.
What is the official language of Bhutan?
The official language of Bhutan is Dzongkha. Dzongkha is spoken by an estimated 47% of the population, or roughly 368,500 people, counting both first-language and additional speakers.
Official status comes from Unicode CLDR. It distinguishes languages that are official nationwide, those used as de facto official without being named in law, and those official only in particular regions or territories.
How many people speak Dzongkha in Bhutan?
An estimated 47% of Bhutan's 784,043 people speak Dzongkha, which works out at roughly 368,500 speakers. That figure is derived from the population and the reported share, and it counts second-language speakers, so it is an estimate rather than a census count.
Key facts about Bhutan
- Capital
- Thimphu
- Population
- 784,043
- Continent
- Asia
- Area
- 38,394 km²
- Currency
- BTN and INR
- Languages recorded
- 3
- Land borders
- 2
- ISO codes
- BT / BTN / 064
Which countries border Bhutan?
Bhutan shares a land border with two countries: China and India. None of them records Dzongkha, the most widely spoken language in Bhutan, so the land borders here are also language borders.
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Language shares, population, and official status: Unicode CLDR. Capital, area, borders, and currency: mledoze/countries (ODbL 1.0). Flag image: flagcdn.com. Speaker counts are estimates derived from population and reported share.