Bhutan scores 59.3/100 on the 2023 RSF World Press Freedom Index, ranking #90 globally. Freedom House rates it Partly Free (63/100). Context: pop 727K, GDP $2.45B.
2023 Press Freedom Scorecard
Overall score and global position
In the 2023 World Press Freedom Index, Bhutan scores 59.25 out of 100 and ranks #90 globally — a satisfactory-to-problematic press environment. Of the 25 Freedom House indicators, Bhutan earns 3 at the maximum 4/4 and 0 at 0/4; its strongest category is Electoral Process (10/12) and its weakest is Associational Rights (5/12).
59.3 / 100
Composite index comparison
Press freedom score — higher is freer.
Elections, political pluralism, government functioning.
Freedom of expression, association, rule of law, personal autonomy.
Academic press-freedom index from the Varieties of Democracy project (0–1 rescaled to 0–100).
Five-year RSF trend
Over 2019–2023, Bhutan moved from 70.19 to 59.25 on the RSF scale (a decline of 10.94 points). The lowest recorded score was 59.25 and the highest was 76.46.
Year-over-year RSF movement
Bhutan's biggest single-year RSF movement in the 2019–2023 window was a loss of 17.21 points between 2022 (76.46) and 2023 (59.25).
| Years | From | To | Δ score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 → 2020 | 70.19 | 71.10 | ▲ 0.91 |
| 2020 → 2021 | 71.10 | 71.14 | ▲ 0.04 |
| 2021 → 2022 | 71.14 | 76.46 | ▲ 5.32 |
| 2022 → 2023 | 76.46 | 59.25 | ▼ -17.21 |
Full socio-economic dashboard
Demographics & geography
Economy & labour
Health
Education
Administration
All socio-economic indicators from the World Bank country dataset (2023 snapshot).
Democratic Rights & Civil Liberties
Freedom status explained
Freedom House classifies Bhutan as Partly Free with a 2024 aggregate score of 63/100 — political rights and civil liberties are respected in part but undercut by specific institutional or legal weaknesses.
Within Freedom House's Asia region (43 countries), Bhutan ranks #20 on the latest aggregate score — the 55th percentile. The region leaders are New Zealand, Japan, Australia.
Political Rights vs Civil Liberties
Rating 2 of 7 (1 = best)
Rating 4 of 7 (1 = best)
Political rights are rated noticeably higher than civil liberties — the formal political framework is more open than the day-to-day environment for expression, association, and personal autonomy.
Twelve-year Freedom House trend
Between 2013 and 2024, Freedom House moved Bhutan from Partly Free (Partly Free, 46/100) to Partly Free (Partly Free, 63/100).
Indicator trajectory (A–G over 12 years)
Of the 25 Freedom House indicators tracked for Bhutan, 18 moved at least one point across the available Freedom House history. The eight with the largest absolute change appear below.
| Code | Indicator | Earliest | Latest | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B2 | Opposition can gain power | 2/4 (2013) | 4/4 (2024) | ▲ +2 |
| A1 | Free and fair head-of-government elections | 2/4 (2013) | 3/4 (2024) | ▲ +1 |
| A2 | Free and fair legislative elections | 3/4 (2013) | 4/4 (2024) | ▲ +1 |
| B1 | Right to organise in political parties | 3/4 (2013) | 4/4 (2024) | ▲ +1 |
| B3 | Free political choice | 2/4 (2013) | 3/4 (2024) | ▲ +1 |
| B4 | Minority political rights | 1/4 (2013) | 2/4 (2024) | ▲ +1 |
| C1 | Elected officials govern | 3/4 (2013) | 2/4 (2024) | ▼ -1 |
| C2 | Anti-corruption safeguards | 2/4 (2013) | 3/4 (2024) | ▲ +1 |
Latest A–G indicator scorecard
Electoral Process
PR
-
A1Free and fair head-of-government elections
3/4
-
A2Free and fair legislative elections
4/4
-
A3Electoral laws and framework
3/4
Political Pluralism & Participation
PR
-
B1Right to organise in political parties
4/4
-
B2Opposition can realistically gain power
4/4
-
B3Free political choice without domination
3/4
-
B4Political rights of minorities
2/4
Functioning of Government
PR
-
C1Elected officials determine government policy
2/4
-
C2Safeguards against corruption
3/4
-
C3Transparency of government
3/4
Freedom of Expression & Belief
CL
-
D1Free and independent media
3/4
-
D2Freedom of religious expression
2/4
-
D3Academic freedom
2/4
-
D4Free private discussion
3/4
Associational & Organisational Rights
CL
-
E1Freedom of assembly
2/4
-
E2Freedom for NGOs
2/4
-
E3Free trade unions
1/4
Rule of Law
CL
-
F1Independent judiciary
3/4
-
F2Due process in civil and criminal matters
2/4
-
F3Protection from illegitimate force
2/4
-
F4Equal treatment under the law
2/4
Personal Autonomy & Individual Rights
CL
-
G1Freedom of movement
2/4
-
G2Property rights
3/4
-
G3Personal social freedoms
2/4
-
G4Equality of opportunity
2/4
Each indicator is scored 0–4 by Freedom House analysts; category subtotals combine into the Political Rights (A + B + C = 0–40) and Civil Liberties (D + E + F + G = 0–60) aggregates shown above. 2024 edition.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Bhutan see its biggest RSF press-freedom change?
The sharpest single-year shift was an deterioration of 17.21 points between 2022 (76.46) and 2023 (59.25) on the RSF index.
Which Freedom House indicator moved most in Bhutan?
Indicator B2 (Opposition can gain power) changed by +2 points, moving from 2/4 to 4/4 across the available history — the biggest indicator-level movement of the 25 Freedom House sub-scores for Bhutan.
How does Bhutan rank within its Freedom House region?
Bhutan holds position #20 of 43 in the Asia region on the latest Freedom House aggregate score. The region's top country is New Zealand (99/100).
What is Bhutan's economic context for its press freedom score?
Bhutan has a GDP of $2.45B across a population of 727K, giving a per-capita GDP of about $3,365. Its capital is Thimphu; the official language is Dzongkha.