Gasa: population, jobs, poverty, crime, health services and local budgets
Gasa is a dzongkhag of Bhutan, number 20 of 20 by population. The National Statistics Bureau projects the population of Gasa Dzongkhag at 4,581 in 2026 (2,447 male, 2,134 female), 0.6% of Bhutan's 790,718; the smallest of the 20 dzongkhags. The projection runs forward from the 2017 Population and Housing Census, the latest census.
In depth
- Poverty and living standards in Gasa: 8.2% of people in Gasa lived below the national poverty line in 2022, according to the Bhutan Living Standards Survey, 5th lowest of the 20 dzongkhags (Bhutan: 12.4%). The survey estimate has a standard error of 2.1 percentage points.
Is the population of Gasa growing or shrinking?
Gasa counted 3,952 people at the 2017 census; the 2026 projection is up 15.9% on that, ranking 5th of the 20 dzongkhags for population growth (Bhutan: up 8.7%).
Source: National Statistics Bureau, Royal Government of Bhutan (copy hosted by UNFPA Bhutan) · saved copyHow many people in Gasa live in towns?
34.6% of Gasa's people lived in towns at the 2017 census, 5th most urban of the 20 dzongkhags (Bhutan: 37.8%); NSB projections put the urban share at 58.6% by 2027 (Bhutan: 44.0%).
Source: National Statistics Bureau, Royal Government of Bhutan (copy hosted by UNFPA Bhutan) · saved copyHow old is the population of Gasa?
Children under 15 are projected to make up 23.5% of Gasa's population in 2026 and people aged 65 and over 7.3%; the share of older people is 7th lowest of the 20 dzongkhags (Bhutan: 22.2% and 7.2%).
Source: National Statistics Bureau, Royal Government of Bhutan (copy hosted by UNFPA Bhutan) · saved copyHow many hospital beds does Gasa have?
Gasa had 1 hospital with 10 official beds in 2024, 22.5 beds per 10,000 residents, 8th highest of the 20 dzongkhags (Bhutan: 59 hospitals, 1,660 beds, 21.4 per 10,000).
Source: Ministry of Health, Royal Government of Bhutan · saved copyHow many health centres are there in Gasa?
Gasa had 3 primary health centres and no sub-posts in 2024, 6.8 per 10,000 residents, 5th highest of the 20 dzongkhags (Bhutan: 193 and 50, 3.1 per 10,000).
Source: Ministry of Health, Royal Government of Bhutan · saved copyHow much money does Gasa Dzongkhag get from the budget?
The FY 2025-26 national budget allocates Nu 475.6 million to the Gasa Dzongkhag administration, the smallest of the 20 dzongkhags: Nu 162.6 million for running costs and Nu 313.0 million for capital works (all dzongkhags: Nu 21.74 billion).
Source: Ministry of Finance, Royal Government of Bhutan · saved copyHow much does local government spend per person in Gasa?
Counting the dzongkhag administration and its 4 gewogs (Nu 545.1 million), local government in Gasa has Nu 1.02 billion for FY 2025-26, about Nu 226,404 per resident, the highest of the 20 dzongkhags per person (Bhutan: Nu 48,473).
Source: Ministry of Finance, Royal Government of Bhutan · saved copyMore figures
- Health workers ran 5 outreach clinics in Gasa's villages in 2024 (Bhutan: 555). Source: Ministry of Health, Royal Government of Bhutan · saved copy
How dzongkhags are governed in Bhutan
Districts (20): dzongkhag tshogdu (district council). Council of the elected gup and mangmi of each gewog plus a representative of the town; the dzongda (district administrator) is a civil servant appointed by the central government. Approves district plans and budgets; the dzongda leads district administration.
Every tier of government in Bhutan
Other dzongkhags of Bhutan
- Thimphu 175,374
- Chhukha 70,515
- Samtse 63,379
- Paro 54,892
- Sarpang 52,455
- Wangdue Phodrang 48,907
- Trashigang 40,499
- Monggar 35,680
- Samdrup Jongkhar 34,735
- Punakha 32,552
- Dagana 26,380
- Tsirang 24,966
- Trongsa 23,983
- Pema Gatshel 23,924
- Bumthang 18,690
- Zhemgang 16,185
- Trashi Yangtse 16,158
- Haa 13,942
- Lhuentse 12,919
Up a level: Bhutan · government and power in Bhutan
Sources
- Ministry of Health, Royal Government of Bhutan: Annual Health Bulletin 2025 (data for 2024), Table 6.1: health facilities distribution by districts, read 27 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 97124fbf6163…)
- Ministry of Finance, Royal Government of Bhutan: National Budget Financial Year 2025-26, Annexures 1-3: allocations for dzongkhags, thromdes and gewogs, read 27 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 42f8c49fbb00…)
- National Statistics Bureau, Royal Government of Bhutan (copy hosted by UNFPA Bhutan): Dzongkhag Population Projections 2017-2027 (Table 1: projected population by sex and dzongkhag; Table 4: urban and rural; Tables A.2: broad age groups), read 27 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 fd95c4726e0a…)
- National Statistics Bureau, Royal Government of Bhutan (with the World Bank): Poverty Mapping in Bhutan: Small Area Estimation, District and Town Level Results (2023), Table 4.1 survey estimates from the Bhutan Living Standards Survey 2022, read 27 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 9241159c450d…)
- Royal Bhutan Police, Planning and Development Division: Statistical Yearbook 2024 (Table 3.1 criminal incidents, Table 6.1 fire incidents, Tables 7.3 and 7.7 motor vehicle accidents and deaths, by dzongkhag), read 27 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1f140360dcb9…)
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