Punakha: population, jobs, poverty, crime, health services and local budgets
Punakha is a dzongkhag of Bhutan, number 10 of 20 by population. The National Statistics Bureau projects the population of Punakha Dzongkhag at 32,552 in 2026 (17,285 male, 15,267 female), 4.1% of Bhutan's 790,718; 10th largest 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 Punakha: 2.9% of people in Punakha lived below the national poverty line in 2022, according to the Bhutan Living Standards Survey, 2nd lowest of the 20 dzongkhags (Bhutan: 12.4%). The survey estimate has a standard error of 1.0 percentage points.
Is the population of Punakha growing or shrinking?
Punakha counted 28,740 people at the 2017 census; the 2026 projection is up 13.3% on that, ranking 7th 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 Punakha live in towns?
24.5% of Punakha's people lived in towns at the 2017 census, 10th most urban of the 20 dzongkhags (Bhutan: 37.8%); NSB projections put the urban share at 43.6% 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 Punakha?
Children under 15 are projected to make up 22.0% of Punakha's population in 2026 and people aged 65 and over 8.0%; the share of older people is 10th highest of the 20 dzongkhags (Bhutan: 22.2% and 7.2%).
Source: National Statistics Bureau, Royal Government of Bhutan (copy hosted by UNFPA Bhutan) · saved copyWhat is the unemployment rate in Punakha?
2.32% of Punakha's labour force was unemployed in the fourth quarter of 2024, about 363 people, according to the National Statistics Bureau Labour Force Survey; 10th highest of the 19 dzongkhags surveyed (Bhutan: 3.12%). Quarterly district figures come from a small sample and move from quarter to quarter.
Source: National Statistics Bureau, Royal Government of Bhutan · saved copyHow many people in Punakha are working or looking for work?
63.6% of people aged 15 and over in Punakha were in the labour force (working or looking for work) in the fourth quarter of 2024, 7th lowest of the 19 dzongkhags surveyed (Bhutan: 64.8%).
Source: National Statistics Bureau, Royal Government of Bhutan · saved copyHow many women in Punakha are in work or looking for work?
In Punakha, 61.6% of women aged 15 and over and 65.5% of men were in the labour force in the fourth quarter of 2024 (Bhutan: 54.6% and 74.0%).
Source: National Statistics Bureau, Royal Government of Bhutan · saved copyHow many hospital beds does Punakha have?
Punakha had 1 hospital with 40 official beds in 2024, 12.6 beds per 10,000 residents, 4th lowest 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 Punakha?
Punakha had 7 primary health centres and 1 sub-post in 2024, 2.5 per 10,000 residents, 5th lowest 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 Punakha Dzongkhag get from the budget?
The FY 2025-26 national budget allocates Nu 1.17 billion to the Punakha Dzongkhag administration, 8th largest of the 20 dzongkhags: Nu 658.0 million for running costs and Nu 509.3 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 Punakha?
Counting the dzongkhag administration and its 11 gewogs (Nu 300.3 million), local government in Punakha has Nu 1.47 billion for FY 2025-26, about Nu 45,698 per resident, 7th lowest of the 20 dzongkhags per person (Bhutan: Nu 48,473).
Source: Ministry of Finance, Royal Government of Bhutan · saved copyMore figures
- Health workers ran 10 outreach clinics in Punakha'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
- 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
- Gasa 4,581
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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: Labour Force Survey Quarterly Report, Fourth Quarter 2024 (Table 2.4: labour force participation; Table 4.1: unemployment, by dzongkhag/thromde), read 27 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 ea0253d7b329…)
- 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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