Samtse: population, jobs, poverty, crime, health services and local budgets
Samtse is a dzongkhag of Bhutan, number 3 of 20 by population. The National Statistics Bureau projects the population of Samtse Dzongkhag at 63,379 in 2026 (31,659 male, 31,720 female), 8.0% of Bhutan's 790,718; 3rd 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 Samtse: 21.9% of people in Samtse lived below the national poverty line in 2022, according to the Bhutan Living Standards Survey, 2nd highest of the 20 dzongkhags (Bhutan: 12.4%). The survey estimate has a standard error of 2.3 percentage points.
Is the population of Samtse growing or shrinking?
Samtse counted 62,590 people at the 2017 census; the 2026 projection is up 1.3% on that, ranking 13th 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 Samtse live in towns?
15.5% of Samtse's people lived in towns at the 2017 census, the least urban of the 20 dzongkhags (Bhutan: 37.8%); NSB projections put the urban share at 13.8% 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 Samtse?
Children under 15 are projected to make up 22.6% of Samtse's population in 2026 and people aged 65 and over 7.9%; the share of older people is 10th 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 copyWhat is the unemployment rate in Samtse?
1.93% of Samtse's labour force was unemployed in the fourth quarter of 2024, about 620 people, according to the National Statistics Bureau Labour Force Survey; 7th lowest 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 Samtse are working or looking for work?
66.3% of people aged 15 and over in Samtse were in the labour force (working or looking for work) in the fourth quarter of 2024, joint 9th lowest of the 19 dzongkhags surveyed (Bhutan: 64.8%).
Source: National Statistics Bureau, Royal Government of Bhutan · saved copyHow many women in Samtse are in work or looking for work?
In Samtse, 55.3% of women aged 15 and over and 77.3% 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 Samtse have?
Samtse had 4 hospitals with 80 official beds in 2024, 12.6 beds per 10,000 residents, 5th 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 Samtse?
Samtse had 12 primary health centres and 2 sub-posts in 2024, 2.2 per 10,000 residents, 3rd 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 Samtse Dzongkhag get from the budget?
The FY 2025-26 national budget allocates Nu 1.68 billion to the Samtse Dzongkhag administration, the largest of the 20 dzongkhags: Nu 1.02 billion for running costs and Nu 665.2 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 Samtse?
Counting the dzongkhag administration and its 15 gewogs (Nu 691.0 million), local government in Samtse has Nu 2.38 billion for FY 2025-26, about Nu 37,507 per resident, 3rd 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 48 outreach clinics in Samtse'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
- 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
- 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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