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Topic 17 of 18 · Country Index 2026
Bhutan: Digital & Technology
How ready is a country to use, make and trade technology?
Bhutan is placed 111th of 198 countries on digital & technology in the Country Index 2026, from 4 of its 4 key statistics. Readings behind it: GovTech Maturity Index 0.814 (2025); Government AI Readiness Index 39.38 (2025).
Share
Digital & Technology
111th
of 198 countries placed
Placed from 4 of 4 key statistics
- 0.814GovTech Maturity Index, 2025GTMI score (0–1)
- 39.38Government AI Readiness Index, 2025AI readiness score (0–100)
- -0.656Government Cyber Security Capacity, 2025Original latent estimate (≈ −3.6 to +3.7); higher = more capacity
- 8.897Digitally-Deliverable Services Exports, 2024Digitally-deliverable services exports (% of services exports)
01The evidence
The 4 key statistics that decide it
Only these place Bhutan on digital & technology — one vote each. Every value is the publisher’s own, read at the edition the Country Index 2026 used; the grey ticks are every other country it was compared with, lowest on the left.
0.814
GTMI score (0–1)
Higher is better
Bhutan: 0.814. Across the 196 countries in this edition, values run from 0.01 (North Korea) to 0.997 (South Korea); the world median is 0.63.
- World median
- 0.63
- Best in Southern Asia
- 0.969 India
- Land neighbours
- China 0.651 · India 0.969
39.38
AI readiness score (0–100)
Higher is better
Ranked 101st of 195 by Oxford Insights
Bhutan: 39.38. Across the 195 countries in this edition, values run from 12.12 (Guinea-Bissau) to 88.36 (United States); the world median is 40.19.
- World median
- 40.19
- Best in Southern Asia
- 66.55 India
- Land neighbours
- China 76.27 · India 66.55
Key 3 of 4
Government Cyber Security Capacity
V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg
2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY-SA 4.0
-0.656
Original latent estimate (≈ −3.6 to +3.7); higher = more capacity
Higher is better
Bhutan: -0.656. Across the 176 countries in this edition, values run from -2.66 (Liberia) to 3.715 (Estonia); the world median is 0.196.
- World median
- 0.196
- Best in Southern Asia
- 1.008 India
- Land neighbours
- China 3.226 · India 1.008
Key 4 of 4
Digitally-Deliverable Services Exports
UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
2024 edition · data for 2024 · CC BY 3.0 IGO
8.897
Digitally-deliverable services exports (% of services exports)
Higher is better
Bhutan: 8.897. Across the 170 countries in this edition, values run from 0.377 (Gambia) to 87.15 (Ireland); the world median is 25.42.
- World median
- 25.42
- Best in Southern Asia
- 78.01 India
- Land neighbours
- China 50.47 · India 78.01
02Over time
Which way Bhutan is moving
Each key’s published value, edition by edition, beside the world median. The Country Index 2026 is the first edition of the standing, so the standing itself has no history to chart yet.
Government AI Readiness Index
AI readiness score (0–100) · higher is better
BhutanWorld median
Bhutan rose from 35.38 in 2020 to 39.38 in 2025; the world median went from 39.58 to 40.19.
Every year’s figures
Year Bhutan World median 2025 39.4 40.2 2024 38.8 43.3 2023 36.9 41.4 2022 37.9 40.3 2021 34.0 44.1 2020 35.4 39.6 Government Cyber Security Capacity
Original latent estimate (≈ −3.6 to +3.7); higher = more capacity · higher is better
BhutanWorld median
Bhutan rose from -2.516 in 2000 to -0.656 in 2025; the world median went from -0.514 to 0.196.
Every year’s figures
Year Bhutan World median 2025 -0.66 0.20 2024 -0.66 0.11 2023 -0.70 0.14 2022 -0.70 0.16 2021 -0.62 0.12 2020 -0.60 0.12 2019 -0.60 0.10 2018 -0.80 -0.05 2017 -0.80 -0.08 2016 -0.80 -0.10 2015 -0.97 -0.17 2014 -0.97 -0.21 2013 -0.97 -0.21 2012 -0.97 -0.25 2011 -0.97 -0.32 2010 -0.97 -0.31 2009 -1.24 -0.50 2008 -1.24 -0.51 2007 -2.52 -0.51 2006 -2.52 -0.55 2005 -2.52 -0.55 2004 -2.52 -0.55 2003 -2.52 -0.55 2002 -2.52 -0.51 2001 -2.52 -0.51 2000 -2.52 -0.51 Digitally-Deliverable Services Exports
Digitally-deliverable services exports (% of services exports) · higher is better
BhutanWorld median
Bhutan rose from 4.477 in 2010 to 8.897 in 2024; the world median went from 19.88 to 25.42.
Every year’s figures
Year Bhutan World median 2024 8.9 25.42 2023 13.0 26.03 2022 72.4 26.04 2021 70.1 29.80 2020 7.7 29.47 2019 5.1 18.36 2018 3.3 20.09 2017 4.1 18.32 2016 3.9 18.15 2015 2.8 19.57 2014 2.4 21.00 2013 3.7 20.50 2012 3.4 19.56 2011 3.6 19.21 2010 4.5 19.88
03In context
Bhutan beside its neighbours
A position reads best beside the countries around it. Every position below is a place among all 198 countries on digital & technology, never a place within the region.
Bhutan and the countries it borders
Standing among all 198; the key columns are the publishers’ own values.
| Country | Standing | GovTech Maturity IndexGTMI score (0–1) | Government AI Readiness IndexAI readiness score (0–100) | Government Cyber Security CapacityOriginal latent estimate (≈ −3.6 to +3.7); higher = more capacity | Digitally-Deliverable Services ExportsDigitally-deliverable services exports (% of services exports) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 India | 5th | 0.969 | 66.55 | 1.008 | 78.01 |
 China | =23rd | 0.651 | 76.27 | 3.226 | 50.47 |
| Bhutan | 111th | 0.814 | 39.38 | -0.656 | 8.897 |
“—”: no published reading in that edition. What a standing is
Across Southern Asia
Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 198.
Placed either side on digital & technology
The countries immediately above and below Bhutan in the topic’s list.
04Context, no vote
Where Bhutan is ahead of the world, and behind
12 more statistics filed under digital & technology, published in full and deliberately given no vote in the standing. Select a row for the publisher, the rank and the links.
Ahead of the world median3
Statistics on which Bhutan does better than the middle country measured.
Firms Experiencing Internet DisruptionsWorld Bank Group · 2026 · world median 32.353.15832.35No earlier reading
Bhutan: 3.158 · world median 32.35 · Firms that experienced internet outages or slow-downs (%). World Bank Group, 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from 0.735 to 82.39; lower is better.
Position 160th of 163 · derived, 1st = worst.
Government Dissemination of False Information (Domestic)V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2025 · world median -0.1140.987-0.114▲ Improved since 2015
Bhutan: 0.987 · world median -0.114 · Original latent estimate (≈ −3.6 to +3.2); higher = less disinformation. V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from -3.392 to 2.93; higher is better.
Position 47th of 176 · derived.
Share of Firms' Payments Made ElectronicallyWorld Bank Group · 2026 · world median 64.2272.0564.22No earlier reading
Bhutan: 72.05 · world median 64.22 · Payments made electronically in a typical month, excluding payroll and payments to government (%). World Bank Group, 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from 2.172 to 99.91; higher is better.
Behind the world median6
Statistics on which Bhutan does worse than the middle country measured.
Primary Schools with Internet for TeachingUIS · 2024 · world median 98.6687.5798.66▲ Improved since 2018
Bhutan: 87.57 · world median 98.66 · Primary schools with internet access for teaching (%). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 100; higher is better.
Firms with Their Own WebsiteWorld Bank Group · 2026 · world median 62.3957.2662.39No earlier reading
Bhutan: 57.26 · world median 62.39 · Firms with their own website (%). World Bank Group, 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from 1.824 to 97.88; higher is better.
Position 109th of 181 · derived.
Frontier Technology Readiness IndexUNCTAD · 2023 · world median 0.4850.3530.485No real change since 2013
Bhutan: 0.353 · world median 0.485 · Frontier Technology Readiness Index (0–1). UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 1; higher is better.
Position 117th of 170 · derived.
Government Social Media CensorshipV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2025 · world median 0.505-0.9180.505No real change since 2015
Bhutan: -0.918 · world median 0.505 · Original latent estimate (≈ −4.5 to +2.4); higher = less censorship. V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from -3.721 to 2.295; higher is better.
Position 140th of 176 · derived.
Government Internet ShutdownsV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2025 · world median 1.023-0.9891.023No real change since 2015
Bhutan: -0.989 · world median 1.023 · Original latent estimate (≈ −4 to +2); higher = fewer shutdowns. V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from -3.547 to 2.081; higher is better.
Position 144th of 176 · derived.
ICT Services ExportsUNCTAD · 2024 · world median 7.4740.4477.474▲ Improved since 2014
Bhutan: 0.447 · world median 7.474 · ICT services exports (% of services exports). UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 56.25; higher is better.
Position 112th of 118 · derived.
No better end3
These describe the shape of a country — more is not better or worse, only different — so they are never ahead or behind.
GitHub RepositoriesGitHub · 2026 · world median 141,45430,002141,454Moved since 2020
Bhutan: 30,002 · world median 141,454 · Public repositories located in the economy (as of quarter end). GitHub, 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from 142 to 77,284,974.
GitHub DevelopersGitHub · 2026 · world median 84,67014,37084,670No real change since 2020
Bhutan: 14,370 · world median 84,670 · Developer accounts located in the economy (as of quarter end). GitHub, 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from 110 to 32,410,529.
GitHub Git PushesGitHub · 2025 · world median 148,71417,766148,714Moved since 2020
Bhutan: 17,766 · world median 148,714 · Git pushes during the quarter. GitHub, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 1,967 to 40,768,192.
No current reading for Bhutan
AI User Share of the Working-Age Population, Anthropic AI Usage Index, Digital Services Trade Restrictiveness Index, ICT Goods Exports (last 2022), Internet Use Among Adults, Made or Received a Digital Payment (last 2014), Mobile Phone Ownership, Share of Graduates from ICT Programmes and Smartphone Ownership. Listed rather than hidden, so the page can be checked against it.
“Position · derived” is this site’s ordering of the published values, 1st = best unless the row says otherwise; the publisher ranks no country on it. Rank, position and standing
05Country Index 2026
Digital & Technology among Bhutan’s 15 topics
Digital & Technology is Bhutan’s 11th best-placed topic of 15. Strongest first, each marker at its share of that topic’s field.
- Energy1st of 1652/3 keys
- Poverty & Inequality10th of 1593/3 keys
- Peace & Security28th of 1773/4 keys
- Governance & Institutions51st of 1944/4 keys
- Democracy & Civil Liberties71st of 1984/4 keys
- Economy & Innovation68th of 1762/4 keys
- Risk & Resilience76th of 1933/4 keys
- Work & Labourjoint 72nd of 1824/4 keys
- Environment & Sustainability87th of 1864/4 keys
- Food & Agriculture88th of 1843/4 keys
- Digital & Technology111th of 1984/4 keys
- Health & Wellbeingjoint 118th of 2003/4 keys
- Education & Knowledge120th of 1984/4 keys
- Gender & Equalityjoint 122nd of 1834/4 keys
- Development & Human Capital133rd of 1963/3 keys
No standing on Mobility & Trade: too few of those topics’ key statistics are published for this country.
06The top of the list
Who leads on digital & technology
The three countries placed highest of 198, and the leaders Bhutan can most readily be measured against.
=1
EstoniaNorthern Europe
Joint 1st of 198 · 4 of 4 keys
Photo: Andrus Uuetalu derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 3.0 ee, greyscale
=1
South KoreaEastern Asia
Joint 1st of 198 · 4 of 4 keys
Photo: Unknown author · CC BY-SA 2.0, greyscale
3
SingaporeSouth-eastern Asia
3rd of 198 · 4 of 4 keys
Photo: Khairul Nizam . · CC BY 2.0, greyscale
Placed highest nearby
Highest in Asia
South Korea=1st4/4 keysHighest in Southern Asia
India5th4/4 keysThis page
Bhutan111th4/4 keys
Positions out of 198 placed on the topic. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed, and the top of the list is often held on fewer of them.
07Questions
Bhutan on digital & technology: questions answered
Every answer is built from the numbers on this page, so none can say something the page does not.
How does Bhutan rank on digital & technology?
Bhutan is placed 111th of 198 countries on Digital & Technology in the Country Index 2026, from 4 of its 4 key statistics (GovTech Maturity Index, Government AI Readiness Index, Government Cyber Security Capacity and Digitally-Deliverable Services Exports). The position is this site’s ordering of published statistics, not a rank any publisher printed.
What is the latest GovTech Maturity Index figure for Bhutan?
0.814 in 2025 (gTMI score (0–1)), according to World Bank Group. The world median in the same edition was 0.63.
What is the latest Government AI Readiness Index figure for Bhutan?
39.38 in 2025 (aI readiness score (0–100)), according to Oxford Insights. The world median in the same edition was 40.19.
How does Bhutan compare with India on digital & technology?
India is placed 5th of 198, and Bhutan 111th. GovTech Maturity Index: India 0.969, Bhutan 0.814; Government AI Readiness Index: India 66.55, Bhutan 39.38; Government Cyber Security Capacity: India 1.008, Bhutan -0.656; Digitally-Deliverable Services Exports: India 78.01, Bhutan 8.897.
How have Bhutan’s digital & technology figures changed?
Government AI Readiness Index rose from 35.38 in 2020 to 39.38 in 2025; Government Cyber Security Capacity rose from -2.516 in 2000 to -0.656 in 2025; Digitally-Deliverable Services Exports rose from 4.477 in 2010 to 8.897 in 2024.
Which digital & technology statistics are missing for Bhutan?
No current reading is published for Bhutan on AI User Share of the Working-Age Population, Anthropic AI Usage Index, Digital Services Trade Restrictiveness Index, ICT Goods Exports, Internet Use Among Adults, Made or Received a Digital Payment, Mobile Phone Ownership, Share of Graduates from ICT Programmes and Smartphone Ownership. They are listed rather than hidden, so the evidence on the page can be checked against it.
08Method
Method, sources and how to cite
What this topic does not measure
Broadband and mobile subscriptions, connection speeds and the cost of getting online are absent, for the licence reason above; internet use and phone ownership, from the World Bank’s own household survey, and firms’ websites and internet disruptions, from its Enterprise Surveys, are published here as context. The ICT share of goods exports votes under Mobility & Trade. Digital public services and data-protection law are not held yet. Research and development spending is filed under Education & Knowledge, and what an economy knows how to make is under Economy & Innovation.
How the Digital & Technology standing is decided
A standing is this site’s ordering, named with its edition — never a publisher’s rank. 4 key statistics vote, one vote each; every country’s published value becomes a place within that key’s own field, the places are averaged, and the average is never published. A country needs 2 of the 4 keys to be placed.
The digital & technology method, step by stepHow every standing on this site is built
The key statistics and their licences
- GovTech Maturity Index — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
- Government AI Readiness Index — Oxford Insights, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Government Cyber Security Capacity — V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Digitally-Deliverable Services Exports — UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), CC BY 3.0 IGO
The other 12 statistics on this page come from 5 publishers, each named beside its numbers, with every edition and licence on the datasets pages.
The standing itself is part of the Country Index 2026, published under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photographs
Bhutan’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Bhutan (banner) — VIkramjit Kakati derivative work: ויקיג'אנקי, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Estonia — Andrus Uuetalu derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY-SA 3.0 ee
- South Korea — Unknown author, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Singapore — Khairul Nizam ., CC BY 2.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Bhutan: Digital & Technology — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/bhutan/digital