Even "The Country of Happiness" Bhutan Cannot Avoid Low Birth Rates... Here’s the Government’s Response

Monthly Cash Payments to Families With Three or More Children
USD 105 Provided Until Each Third Child Turns Three

Bhutan, known as the "Little Kingdom of the Himalayas," has decided to provide monthly cash payments to families with three or more children in order to encourage childbirth.

According to Yonhap News Agency on June 6, the Bhutanese government announced that it will provide USD 105 (approximately 163,000 won) per month to each family until their third child, born after June 4, turns three years old. This policy will also be applied retroactively to families with a third child who was born before June 4 but has not yet reached the age of three. Kesang Deki, Cabinet Secretary of Bhutan, explained, "This support measure will be given to all children who are the third or later-born, regardless of the total number of such children in the family."

The appearance of Bhutan, the 'Little Kingdom of the Himalayas.' Pixabay

The Bhutanese government stated, "Population decline, aging, and overseas migration affect not only the labor force but also the long-term socio-economic development," adding, "This policy reflects the government’s commitment to welfare and the sustainability of the population."

Bhutan’s demographic indicators have taken a sharp downward turn. In 2015, the number of annual births in Bhutan was 11,001, but nine years later in 2024, it fell to just 8,153, a decrease of 26%. Alongside this, the total fertility rate—the number of children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime—has also dropped to 2.1. Due to economic difficulties, an increasing number of young people are migrating abroad, including to Australia.

Currently, Bhutan’s population is less than 800,000. Bordering the great powers of China and India, Bhutan is well known as the "country of happiness," placing national happiness at the center of its policies. In the 1970s, the King of Bhutan declared, "Gross National Happiness (GNH) is more important than Gross Domestic Product (GDP)."

While Bhutan has maintained a traditionally close friendship with neighboring India, establishing diplomatic relations in 1968, it has yet to establish diplomatic ties with China, with whom it has experienced border disputes.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.