🇧🇹 Bhutan (Asia)

Visiting: Highly RecommendedLGBT+ visiting: Highly Recommended

Bhutan charges a daily fee to visit, and it's the rare tourist charge that buys something real: empty trails, the cliff-hugging Tiger's Nest monastery, and valleys that look like they did centuries ago. This is the world's only carbon-negative country, and it measures Gross National Happiness with a straight face. Exceptionally safe and calm. If the budget stretches, go.

Homicide

Intentional homicides per 100,000 people — lower is better.

64.3(worst)
0.0(best)

Bhutan: 2.5

Ranked 78th in the world for the lowest homicide rate.

2.47 homicides per 100,000 people in 2020 — a low rate by world standards.

Lower than 59% of the 230 countries and territories measured.

Source: UNODC intentional homicide statistics (UN SDG database, indicator 16.1.1) · published 2026

Peace

How peaceful the country is — lower is better.

3.4(worst)
1.0(best)

Bhutan: 1.5

Ranked 29th most peaceful country in the world.

More peaceful than 87% of the 163 countries ranked, scoring 1.536.

Holding steady — unchanged since 2024.

Source: Global Peace Index 2025, Institute for Economics & Peace · published June 2025

Freedom

Personal and economic freedom — higher is better.

2.5(worst)
9.3(best)

Bhutan: 7.1

Ranked 74th freest country in the world.

Freer than 58% of the 165 countries measured — 7.17 out of 10.

Day-to-day life (speech, movement, religion) scores 7.41; doing business and owning property, 6.84.

Source: Human Freedom Index 2025, Cato Institute / Fraser Institute · published December 2025

LGBT

LGBT+ equality in law and daily life — higher is better.

0.0(worst)
9.3(best)

Bhutan: 5.1

Ranked 59th most equal in the world for LGBT+ people.

Better for LGBT+ equality than 68% of the 197 countries scored — 51 out of 100.

Law and public attitudes sit close together, at 51 and 50 out of 100.

Source: Equaldex LGBT Equality Index · published 2026 (live index)