Bhutan

MDGs Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

Target 1 : Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people whose income is less than one dollar a day

The country is on track to achieve the goal of reducing poverty in half by 2015. The proportion of Bhutanese living under the poverty line decreased from 31.7 in 2003 to 23.2% in 2007. The human poverty index (HPI-1) developed by the UNDP, provides a useful measure to assess human deprivations in the three aspects of longevity, knowledge and standard of living. Bhutan’s HPI-1 for 2003 was assessed at 33.00 as compared to 33.34 in 2000, the slight enhancement mainly deriving from the progress made in improving access to safe drinking water.

Poverty in Bhutan has always been predominantly a rural phenomenon. According to the Poverty Analysis Report (PAR), poverty affects only 1.7% of the country’s urban population in contrast to 30.9% of the rural population who are poor, and 95% of the rural poor depend on semi-subsistence agriculture for their livelihood.

Target 2: Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people who suffer from hunger

In Bhutan, there is no evidence of widespread hunger except in certain pockets of the country which experience transient food insecurity and seasonal hunger. While there is insufficient data to assess progress in halving the percentage of population suffering from food energy deficit, the country is extremely well placed to do so. Child nutrition has improved steadily over the last decade as has the national situation on micronutrients.

There are only 5.9% of the population currently does not meet the required caloric intake of 2,124 Kcal per day.  As figures for previous years were not estimated, progress toward halving this figure from 1990 cannot be assessed.

The trends in the nutritional status of children in Bhutan are positive and have shown marked improvements. The percentage of under five children who are underweight has been halved from 38% in 1989 to 19% in 2000 and the MDG target in regard to this acute under-nutrition indicator has been achieved. There has also been rapid progress in reducing the incidence of stunting or the height deficits in relation to age for under five children. Stunting has been reduced from 56% in 1990 to 40% in 2000. The country currently remains on track in regard to this indicator too but further reductions are expected to be more difficult to come by due to the well known constraints of the last mile effect and hence will require sustained efforts. No major gender differences exist in the nutritional status of children and where small differences exist, girls are usually better off.