All 195 countries · Southern Asia
Bhutan
Bhutan launched a self-sovereign National Digital Identity in 2023 that is not mandatory. The central bank has piloted a CBDC with Ripple. No WHO or 2030 Agenda pushback was found.
Digital ID · Goal 16.9
Digital ID in Bhutan
- Program
- National Digital Identity (NDI)
- Status
- Available, partial uptake
- National ID card
- ID card compulsory
- Biometrics
- Yes
- Law
- National Digital Identity Act of Bhutan 2023
NDI is a mobile wallet for identity documents and went live in September 2023. It is not mandatory, though an NDI number is needed for the Citizen Services Portal. Face data is collected through the app and a copy is stored with the Ministry of Home Affairs. Citizenship card processing also stores biometrics in the BCRS database.
Digital money · Goal 8.10
Central bank digital currency
- Status
- Pilot
The Royal Monetary Authority announced a multi-phase CBDC pilot with Ripple in 2021. No launch date or issuance was found.
On the record
What has happened, newest first
- 2023-09Rolling it out
The National Digital Identity system went live. SEAP (Nationality for All) — Bhutan digital ID overview ↗
UN and WHO
How Bhutan has voted
- WHO
- Accepted the 2024 rule changes
- Pandemic Agreement (May 2025)
- No recorded objection
- Migration compact (Dec 2018)
- Voted yes
- Paris climate deal
- Party
- SDG Index 2026
- 71.1 · rank 73 of 169
- Progress reports to the UN (VNRs)
- 3
Sovereignty score
How the -1 adds up
- -1Running a CBDC pilot source ↗
Points come only from public, sourced actions we track, scored the same way for every country. It isn't a grade of a whole government. How scoring works →
Nobody runs this from the top
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Nearby · Southern Asia