February 13, 2026
THIMPHU – Bhutan recorded a sharp decline in criminal convictions in 2025, with the number of individuals found guilty falling by nearly a quarter compared with the previous year.
A total of 1,504 people were convicted of various offences in 2025, a decrease of 23.88 percent, or 472 cases, from 1,976 convictions in 2024. The figure continues a downward trend from recent years: 2,486 convictions were recorded in 2023, 2,108 in 2022, and 1,739 in 2021.
A conviction rate measures the share of criminal cases that end in a finding of guilt out of all cases decided by a court. For example, if 100 criminal cases reach judgment and 70 result in convictions, the conviction rate is 70 percent.
As of February 3, the country’s prison population stood at 2,222 inmates. Of these, about 39.55 percent are held in residential facilities, including Chamgang Central Prison, Lungzor District Prison and the Youth Development Rehabilitation Centre in Chukha.
The remaining 1,343 inmates are housed in open-air prisons, spread across 12 dzongkhags, while 879 inmates are in other facilities.
Officials did not reveal the total expenditure incurred in maintaining these prisons.
Data from the Office of the Attorney General’s 2023 trial records indicate that prosecutors secured convictions in 446 of 451 cases disposed of by courts that year, with two acquittals and three deferred judgments. This results in a conviction outcome of roughly 99 percent within that sample.
The Anti-Corruption Commission’s Annual Report 2023–2024 reported a similarly high success rate in corruption prosecutions, with courts returning convictions in 93.6 percent of cases brought forward by the commission.
Legal analysts note that conviction rates alone do not necessarily reflect the quality of a justice system. A high rate does not automatically signify stronger justice, nor does a lower rate indicate failure. Outcomes depend on factors such as the strength of evidence, prosecutorial discretion, legal standards and the protection of defendants’ rights.
International comparisons show wide variation in conviction outcomes, shaped by differences in legal frameworks, investigative capacity, and court procedures. Some countries pursue only the strongest cases, resulting in higher conviction rates, while others bring a broader range of cases to trial.
According to India’s National Crime Records Bureau, the country’s overall conviction rate for crimes stood at about 54 per cent in 2023.
In Japan, the Ministry of Justice data for 2024–2025 show that conviction rates for formally indicted criminal cases typically exceed 99 per cent.
In the United States, federal justice statistics from 2021 indicate that about 90 per cent of charged defendants are convicted, most through plea agreements.
A comparative study by the European Institute of Public Administration found that Scandinavian countries also maintain high conviction outcomes in prosecuted cases. Finland reports a conviction rate of about 97.6 percent, followed by Norway at roughly 93.5 percent and Denmark at 92.1 percent. Sweden records a lower, though still substantial, rate of about 81.7 percent.