The Bhutanese Leading the way.
Bhutan’s overall crime rate has declined over the past four years as per Royal Bhutan Police (RBP) data, but a closer examination reveals that road accidents, narcotics, sexual offences and cyber fraud are steadily rising.
According to RBP statistics covering the period from 2022 to 2025, total general crime cases dropped from 2,779 in 2022 to 2,462 in 2025. Over four years, police recorded 9,526 total crime cases nationwide, with the sharpest decline seen in 2024 with 2107 before a slight rebound last year.
Division wise, Thimphu division XI continues to be on the top list, accounting for 3,445 cases since 2022, which is more than one-third of all crimes recorded nationwide. While its annual crime figures fell from 1,129 cases in 2022 to 949 in 2025, it remains the epicenter for multiple emerging crime categories, including cybercrime and sexual offences.
Division III Phuntsholing recorded the second-highest number of general crimes at 1,144 cases, with figures fluctuating across the four years.
In contrast, Division VII Trongsa reported the lowest crime incidence, with just 167 cases recorded during the same period.
Rise in Motor Vehicle Accidents
The most alarming trend in the data is the sharp rise in motor vehicle accidents (MVAs), which have nearly doubled nationwide in just four years. In 2022, Bhutan recorded 780 road accidents. By 2025, that number had surged to 1,450, bringing the four-year total to 4,410 cases.
Road accident fatalities increased from 79 deaths in 2022 to 102 in 2025, while injuries rose from 547 to 784 over the same period. In total, 381 people lost their lives and 2,600 were injured in road accidents between 2022 and 2025.
Drug-Related Offences Increase
Drug-related offences cases surged from 2023, jumping from 723 cases in 2022 to 1,920 in a single year.
Although cases declined slightly to 1,750 in 2025, drug offences remain more than double compared to 2022. Over four years, police handled 6,253 narcotics cases nationwide.
The Narcotic Drugs and Other Volatile Drugs (NDOVD) division recorded the highest volume, handling 2,365 cases, followed closely by Division III Phuntsholing with 1,554 cases.
Sexual Offences Rise Year After Year
Unlike general crime, sexual offences show a steady and deeply concerning upward trajectory. Cases increased every year, from 108 in 2022 to 143 in 2023, 147 in 2024, and 152 in 2025 bringing the four-year total to 550 cases.
Division XI Thimphu recorded the highest number with 113 cases, followed by Division V Gelephu (62) and Division IV Samtse (60).
Suicide Numbers Remain Stable
Between 2022 and 2025, police recorded 422 suicide cases, with annual figures fluctuating only slightly, 113 in 2022, 97 in 2023, 108 in 2024, and 104 in 2025.
Division IV Samtse reported the highest total at 66 cases, followed by Division V Gelephu with 56 and Division XI Thimphu with 53.
Cybercrime And A Nu 37 Million Financial Loss
Between 2024 and 2026, police recorded 318 financial scam cases involving a total of Nu 37.08 million.
RBP recovered Nu 12.86 million, leaving over Nu 24 million nearly 65 percent of the amounts lost in scams.
Lottery prize scams were the most common, accounting for 98 cases, followed by Australian Dollar (AUD) exchange scams with 87 cases and investment fraud with 44 cases. Particularly concerning is the rapid rise in OTP-sharing scams, which tripled from 9 cases in 2024 to 29 in 2025.
Cybercrime overall accounted for 469 cases since 2022, with Thimphu alone responsible for nearly 43 percent of the total at 200 cases.
