2024-25 bilateral allocation [budget estimate]

$2.1 million

2024-25 total Australian ODA [budget estimate]

$4.7 million

2023-24 bilateral allocation [budget estimate]

$2.1 million

2023-24 total Australian ODA [budget estimate]

$4.9 million

2022-23 total Australian ODA [actual]

$3.9 million

DFAT will manage an estimated $2.1 million in bilateral funding to Bhutan in 2022-23. Total Australian Official Development Assistance (ODA) to Bhutan in 2022-23 will be an estimated $4.3 million including regional investments in trade, water, energy and connectivity as well as support for NGO and volunteer programs.

Education

Australia's support to Bhutan focuses on developing human resource capacity, building people-to-people linkages and strengthening tertiary institutions. Education is the central pillar of the bilateral aid program.

As highlighted in Australia's Foreign Policy White Paper, we are strongly committed to advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in our region. We encourage women's participation in Australia Awards through opportunities such as the 2018 Women in Executive Leadership Development Program (WELDP), which is helping to empower female staff from Bhutan's Royal Civil Service Commission (RCSC) to build leadership capabilities and develop practical skills for application in a leadership environment.

Education assistance in Bhutan

Our results

Education

Results to December 2017

• Provided 592 Bhutanese students with Australia Awards scholarships for tertiary education in Australia since 2007.
• Since 2007, 412 alumni have completed Masters or Doctoral level studies in Australia.