Is prostitution legal in Bhutan?

Illegal

Prostitution is illegal, and a 2017 proposal to legalize it was rejected.

Bhutan is one of 101 countries classified “Illegal” for sex work — 46% of the 219 with data. (Also searched as prostitution.)

Source

Taken from
Wikipedia: Prostitution in Asia
Last checked
17 September 2026
How it was classified
Classified by a language model from the source text, then checked against hand-verified reference countries.

Nearby countries

Bangladesh
Legal & regulated Prostitution is legal and regulated, requiring registration and affidavits from workers.
Nepal
Illegal Prostitution is illegal in Nepal and criminalized under the Human Trafficking Act.
India
Varies by region Prostitution is legal only in private residences, while related activities like brothel management are crimes.
Myanmar
Illegal Prostitution is illegal in Myanmar.
Laos
Illegal Prostitution is regarded as a criminal activity in Laos.
China
Illegal Prostitution is officially illegal in mainland China, despite being widespread in practice.

Other laws in Bhutan

Same-Sex Marriage
Not recognized
Same-Sex Activity
Legal
Age of Consent
18+
Pornography
Illegal
Same-Sex Adoption
Not permitted
Incest Laws
Criminal offense
Marriage Age
18+

Every law in Bhutan → · Where is sex work legal? →

A visual reference compiled from Wikipedia’s law-by-country articles, not legal advice. Laws change and summaries simplify — check a primary source before relying on anything here.