Motivations Behind Bhutanese Emigration to Australia

Abstract

Bhutan, a small country with an even smaller population, is currently grappling with the growing challenge of emigration. While one school of thought argues that migration will eventually peak and decline, others warn that, if the current trend continues, Bhutan may soon face a severe shortage of workforce—even for basic desk jobs.

This study aims to examine the driving factors behind emigration from Bhutan and to propose strategies to address the issue.

Employing a mixed-methods approach that combines both quantitative and qualitative data, this descriptive research draws on cross-sectional data collected from Bhutanese currently residing in various cities across Australia. Participants were recruited using convenience and snowball sampling techniques.

The study applies Lee’s migration theory as its conceptual framework, and the data were analysed using SPSS and Excel.

Findings reveal that among the four broad categories of push and pull factors—economic, social, administrative, and political—social factors emerged as the most influential, followed by economic, administrative, and political factors. Personal motivations also played a significant role, while intervening obstacles were considered the least important by respondents.

Based on these findings, the study recommends several measures to mitigate emigration, including improving current working conditions, strengthening the private sector, instituting part-time job opportunities, enhancing income levels, and decongesting urban areas to lower the cost of living