SONAM PENJOR | Thimphu
The size of civil servants has grown by over 24 percent as of December last year compared to figures from 2012. However, the size in 2022 fell by over three percent as compared to the previous year.
According to the Civil Service Statistics 2022 published by Royal Civil Service Commission, until December last year, the country had 30,194 civil servants comprising 25,341 regular and 4,853 contract civil servants.
Last year alone, the statistics show that a total of 2,646 civil servants were separated of which 80 are from the Executive and Specialist Category, 1,512 from Professional and Management, 848 from Supervisory and Support, and 206 from Operational Category contributing the attrition rate for 2022 to 8.62 percent compared to 4.82 percent in 2021.
The growth in the Civil Service under Dzongkhag and Thromde Administrations was 58.83 percent in 2018, which increased to 61.89 percent in 2022.
As of December last year, it states that the number of civil servants constitutes 3.96 percent of the total population of the country. The ratio of civil servants to the overall population is 1:25 compared to 1:24 in 2021.
Amongst civil servants, females constitute 39.99 percent with an increase of 0.23 percent from 2021. From January to December last year, a total of 1,791 civil servants were recruited, 4,600 promoted, and 2,646 separated with a net decrease of 855 Civil Servants.
There are 280 civil servants in the Executive and Specialist Position, 14,749 civil servants in the Professional and Management Position Category, and 12,793 in the Supervisory and Support Position Category. In addition, there are 2,372 in the Operational Position Category as of December last year.
Amongst the agencies, the Ministry of Education and Skills Development has the highest number of contract employees with 3,255 followed by the Ministry of Home Affairs with 345. The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock has the highest regular number of employees with 2,495 followed by the Ministry of Health with 1,374.
Besides regular and contract civil servants, the statistics reveal that there are 3,490 Elementary Service Personnel (ESP) and 2,599 General Service Personnel (GSP) who are not considered civil servants, and therefore kept outside the total strength of the Civil Service.
In terms of location, Thimphu Dzongkhag has 8,109 civil servants which include civil servants of all central agencies located within the perimeter of Thimphu Dzongkhag. It is followed by Chhukha with 2,176 and Sarpang with 2,047 while Gasa Dzongkhag has the least with 289 civil servants.
Civil servants by location refer to civil servants located within the perimeter of a Dzongkhag but not necessarily under Dzongkhag Administration.
As of 31 December, last year, 61.89 percent of the civil servants were working under Dzongkhag and Thromde Administrations.
Thimphu Dzongkhag has the highest number with 8,109 civil servants, of which 435 are under the Dzongkhag Administration, 1,385 under Thimphu Thromde, and the remaining are under the Ministries and Central Agencies.
Under the Dzongkhag Administration, the highest numbers of civil servants are recorded in Trashigang Dzongkhag with 1,558 followed by Samtse with 1,484 and Chhukha with 1,168. The Gasa Dzongkhag Administration has the least number of civil servants with 226 civil servants.
Amongst the 19 Major Occupational Groups, the report states that Education and Training Services has the highest number of Civil Servants with 10,180 constituting 33.72 percent. It is followed by the Administration and Support Services with 5,238 constituting 17.35 percent and Medical and Health Services with 3 3,843 constituting 12.73 percent of the civil servants.
The Arts, Culture and Literacy Services and Foreign Services recorded the least number with 74 constituting only 0.25 percent of the total strength.
Meanwhile, of the total of 30,194 civil servants, 12,076 are female, constituting 39.99 percent of the total strength of the Civil Service. Among the Major Occupational Groups, the highest number of female civil servants are in the Education and Training Services with 4,364 constituting 14.45 percent of the total strength of the Civil Servant and 42.87 percent within the Education and Training Services.
It is followed by Administration and Support Services with 2,240 and Medical and Health Services with 1,816.
From January to December last year, a total of 1,791 civil servants were recruited, the highest being in the Education and Training Services Group with 992, followed by the Medical and Health Services Group with 235 and the Administration and Support Services Group with 194 recruits.