Sangay Ngedup was born in Nobgang village in Punakha. He is the second child and eldest son in a family of three brothers and six sisters. Four of his sisters are married to the former King of Bhutan, Jigme Singye Wangchuck. His father, Yab Dasho Ugyen Dorji, was the Founder and Proprietor of Ugyen Academy. His mother is Yum Thuiji Zam. His two brothers are:
He graduated from Dr. Graham's Homes in Kalimpong, India, and completed his tertiary education at St. Stephen's College in Delhi, India. In 1976 he joined the Bhutanese foreign service, and attended diplomatic courses in Australia and New Delhi. In 1977, Lyonpo Sangay Ngedup served at the permanent mission of Bhutan to the United Nations in New York and later as second secretary in the Royal Bhutan Embassy in New Delhi. In 1989, Lyonpo Sangay Ngedup was appointed as Ambassador to Kuwait. He was transferred as the Director of Trade and Industry in 1989 and then as the joint secretary of the Planning Commission in April 1991. He became the Director General of Health in 1992. In 1998 he became Minister of Health and Education, and he served as Prime Minister from July 9, 1999 until July 20, 2000. He was Minister of Agriculture from 2003 to 2007, and on September 5, 2005 was appointed as Prime Minister again, serving until September 7, 2006. In July 2007 he resigned from the government, together with Prime Minister LyonpoKhandu Wangchuk and five other ministers, to enter politics and prepare for the country's first ever democratic election in 2008. Lyonpo Sangay Ngedup, whose demonstrated leadership style is democratic, was unanimously elected as president and leader of the newly constituted People's Democratic Party. In his presidential debate, the first ever held in February 2008, Lyonpo Sangay Ngedup has promised that, if he wins the election, he would base his policies of governing on Gross National Happiness, a philosophy that states that happiness is more important than material growth for the people. He led his party during the election, held on March 24, 2008, but lost in his own constituency; the People's Democratic Party took only two seats of a possible 47 in the National Assembly. Lyonpo Sangay Ngedup was awarded the Red Scarf by His Majesty the King on August 24, 1987, and the Orange Scarf on January 1, 1998. In 2002 he undertook with six other members the from Trashigang to the capital city ofThimphu covering on foot a distance of 560 km concluded successfully as scheduled. The Walk was conceived by Lyonpo Sangay Ngedup to promote the fund raising for the , an important initiative to keep the primary health services of Bhutan free of charge. On 8 September 2015, he received the World Health Organization’s excellence in public health award. Lyonpo Sangay Ngedup is the Honorary President of the Bhutan Scouts Association.
