Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Brunei instead of Bahrain, you would:
Health
have 2.5 times more doctors per person
Bahrain has 7.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2020. Brunei has 18.9 as of 2021.
be 34.5% less likely to die by suicide
Bahrain has a suicide rate of 4.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Brunei, it is 3.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 5.9 years less
In Bahrain, the average life expectancy is 81 years (81 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2024. In Brunei, that number is 76 years (73 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2024.
see 25.8% less spent on your healthcare
Bahrain spends $2,555 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Brunei spends $1,896 as of 2023.
Economy
be 4.8 times more likely to be unemployed
In Bahrain, 1.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Brunei, that number is 5.3% as of 2025.
Life
have 10.8% more children
In Bahrain, there are approximately 12.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Brunei, there are 13.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 2.1 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Bahrain, approximately 17.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Brunei, 36.0 women do as of 2023.
be 17.8% more likely to die during infancy
In Bahrain, approximately 7.3 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Brunei, on the other hand, 8.6 children do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 44.2% less on healthcare
Bahrain spends 4.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Brunei, that number is 2.2% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 55.6% less likely to die in a road accident
In Bahrain, road accidents kill 8.1 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Brunei, they kill 3.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 24.7% more home broadband
Bahrain has 17.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Brunei has 21.2 as of 2024.
live with 97.4% less strain on fresh water
Bahrain withdraws 134% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Brunei withdraws 3% as of 2022.
use 53.8% less electricity
Bahrain uses 23,120 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Brunei uses 10,674 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 70.6% less likely to die from air pollution
In Bahrain, air pollution causes 68.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Brunei, it causes 20.0 as of 2019.
emit 15.3% less CO2
Bahrain emits 23.9 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Brunei emits 20.2 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Bahrain vs. Brunei
Brunei: At a glance
How big is Brunei compared to Bahrain? See an in-depth size comparison.