Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Bhutan instead of Bangladesh, you would:
Health
see 3.4 times more spent on your healthcare
Bangladesh spends $199 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Bhutan spends $677 as of 2023.
have 15.4% more access to essential health services
Bangladesh scores 52 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Bhutan scores 60 as of 2021.
live 1.7 years less
In Bangladesh, the average life expectancy is 75 years (73 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2024. In Bhutan, that number is 73 years (72 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024.
be 2.3 times more likely to be obese
In Bangladesh, 5.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Bhutan, that number is 13.1% of people as of 2024.
have 23.4% fewer doctors per person
Bangladesh has 7.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Bhutan has 5.5 as of 2022.
be 74.4% more likely to die by suicide
Bangladesh has a suicide rate of 2.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Bhutan, it is 4.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 14.6% less likely to be unemployed
In Bangladesh, 3.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Bhutan, that number is 3.2% as of 2025.
be 33.7% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Bangladesh, 18.7% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Bhutan, however, that number is 12.4% as of 2022.
make 73.0% more money
Bangladesh has a GDP per capita of $2,597 as of 2025, while in Bhutan, the GDP per capita is $4,493 as of 2025.
Life
be 59.1% less likely to die during childbirth
In Bangladesh, approximately 115.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Bhutan, 47.0 women do as of 2023.
be 43.9% less likely to die during infancy
In Bangladesh, approximately 24.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Bhutan, on the other hand, 13.7 children do as of 2024.
be 17.8% less likely to be literate
In Bangladesh, the literacy rate is 79.0% as of 2022. In Bhutan, it is 64.9% as of 2022.
have 37.3% fewer children
In Bangladesh, there are approximately 20.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Bhutan, there are 12.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 70.9% more likely to have internet access
In Bangladesh, approximately 53.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Bhutan, about 91.3% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 2.9 times more on education
Bangladesh spends 2.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Bhutan spends 5.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 2.0 times more on healthcare
Bangladesh spends 2.2% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Bhutan, that number is 4.4% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 34.4% less likely to die in a road accident
In Bangladesh, road accidents kill 18.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Bhutan, they kill 12.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 75.3% less strain on fresh water
Bangladesh withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Bhutan withdraws 1% as of 2022.
find 63.9% less home broadband
Bangladesh has 8.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Bhutan has 2.9 as of 2024.
Environment
be 13.6% less likely to die from air pollution
In Bangladesh, air pollution causes 66.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Bhutan, it causes 57.0 as of 2019.
emit 2.8 times more CO2
Bangladesh emits 0.7 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Bhutan emits 2.0 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Bangladesh vs. Bhutan
Bhutan: At a glance
How big is Bhutan compared to Bangladesh? See an in-depth size comparison.