Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Afghanistan instead of Bhutan, you would:
Health
be 26.5% less likely to die by suicide
Bhutan has a suicide rate of 4.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Afghanistan, it is 3.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 7.0 years less
In Bhutan, the average life expectancy is 73 years (72 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024. In Afghanistan, that number is 66 years (65 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024.
be 57.4% more likely to be obese
In Bhutan, 13.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Afghanistan, that number is 20.6% of people as of 2024.
see 51.3% less spent on your healthcare
Bhutan spends $677 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Afghanistan spends $330 as of 2023.
have 42.7% fewer doctors per person
Bhutan has 5.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Afghanistan has 3.2 as of 2023.
have 31.7% less access to essential health services
Bhutan scores 60 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Afghanistan scores 41 as of 2021.
Economy
be 4.1 times more likely to be unemployed
In Bhutan, 3.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Afghanistan, that number is 13.3% as of 2025.
be 3.8 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Bhutan, 12.4% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Afghanistan, however, that number is 47.1% as of 2019.
make 90.7% less money
Bhutan has a GDP per capita of $4,493 as of 2025, while in Afghanistan, the GDP per capita is $417 as of 2024.
Life
have 2.8 times more children
In Bhutan, there are approximately 12.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Afghanistan, there are 35.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 11.1 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Bhutan, approximately 47.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Afghanistan, 521.0 women do as of 2023.
be 42.6% less likely to be literate
In Bhutan, the literacy rate is 64.9% as of 2022. In Afghanistan, it is 37.3% as of 2021.
be 3.5 times more likely to die during infancy
In Bhutan, approximately 13.7 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Afghanistan, on the other hand, 48.3 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 14.7% less likely to have access to electricity
In Bhutan, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Afghanistan, that number is 85% of people on average (96% in urban areas, and 81% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 82.4% less likely to have internet access
In Bhutan, approximately 91.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Afghanistan, about 16.1% do as of 2024.
be 18.8% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Bhutan, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water (100% in urban areas, and 99% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Afghanistan, that number is 81% of people on average (97% in urban areas, and 75% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 50.4% less on education
Bhutan spends 5.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Afghanistan spends 2.9% of total GDP on education as of 2020.
spend 3.4 times more on healthcare
Bhutan spends 4.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Afghanistan, that number is 15.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 63.2% more likely to be murdered
Bhutan has a homicide rate of 2.5 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In Afghanistan, that number is 4.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 97.5% more likely to die in a road accident
In Bhutan, road accidents kill 12.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Afghanistan, they kill 24.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 97.3% less home broadband
Bhutan has 2.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Afghanistan has 0.1 as of 2023.
live with 38.8 times more strain on fresh water
Bhutan withdraws 1% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Afghanistan withdraws 55% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 86.1% less CO2
Bhutan emits 2.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Afghanistan emits 0.3 tonnes as of 2024.
be 2.5 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Bhutan, air pollution causes 57.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Afghanistan, it causes 143.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2020). How we calculate this
Compare further: Bhutan vs. Afghanistan
Afghanistan: At a glance
How big is Afghanistan compared to Bhutan? See an in-depth size comparison.