Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Australia instead of Bhutan, you would:
Health
live 9.8 years longer
In Bhutan, the average life expectancy is 73 years (72 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024. In Australia, that number is 83 years (81 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2024.
see 11.4 times more spent on your healthcare
Bhutan spends $677 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Australia spends $7,691 as of 2023.
have 7.4 times more doctors per person
Bhutan has 5.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Australia has 40.9 as of 2022.
have 45.0% more access to essential health services
Bhutan scores 60 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Australia scores 87 as of 2021.
be 2.3 times more likely to be obese
In Bhutan, 13.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Australia, that number is 30.6% of people as of 2024.
be 2.7 times more likely to die by suicide
Bhutan has a suicide rate of 4.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Australia, it is 13.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 14.5 times more money
Bhutan has a GDP per capita of $4,493 as of 2025, while in Australia, the GDP per capita is $65,130 as of 2025.
be 26.6% more likely to be unemployed
In Bhutan, 3.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Australia, that number is 4.1% as of 2025.
Life
be 95.7% less 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 Australia, 2.0 women do as of 2023.
be 77.4% less 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 Australia, on the other hand, 3.1 children do as of 2024.
have 14.6% fewer children
In Bhutan, there are approximately 12.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Australia, there are 10.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 13.5% less on education
Bhutan spends 5.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Australia spends 5.1% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 2.4 times more on healthcare
Bhutan spends 4.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Australia, that number is 10.4% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 65.6% less likely to be murdered
Bhutan has a homicide rate of 2.5 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In Australia, that number is 0.8 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 63.1% less likely to die in a road accident
In Bhutan, road accidents kill 12.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Australia, they kill 4.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 12.5 times more home broadband
Bhutan has 2.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Australia has 36.5 as of 2024.
live with 3.3 times more strain on fresh water
Bhutan withdraws 1% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Australia withdraws 5% as of 2022.
Environment
be 82.5% less likely to die from air pollution
In Bhutan, air pollution causes 57.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Australia, it causes 10.0 as of 2019.
emit 7.0 times more CO2
Bhutan emits 2.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Australia emits 14.1 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Bhutan vs. Australia
Australia: At a glance
How big is Australia compared to Bhutan? See an in-depth size comparison.