Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Bulgaria instead of Bhutan, you would:
Health
live 2.5 years longer
In Bhutan, the average life expectancy is 73 years (72 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024. In Bulgaria, that number is 76 years (72 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024.
see 4.4 times more spent on your healthcare
Bhutan spends $677 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Bulgaria spends $2,970 as of 2023.
have 7.8 times more doctors per person
Bhutan has 5.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Bulgaria has 43.3 as of 2022.
have 21.7% more access to essential health services
Bhutan scores 60 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Bulgaria scores 73 as of 2021.
be 55.5% more likely to be obese
In Bhutan, 13.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Bulgaria, that number is 20.3% of people as of 2024.
be 94.1% more likely to die by suicide
Bhutan has a suicide rate of 4.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Bulgaria, it is 9.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 4.5 times more money
Bhutan has a GDP per capita of $4,493 as of 2025, while in Bulgaria, the GDP per capita is $20,328 as of 2025.
be 71.0% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Bhutan, 12.4% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Bulgaria, however, that number is 21.2% as of 2024.
Life
be 87.2% 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 Bulgaria, 6.0 women do as of 2023.
be 51.6% more likely to be literate
In Bhutan, the literacy rate is 64.9% as of 2022. In Bulgaria, it is 98.4% as of 2021.
be 66.4% 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 Bulgaria, on the other hand, 4.6 children do as of 2024.
have 33.8% fewer children
In Bhutan, there are approximately 12.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Bulgaria, there are 8.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 23.1% less on education
Bhutan spends 5.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Bulgaria spends 4.5% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 79.2% more on healthcare
Bhutan spends 4.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Bulgaria, that number is 7.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 55.9% less likely to be murdered
Bhutan has a homicide rate of 2.5 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In Bulgaria, that number is 1.1 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 31.1% less likely to die in a road accident
In Bhutan, road accidents kill 12.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Bulgaria, they kill 8.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 12.7 times more home broadband
Bhutan has 2.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Bulgaria has 37.0 as of 2023.
live with 28.5 times more strain on fresh water
Bhutan withdraws 1% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Bulgaria withdraws 40% as of 2022.
Environment
be 10.5% more likely to die from air pollution
In Bhutan, air pollution causes 57.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Bulgaria, it causes 63.0 as of 2019.
emit 2.6 times more CO2
Bhutan emits 2.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Bulgaria emits 5.3 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Bhutan vs. Bulgaria
Bulgaria: At a glance
How big is Bulgaria compared to Bhutan? See an in-depth size comparison.