Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Ecuador instead of Bhutan, you would:
Health
live 4.3 years longer
In Bhutan, the average life expectancy is 73 years (72 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024. In Ecuador, that number is 78 years (75 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024.
see 83.0% more spent on your healthcare
Bhutan spends $677 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Ecuador spends $1,238 as of 2023.
have 4.2 times more doctors per person
Bhutan has 5.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Ecuador has 23.1 as of 2020.
have 28.3% more access to essential health services
Bhutan scores 60 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Ecuador scores 77 as of 2021.
be 2.2 times more likely to be obese
In Bhutan, 13.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Ecuador, that number is 28.9% of people as of 2024.
be 54.3% more likely to die by suicide
Bhutan has a suicide rate of 4.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Ecuador, it is 7.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 58.6% more money
Bhutan has a GDP per capita of $4,493 as of 2025, while in Ecuador, the GDP per capita is $7,125 as of 2025.
be 72.6% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Bhutan, 12.4% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Ecuador, however, that number is 21.4% as of 2025.
Life
be 44.0% more likely to be literate
In Bhutan, the literacy rate is 64.9% as of 2022. In Ecuador, it is 93.5% as of 2024.
be 20.4% 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 Ecuador, on the other hand, 10.9 children do as of 2024.
have 18.3% more children
In Bhutan, there are approximately 12.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Ecuador, there are 14.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 17.0% 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 Ecuador, 55.0 women do as of 2023.
Basic Needs
be 15.5% less likely to have internet access
In Bhutan, approximately 91.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Ecuador, about 77.2% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 36.9% less on education
Bhutan spends 5.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Ecuador spends 3.7% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 71.0% more on healthcare
Bhutan spends 4.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Ecuador, that number is 7.6% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 18.5 times more likely to be murdered
Bhutan has a homicide rate of 2.5 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In Ecuador, that number is 45.7 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 91.8% more likely to die in a road accident
In Bhutan, road accidents kill 12.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Ecuador, they kill 23.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 5.9 times more home broadband
Bhutan has 2.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Ecuador has 17.2 as of 2024.
live with 4.8 times more strain on fresh water
Bhutan withdraws 1% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Ecuador withdraws 7% as of 2022.
Environment
be 59.6% less likely to die from air pollution
In Bhutan, air pollution causes 57.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Ecuador, it causes 23.0 as of 2019.
emit 31.3% more CO2
Bhutan emits 2.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Ecuador emits 2.6 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. Ecuador
Ecuador: At a glance
How big is Ecuador compared to Bhutan? See an in-depth size comparison.