Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Iceland instead of Bhutan, you would:
Health
live 9.5 years longer
In Bhutan, the average life expectancy is 73 years (72 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024. In Iceland, that number is 83 years (81 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2024.
see 10.2 times more spent on your healthcare
Bhutan spends $677 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Iceland spends $6,927 as of 2024.
have 7.9 times more doctors per person
Bhutan has 5.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Iceland has 43.7 as of 2023.
have 48.3% more access to essential health services
Bhutan scores 60 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Iceland scores 89 as of 2021.
be 69.9% more likely to be obese
In Bhutan, 13.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Iceland, that number is 22.2% of people as of 2024.
be 2.4 times more likely to die by suicide
Bhutan has a suicide rate of 4.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Iceland, it is 11.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 21.9 times more money
Bhutan has a GDP per capita of $4,493 as of 2025, while in Iceland, the GDP per capita is $98,323 as of 2025.
be 12.1% more likely to be unemployed
In Bhutan, 3.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Iceland, that number is 3.6% as of 2025.
Life
be 93.6% 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 Iceland, 3.0 women do as of 2023.
be 84.7% 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 Iceland, on the other hand, 2.1 children do as of 2024.
have 10.6% fewer children
In Bhutan, there are approximately 12.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Iceland, there are 11.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 25.0% more on education
Bhutan spends 5.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Iceland spends 7.3% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 2.0 times more on healthcare
Bhutan spends 4.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Iceland, that number is 9.0% of GDP as of 2024.
Safety
be 47.8% less likely to be murdered
Bhutan has a homicide rate of 2.5 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In Iceland, that number is 1.3 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 80.3% less likely to die in a road accident
In Bhutan, road accidents kill 12.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Iceland, they kill 2.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 12.8 times more home broadband
Bhutan has 2.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Iceland has 37.5 as of 2024.
live with 72.3% less strain on fresh water
Bhutan withdraws 1% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Iceland withdraws 0% as of 2022.
Environment
be 86.0% less likely to die from air pollution
In Bhutan, air pollution causes 57.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Iceland, it causes 8.0 as of 2019.
emit 4.2 times more CO2
Bhutan emits 2.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Iceland emits 8.5 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. Iceland
Iceland: At a glance
How big is Iceland compared to Bhutan? See an in-depth size comparison.