Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Kiribati instead of Bhutan, you would:
Health
live 6.7 years less
In Bhutan, the average life expectancy is 73 years (72 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024. In Kiribati, that number is 67 years (65 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024.
be 3.5 times more likely to be obese
In Bhutan, 13.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Kiribati, that number is 45.6% of people as of 2024.
see 40.8% less spent on your healthcare
Bhutan spends $677 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Kiribati spends $401 as of 2023.
have 20.0% less access to essential health services
Bhutan scores 60 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Kiribati scores 48 as of 2021.
be 3.6 times more likely to die by suicide
Bhutan has a suicide rate of 4.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Kiribati, it is 17.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 55.6% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Bhutan, 12.4% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Kiribati, however, that number is 5.5% as of 2023.
make 43.0% less money
Bhutan has a GDP per capita of $4,493 as of 2025, while in Kiribati, the GDP per capita is $2,559 as of 2025.
Life
be 51.9% more likely to be literate
In Bhutan, the literacy rate is 64.9% as of 2022. In Kiribati, it is 98.6% as of 2020.
have 2.0 times more children
In Bhutan, there are approximately 12.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Kiribati, there are 25.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 70.2% 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 Kiribati, 80.0 women do as of 2023.
be 2.8 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 Kiribati, on the other hand, 38.8 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 20.6% 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 Kiribati, that number is 79% of people on average (90% in urban areas, and 64% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 2.8 times more on education
Bhutan spends 5.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Kiribati spends 16.4% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 2.5 times more on healthcare
Bhutan spends 4.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Kiribati, that number is 10.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 49.2% less likely to die in a road accident
In Bhutan, road accidents kill 12.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Kiribati, they kill 6.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 99.0% less home broadband
Bhutan has 2.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Kiribati has 0.0 as of 2024.
Environment
be 14.0% less likely to die from air pollution
In Bhutan, air pollution causes 57.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Kiribati, it causes 49.0 as of 2019.
emit 70.6% less CO2
Bhutan emits 2.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Kiribati emits 0.6 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. Kiribati
Kiribati: At a glance
How big is Kiribati compared to Bhutan? See an in-depth size comparison.