If you lived in Kuwait instead of Bhutan, you would:

Health

live 11.3 years longer

In Bhutan, the average life expectancy is 73 years (72 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024. In Kuwait, that number is 85 years (84 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 3.8 times more spent on your healthcare

Bhutan spends $677 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Kuwait spends $2,567 as of 2023.

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have 4.1 times more doctors per person

Bhutan has 5.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Kuwait has 22.7 as of 2020.

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have 30.0% more access to essential health services

Bhutan scores 60 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Kuwait scores 78 as of 2021.

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be 52.9% less likely to die by suicide

Bhutan has a suicide rate of 4.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Kuwait, it is 2.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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be 3.1 times more likely to be obese

In Bhutan, 13.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Kuwait, that number is 40.4% of people as of 2024.

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Economy

be 32.5% less likely to be unemployed

In Bhutan, 3.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Kuwait, that number is 2.2% as of 2025.

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make 7.2 times more money

Bhutan has a GDP per capita of $4,493 as of 2025, while in Kuwait, the GDP per capita is $32,312 as of 2025.

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Life

be 83.0% 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 Kuwait, 8.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 48.6% more likely to be literate

In Bhutan, the literacy rate is 64.9% as of 2022. In Kuwait, it is 96.5% as of 2020.

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be 48.9% 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 Kuwait, on the other hand, 7.0 children do as of 2024.

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have 20.0% fewer children

In Bhutan, there are approximately 12.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Kuwait, there are 10.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 10.1% more on education

Bhutan spends 5.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Kuwait spends 6.4% of total GDP on education as of 2024.

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spend 12.2% more on healthcare

Bhutan spends 4.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Kuwait, that number is 5.0% of GDP as of 2023.

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Safety

be 89.9% less likely to be murdered

Bhutan has a homicide rate of 2.5 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In Kuwait, that number is 0.2 per 100,000 as of 2020.

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be 24.6% less likely to die in a road accident

In Bhutan, road accidents kill 12.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Kuwait, they kill 9.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 65.4% less home broadband

Bhutan has 2.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Kuwait has 1.0 as of 2023.

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live with 2730.9 times more strain on fresh water

Bhutan withdraws 1% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Kuwait withdraws 3850% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 21.1% less likely to die from air pollution

In Bhutan, air pollution causes 57.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Kuwait, it causes 45.0 as of 2019.

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emit 11.8 times more CO2

Bhutan emits 2.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Kuwait emits 23.7 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Kuwait: At a glance

Kuwait is a sovereign country in Middle East, with a total land area of approximately 17,818 sq km. Britain oversaw foreign relations and defense for the ruling Kuwaiti AL-SABAH dynasty from 1899 until independence in 1961. Kuwait was attacked and overrun by Iraq on 2 August 1990. Following several weeks of aerial bombardment, a US-led, UN coalition began a ground assault on 23 February 1991 that liberated Kuwait in four days. Kuwait spent more than $5 billion to repair oil infrastructure damaged during 1990-91. The AL-SABAH family has ruled since returning to power in 1991 and reestablished an elected legislature that in recent years has become increasingly assertive. The country witnessed the historic election in 2009 of four women to its National Assembly. Amid the 2010-11 uprisings and protests across the Arab world, stateless Arabs, known as bidun, staged small protests in February and March 2011 demanding citizenship, jobs, and other benefits available to Kuwaiti nationals. Youth activist groups - supported by opposition legislators - rallied repeatedly in 2011 for the prime minister's dismissal amid allegations of widespread government corruption. Demonstrators forced the prime minister to resign in late 2011. In late 2012, Kuwait witnessed unprecedented protests in response to the Amir's changes to the electoral law by decree reducing the number of votes per person from four to one. The opposition, led by a coalition of Sunni Islamists, tribalists, some liberals, and myriad youth groups, largely boycotted legislative elections in 2012 and 2013 ushering in legislatures more amenable to the government's agenda. Since 2006, the Amir has dissolved the National Assembly on five occasions (the Constitutional Court annulled the Assembly in June 2012 and again in June 2013) and shuffled the cabinet over a dozen times, usually citing political stagnation and gridlock between the legislature and the government.
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