Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Madagascar instead of Bhutan, you would:
Health
be 65.5% less likely to be obese
In Bhutan, 13.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Madagascar, that number is 4.5% of people as of 2024.
live 9.4 years less
In Bhutan, the average life expectancy is 73 years (72 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024. In Madagascar, that number is 64 years (62 years for men, 66 years for women) as of 2024.
see 90.7% less spent on your healthcare
Bhutan spends $677 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Madagascar spends $63 as of 2023.
have 68.9% fewer doctors per person
Bhutan has 5.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Madagascar has 1.7 as of 2022.
have 41.7% less access to essential health services
Bhutan scores 60 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Madagascar scores 35 as of 2021.
be 24.3% more likely to die by suicide
Bhutan has a suicide rate of 4.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Madagascar, it is 6.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 6.1 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Bhutan, 12.4% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Madagascar, however, that number is 75.2% as of 2021.
make 86.7% less money
Bhutan has a GDP per capita of $4,493 as of 2025, while in Madagascar, the GDP per capita is $599 as of 2025.
Life
be 15.1% more likely to be literate
In Bhutan, the literacy rate is 64.9% as of 2022. In Madagascar, it is 74.7% as of 2021.
have 2.5 times more children
In Bhutan, there are approximately 12.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Madagascar, there are 31.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 9.5 times 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 Madagascar, 445.0 women do as of 2023.
be 3.1 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 Madagascar, on the other hand, 43.0 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 60.6% less likely to have access to electricity
In Bhutan, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Madagascar, that number is 39% of people on average (76% in urban areas, and 15% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 79.5% less likely to have internet access
In Bhutan, approximately 91.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Madagascar, about 18.7% do as of 2024.
be 44.4% 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 Madagascar, that number is 55% of people on average (78% in urban areas, and 39% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 47.9% less on education
Bhutan spends 5.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Madagascar spends 3.0% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 22.4% less on healthcare
Bhutan spends 4.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Madagascar, that number is 3.4% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 84.4% more likely to die in a road accident
In Bhutan, road accidents kill 12.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Madagascar, they kill 22.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 95.9% less home broadband
Bhutan has 2.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Madagascar has 0.1 as of 2023.
live with 8.0 times more strain on fresh water
Bhutan withdraws 1% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Madagascar withdraws 11% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 92.5% less CO2
Bhutan emits 2.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Madagascar emits 0.1 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Bhutan vs. Madagascar
Madagascar: At a glance
How big is Madagascar compared to Bhutan? See an in-depth size comparison.