Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Malaysia instead of Bhutan, you would:
Health
live 3.6 years longer
In Bhutan, the average life expectancy is 73 years (72 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024. In Malaysia, that number is 77 years (74 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024.
see 2.1 times more spent on your healthcare
Bhutan spends $677 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Malaysia spends $1,441 as of 2023.
have 4.2 times more doctors per person
Bhutan has 5.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Malaysia has 23.4 as of 2023.
have 26.7% more access to essential health services
Bhutan scores 60 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Malaysia scores 76 as of 2021.
be 78.5% more likely to be obese
In Bhutan, 13.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Malaysia, that number is 23.3% of people as of 2024.
be 15.3% more likely to die by suicide
Bhutan has a suicide rate of 4.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Malaysia, it is 5.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 58.9% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Bhutan, 12.4% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Malaysia, however, that number is 5.1% as of 2023.
make 2.9 times more money
Bhutan has a GDP per capita of $4,493 as of 2025, while in Malaysia, the GDP per capita is $13,125 as of 2025.
be 16.4% more likely to be unemployed
In Bhutan, 3.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Malaysia, that number is 3.8% as of 2025.
Life
be 44.7% 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 Malaysia, 26.0 women do as of 2023.
be 47.5% more likely to be literate
In Bhutan, the literacy rate is 64.9% as of 2022. In Malaysia, it is 95.8% as of 2022.
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 Malaysia, on the other hand, 7.0 children do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 40.0% less on education
Bhutan spends 5.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Malaysia spends 3.5% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 10.4% less on healthcare
Bhutan spends 4.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Malaysia, that number is 4.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 70.4% less likely to be murdered
Bhutan has a homicide rate of 2.5 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In Malaysia, that number is 0.7 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 13.9% more likely to die in a road accident
In Bhutan, road accidents kill 12.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Malaysia, they kill 13.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 4.6 times more home broadband
Bhutan has 2.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Malaysia has 13.6 as of 2024.
live with 2.4 times more strain on fresh water
Bhutan withdraws 1% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Malaysia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
Environment
be 10.5% more likely to die from air pollution
In Bhutan, air pollution causes 57.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Malaysia, it causes 63.0 as of 2019.
emit 4.1 times more CO2
Bhutan emits 2.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Malaysia emits 8.3 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. Malaysia
Malaysia: At a glance
How big is Malaysia compared to Bhutan? See an in-depth size comparison.