Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Mongolia instead of Bhutan, you would:
Health
see 63.9% more spent on your healthcare
Bhutan spends $677 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Mongolia spends $1,109 as of 2023.
have 7.5 times more doctors per person
Bhutan has 5.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Mongolia has 41.3 as of 2022.
live 0.9 years less
In Bhutan, the average life expectancy is 73 years (72 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024. In Mongolia, that number is 72 years (68 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2024.
be 92.0% more likely to be obese
In Bhutan, 13.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Mongolia, that number is 25.1% of people as of 2024.
be 3.8 times more likely to die by suicide
Bhutan has a suicide rate of 4.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Mongolia, it is 18.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 58.2% more money
Bhutan has a GDP per capita of $4,493 as of 2025, while in Mongolia, the GDP per capita is $7,108 as of 2025.
be 61.9% more likely to be unemployed
In Bhutan, 3.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Mongolia, that number is 5.2% as of 2025.
be 2.2 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Bhutan, 12.4% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Mongolia, however, that number is 27.1% as of 2022.
Life
be 52.0% more likely to be literate
In Bhutan, the literacy rate is 64.9% as of 2022. In Mongolia, it is 98.6% as of 2024.
be 18.2% 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 Mongolia, on the other hand, 11.2 children do as of 2024.
have 34.9% more children
In Bhutan, there are approximately 12.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Mongolia, there are 16.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 13.5% 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 Mongolia, that number is 86% of people on average (96% in urban areas, and 64% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 10.9% less on education
Bhutan spends 5.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Mongolia spends 5.2% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 37.3% more on healthcare
Bhutan spends 4.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Mongolia, that number is 6.1% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 2.4 times more likely to be murdered
Bhutan has a homicide rate of 2.5 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In Mongolia, that number is 5.9 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Infrastructure
find 5.4 times more home broadband
Bhutan has 2.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Mongolia has 15.8 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. Mongolia withdraws 3% as of 2022.
Environment
be 2.1 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Bhutan, air pollution causes 57.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Mongolia, it causes 120.0 as of 2019.
emit 3.9 times more CO2
Bhutan emits 2.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Mongolia emits 7.8 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019). How we calculate this
Compare further: Bhutan vs. Mongolia
Mongolia: At a glance
How big is Mongolia compared to Bhutan? See an in-depth size comparison.