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

Health

see 57.9% more spent on your healthcare

Bhutan spends $677 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Namibia spends $1,068 as of 2023.

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be 45.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Bhutan, 0.2% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Namibia, that number is 9.0% of people as of 2024.

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live 5.7 years less

In Bhutan, the average life expectancy is 73 years (72 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024. In Namibia, that number is 68 years (63 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 39.7% more likely to be obese

In Bhutan, 13.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Namibia, that number is 18.3% of people as of 2024.

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be 75.3% more likely to die by suicide

Bhutan has a suicide rate of 4.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Namibia, it is 8.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 6.0 times more likely to be unemployed

In Bhutan, 3.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Namibia, that number is 19.3% as of 2025.

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Life

be 35.0% more likely to be literate

In Bhutan, the literacy rate is 64.9% as of 2022. In Namibia, it is 87.6% as of 2023.

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have 2.1 times more children

In Bhutan, there are approximately 12.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Namibia, there are 25.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 3.0 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 Namibia, 139.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 2.7 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 Namibia, on the other hand, 36.4 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 43.3% 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 Namibia, that number is 57% of people on average (75% in urban areas, and 34% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 28.9% less likely to have internet access

In Bhutan, approximately 91.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Namibia, about 64.9% do as of 2024.

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be 13.1% 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 Namibia, that number is 87% of people on average (96% in urban areas, and 74% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 55.2% more on education

Bhutan spends 5.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Namibia spends 9.1% of total GDP on education as of 2024.

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spend 2.1 times more on healthcare

Bhutan spends 4.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Namibia, that number is 9.5% of GDP as of 2023.

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Safety

be 4.5 times more likely to be murdered

Bhutan has a homicide rate of 2.5 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In Namibia, that number is 11.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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be 80.3% more likely to die in a road accident

In Bhutan, road accidents kill 12.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Namibia, they kill 22.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

live with 78.0% less strain on fresh water

Bhutan withdraws 1% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Namibia withdraws 0% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 24.6% less likely to die from air pollution

In Bhutan, air pollution causes 57.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Namibia, it causes 43.0 as of 2019.

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emit 40.3% less CO2

Bhutan emits 2.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Namibia emits 1.2 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

Namibia: At a glance

Namibia is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 823,290 sq km. South Africa occupied the German colony of South-West Africa during World War I and administered it as a mandate until after World War II, when it annexed the territory. In 1966 the Marxist South-West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) guerrilla group launched a war of independence for the area that became Namibia, but it was not until 1988 that South Africa agreed to end its administration in accordance with a UN peace plan for the entire region. Namibia has been governed by SWAPO since the country won independence in 1990. Hifikepunye POHAMBA was elected president in November 2004 in a landslide victory replacing Sam NUJOMA who led the country during its first 14 years of self rule. POHAMBA was reelected in November 2009.
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How big is Namibia compared to Bhutan? See an in-depth size comparison.

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