Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Nepal instead of Bhutan, you would:
Health
be 39.1% less likely to be obese
In Bhutan, 13.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Nepal, that number is 8.0% of people as of 2024.
have 82.8% more doctors per person
Bhutan has 5.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Nepal has 10.1 as of 2023.
live 2.6 years less
In Bhutan, the average life expectancy is 73 years (72 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024. In Nepal, that number is 71 years (69 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024.
see 50.9% less spent on your healthcare
Bhutan spends $677 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Nepal spends $332 as of 2023.
have 10.0% less access to essential health services
Bhutan scores 60 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Nepal scores 54 as of 2021.
be 2.1 times more likely to die by suicide
Bhutan has a suicide rate of 4.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Nepal, it is 10.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 3.2 times more likely to be unemployed
In Bhutan, 3.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Nepal, that number is 10.5% as of 2025.
be 63.7% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Bhutan, 12.4% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Nepal, however, that number is 20.3% as of 2022.
make 65.8% less money
Bhutan has a GDP per capita of $4,493 as of 2025, while in Nepal, the GDP per capita is $1,536 as of 2025.
Life
have 51.3% more children
In Bhutan, there are approximately 12.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Nepal, there are 19.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
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 Nepal, 142.0 women do as of 2023.
be 62.0% 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 Nepal, on the other hand, 22.2 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 49.3% less likely to have internet access
In Bhutan, approximately 91.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Nepal, about 46.3% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 36.9% less on education
Bhutan spends 5.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Nepal spends 3.7% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 39.4% more on healthcare
Bhutan spends 4.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Nepal, that number is 6.2% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 13.8% less likely to be murdered
Bhutan has a homicide rate of 2.5 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In Nepal, that number is 2.1 per 100,000 as of 2020.
be 2.3 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Bhutan, road accidents kill 12.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Nepal, they kill 28.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 3.4 times more home broadband
Bhutan has 2.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Nepal has 10.1 as of 2024.
live with 5.9 times more strain on fresh water
Bhutan withdraws 1% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Nepal withdraws 8% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 73.1% less CO2
Bhutan emits 2.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Nepal emits 0.5 tonnes as of 2024.
be 33.3% more likely to die from air pollution
In Bhutan, air pollution causes 57.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Nepal, it causes 76.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Bhutan vs. Nepal
Nepal: At a glance
How big is Nepal compared to Bhutan? See an in-depth size comparison.