Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Netherlands instead of Bhutan, you would:
Health
live 8.7 years longer
In Bhutan, the average life expectancy is 73 years (72 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024. In Netherlands, that number is 82 years (81 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2024.
see 12.1 times more spent on your healthcare
Bhutan spends $677 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Netherlands spends $8,195 as of 2024.
have 7.0 times more doctors per person
Bhutan has 5.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Netherlands has 38.8 as of 2022.
have 41.7% more access to essential health services
Bhutan scores 60 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Netherlands scores 85 as of 2021.
be 12.4% more likely to be obese
In Bhutan, 13.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Netherlands, that number is 14.7% of people as of 2024.
be 2.3 times more likely to die by suicide
Bhutan has a suicide rate of 4.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Netherlands, it is 11.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 16.4 times more money
Bhutan has a GDP per capita of $4,493 as of 2025, while in Netherlands, the GDP per capita is $73,684 as of 2025.
be 19.8% more likely to be unemployed
In Bhutan, 3.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Netherlands, that number is 3.9% as of 2025.
be 16.9% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Bhutan, 12.4% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Netherlands, however, that number is 14.5% as of 2021.
Life
be 91.5% 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 Netherlands, 4.0 women do as of 2023.
be 75.2% 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 Netherlands, on the other hand, 3.4 children do as of 2024.
have 26.6% fewer children
In Bhutan, there are approximately 12.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Netherlands, there are 9.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 11.5% less on education
Bhutan spends 5.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Netherlands spends 5.2% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 2.3 times more on healthcare
Bhutan spends 4.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Netherlands, that number is 10.0% of GDP as of 2024.
Safety
be 72.1% less likely to be murdered
Bhutan has a homicide rate of 2.5 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In Netherlands, that number is 0.7 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 72.1% less likely to die in a road accident
In Bhutan, road accidents kill 12.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Netherlands, they kill 3.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 14.7 times more home broadband
Bhutan has 2.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Netherlands has 43.0 as of 2024.
live with 11.8 times more strain on fresh water
Bhutan withdraws 1% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Netherlands withdraws 17% as of 2022.
Environment
be 77.2% less likely to die from air pollution
In Bhutan, air pollution causes 57.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Netherlands, it causes 13.0 as of 2019.
emit 3.3 times more CO2
Bhutan emits 2.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Netherlands emits 6.6 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. Netherlands
Netherlands: At a glance
How big is Netherlands compared to Bhutan? See an in-depth size comparison.