Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Papua New Guinea instead of Bhutan, you would:
Health
be 62.9% less likely to die by suicide
Bhutan has a suicide rate of 4.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Papua New Guinea, it is 1.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 7.5 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Bhutan, 0.2% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 1.5% of people as of 2024.
live 7.0 years less
In Bhutan, the average life expectancy is 73 years (72 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 66 years (64 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2024.
be 2.1 times more likely to be obese
In Bhutan, 13.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 28.0% of people as of 2024.
see 80.3% less spent on your healthcare
Bhutan spends $677 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Papua New Guinea spends $133 as of 2023.
have 89.0% fewer doctors per person
Bhutan has 5.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Papua New Guinea has 0.6 as of 2023.
have 50.0% less access to essential health services
Bhutan scores 60 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Papua New Guinea scores 30 as of 2021.
Economy
be 20.4% less likely to be unemployed
In Bhutan, 3.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 2.6% as of 2025.
make 32.8% less money
Bhutan has a GDP per capita of $4,493 as of 2025, while in Papua New Guinea, the GDP per capita is $3,020 as of 2025.
Life
be 34.0% more likely to be literate
In Bhutan, the literacy rate is 64.9% as of 2022. In Papua New Guinea, it is 87.0% as of 2022.
have 93.9% more children
In Bhutan, there are approximately 12.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Papua New Guinea, there are 24.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 4.0 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 Papua New Guinea, 189.0 women do as of 2023.
be 2.3 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 Papua New Guinea, on the other hand, 31.3 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 79.5% 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 Papua New Guinea, that number is 20% of people on average (65% in urban areas, and 13% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 79.4% less likely to have internet access
In Bhutan, approximately 91.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Papua New Guinea, about 18.8% do as of 2024.
be 46.5% 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 Papua New Guinea, that number is 53% of people on average (84% in urban areas, and 48% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 86.7% less on education
Bhutan spends 5.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Papua New Guinea spends 0.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 35.1% less on healthcare
Bhutan spends 4.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Papua New Guinea, that number is 2.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 22.1% more likely to die in a road accident
In Bhutan, road accidents kill 12.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Papua New Guinea, they kill 14.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 90.8% less strain on fresh water
Bhutan withdraws 1% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Papua New Guinea withdraws 0% as of 2022.
find 92.1% less home broadband
Bhutan has 2.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Papua New Guinea has 0.2 as of 2024.
Environment
be 33.3% less likely to die from air pollution
In Bhutan, air pollution causes 57.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Papua New Guinea, it causes 38.0 as of 2019.
emit 74.1% less CO2
Bhutan emits 2.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Papua New Guinea emits 0.5 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Bhutan vs. Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea: At a glance
How big is Papua New Guinea compared to Bhutan? See an in-depth size comparison.