Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Republic of the Congo instead of Bhutan, you would:
Health
be 16.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Bhutan, 0.2% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 3.2% of people as of 2024.
live 7.3 years less
In Bhutan, the average life expectancy is 73 years (72 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 66 years (64 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024.
see 69.1% less spent on your healthcare
Bhutan spends $677 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Republic of the Congo spends $209 as of 2023.
have 68.7% fewer doctors per person
Bhutan has 5.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Republic of the Congo has 1.7 as of 2022.
have 31.7% less access to essential health services
Bhutan scores 60 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Republic of the Congo scores 41 as of 2021.
be 36.9% more likely to die by suicide
Bhutan has a suicide rate of 4.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Republic of the Congo, it is 6.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 6.2 times more likely to be unemployed
In Bhutan, 3.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 19.9% as of 2025.
make 44.0% less money
Bhutan has a GDP per capita of $4,493 as of 2025, while in Republic of the Congo, the GDP per capita is $2,515 as of 2025.
Life
be 24.2% more likely to be literate
In Bhutan, the literacy rate is 64.9% as of 2022. In Republic of the Congo, it is 80.6% as of 2021.
have 2.4 times more children
In Bhutan, there are approximately 12.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Republic of the Congo, there are 30.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 5.1 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 Republic of the Congo, 241.0 women do as of 2023.
be 97.1% 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 Republic of the Congo, on the other hand, 27.0 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 48.7% 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 Republic of the Congo, that number is 51% of people on average (69% in urban areas, and 11% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 48.2% less likely to have internet access
In Bhutan, approximately 91.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Republic of the Congo, about 47.2% do as of 2024.
be 26.2% 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 Republic of the Congo, that number is 73% of people on average (87% in urban areas, and 44% in rural areas) as of 2021.
Expenditures
spend 42.9% less on education
Bhutan spends 5.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Republic of the Congo spends 3.3% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 25.3% less on healthcare
Bhutan spends 4.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 3.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 31.1% less likely to die in a road accident
In Bhutan, road accidents kill 12.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Republic of the Congo, they kill 8.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 97.9% less strain on fresh water
Bhutan withdraws 1% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Republic of the Congo withdraws 0% as of 2022.
find 56.5% less home broadband
Bhutan has 2.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Republic of the Congo has 1.3 as of 2023.
Environment
emit 33.3% less CO2
Bhutan emits 2.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Republic of the Congo emits 1.3 tonnes as of 2024.
be 15.8% more likely to die from air pollution
In Bhutan, air pollution causes 57.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Republic of the Congo, it causes 66.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Bhutan vs. Republic of the Congo
Republic of the Congo: At a glance
How big is Republic of the Congo compared to Bhutan? See an in-depth size comparison.