Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Samoa instead of Bhutan, you would:
Health
live 1.4 years less
In Bhutan, the average life expectancy is 73 years (72 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024. In Samoa, that number is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024.
be 4.9 times more likely to be obese
In Bhutan, 13.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Samoa, that number is 64.3% of people as of 2024.
see 29.9% less spent on your healthcare
Bhutan spends $677 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Samoa spends $475 as of 2023.
be 2.4 times more likely to die by suicide
Bhutan has a suicide rate of 4.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Samoa, it is 12.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 30.7% more money
Bhutan has a GDP per capita of $4,493 as of 2025, while in Samoa, the GDP per capita is $5,873 as of 2025.
be 54.8% more likely to be unemployed
In Bhutan, 3.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Samoa, that number is 5.0% as of 2025.
Life
be 52.7% more likely to be literate
In Bhutan, the literacy rate is 64.9% as of 2022. In Samoa, it is 99.1% as of 2021.
be 10.2% 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 Samoa, on the other hand, 12.3 children do as of 2024.
have 99.3% more children
In Bhutan, there are approximately 12.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Samoa, there are 25.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 2.1 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 Samoa, 101.0 women do as of 2023.
Basic Needs
be 17.5% less likely to have internet access
In Bhutan, approximately 91.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Samoa, about 75.3% do as of 2022.
Expenditures
spend 53.4% more on healthcare
Bhutan spends 4.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Samoa, that number is 6.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 21.3% less likely to die in a road accident
In Bhutan, road accidents kill 12.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Samoa, they kill 9.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 2.5 times more likely to be murdered
Bhutan has a homicide rate of 2.5 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In Samoa, that number is 6.3 per 100,000 as of 2018.
Infrastructure
find 69.9% less home broadband
Bhutan has 2.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Samoa has 0.9 as of 2022.
Environment
be 40.4% less likely to die from air pollution
In Bhutan, air pollution causes 57.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Samoa, it causes 34.0 as of 2019.
emit 20.4% less CO2
Bhutan emits 2.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Samoa emits 1.6 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2018–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Bhutan vs. Samoa
Samoa: At a glance
How big is Samoa compared to Bhutan? See an in-depth size comparison.