Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Saudi Arabia instead of Bhutan, you would:
Health
live 5.7 years longer
In Bhutan, the average life expectancy is 73 years (72 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024. In Saudi Arabia, that number is 79 years (77 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024.
see 5.1 times more spent on your healthcare
Bhutan spends $677 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Saudi Arabia spends $3,475 as of 2023.
have 6.2 times more doctors per person
Bhutan has 5.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Saudi Arabia has 34.1 as of 2023.
have 23.3% more access to essential health services
Bhutan scores 60 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Saudi Arabia scores 74 as of 2021.
be 80.6% less likely to die by suicide
Bhutan has a suicide rate of 4.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Saudi Arabia, it is 0.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 3.1 times more likely to be obese
In Bhutan, 13.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Saudi Arabia, that number is 40.1% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 7.7 times more money
Bhutan has a GDP per capita of $4,493 as of 2025, while in Saudi Arabia, the GDP per capita is $34,537 as of 2025.
Life
be 85.1% 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 Saudi Arabia, 7.0 women do as of 2023.
be 50.9% more likely to be literate
In Bhutan, the literacy rate is 64.9% as of 2022. In Saudi Arabia, it is 97.9% as of 2024.
be 65.7% 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 Saudi Arabia, on the other hand, 4.7 children do as of 2024.
have 31.7% more children
In Bhutan, there are approximately 12.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Saudi Arabia, there are 16.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 23.4% less on education
Bhutan spends 5.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Saudi Arabia spends 4.5% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 28.7% more on healthcare
Bhutan spends 4.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Saudi Arabia, that number is 5.7% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 61.9% less likely to be murdered
Bhutan has a homicide rate of 2.5 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In Saudi Arabia, that number is 0.9 per 100,000 as of 2019.
be 51.6% more likely to die in a road accident
In Bhutan, road accidents kill 12.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Saudi Arabia, they kill 18.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 15.1 times more home broadband
Bhutan has 2.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Saudi Arabia has 44.1 as of 2024.
live with 690.9 times more strain on fresh water
Bhutan withdraws 1% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Saudi Arabia withdraws 974% as of 2022.
Environment
be 59.6% more likely to die from air pollution
In Bhutan, air pollution causes 57.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Saudi Arabia, it causes 91.0 as of 2019.
emit 9.2 times more CO2
Bhutan emits 2.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Saudi Arabia emits 18.5 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Bhutan vs. Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: At a glance
How big is Saudi Arabia compared to Bhutan? See an in-depth size comparison.