Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Singapore instead of Bhutan, you would:
Health
live 10.1 years longer
In Bhutan, the average life expectancy is 73 years (72 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024. In Singapore, that number is 83 years (81 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2024.
see 9.7 times more spent on your healthcare
Bhutan spends $677 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Singapore spends $6,551 as of 2023.
have 5.1 times more doctors per person
Bhutan has 5.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Singapore has 28.3 as of 2022.
have 48.3% more access to essential health services
Bhutan scores 60 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Singapore scores 89 as of 2021.
be 30.0% more likely to be obese
In Bhutan, 13.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Singapore, that number is 17.0% of people as of 2024.
be 65.3% more likely to die by suicide
Bhutan has a suicide rate of 4.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Singapore, it is 8.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 12.7% less likely to be unemployed
In Bhutan, 3.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Singapore, that number is 2.8% as of 2025.
make 22.0 times more money
Bhutan has a GDP per capita of $4,493 as of 2025, while in Singapore, the GDP per capita is $98,814 as of 2025.
Life
be 87.2% 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 Singapore, 6.0 women do as of 2023.
be 50.4% more likely to be literate
In Bhutan, the literacy rate is 64.9% as of 2022. In Singapore, it is 97.7% as of 2021.
be 83.9% 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 Singapore, on the other hand, 2.2 children do as of 2024.
have 40.9% fewer children
In Bhutan, there are approximately 12.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Singapore, there are 7.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 62.6% less on education
Bhutan spends 5.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Singapore spends 2.2% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
Safety
be 97.2% less likely to be murdered
Bhutan has a homicide rate of 2.5 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In Singapore, that number is 0.1 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 84.4% less likely to die in a road accident
In Bhutan, road accidents kill 12.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Singapore, they kill 1.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 9.5 times more home broadband
Bhutan has 2.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Singapore has 27.8 as of 2024.
live with 23.6 times more strain on fresh water
Bhutan withdraws 1% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Singapore withdraws 33% as of 2022.
Environment
be 59.6% less likely to die from air pollution
In Bhutan, air pollution causes 57.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Singapore, it causes 23.0 as of 2019.
emit 4.9 times more CO2
Bhutan emits 2.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Singapore emits 9.8 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. Singapore
Singapore: At a glance
How big is Singapore compared to Bhutan? See an in-depth size comparison.