If you lived in Swaziland instead of Bhutan, you would:

Health

see 36.3% more spent on your healthcare

Bhutan spends $677 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Swaziland spends $922 as of 2023.

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be 117.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Bhutan, 0.2% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Swaziland, that number is 23.4% of people as of 2024.

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live 9.0 years less

In Bhutan, the average life expectancy is 73 years (72 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024. In Swaziland, that number is 64 years (61 years for men, 67 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 2.3 times more likely to be obese

In Bhutan, 13.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Swaziland, that number is 29.6% of people as of 2024.

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be 5.6 times more likely to die by suicide

Bhutan has a suicide rate of 4.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Swaziland, it is 27.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 10.6 times more likely to be unemployed

In Bhutan, 3.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Swaziland, that number is 34.2% as of 2025.

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be 4.3 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In Bhutan, 12.4% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Swaziland, however, that number is 53.5% as of 2023.

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Life

be 39.8% more likely to be literate

In Bhutan, the literacy rate is 64.9% as of 2022. In Swaziland, it is 90.8% as of 2022.

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have 88.7% more children

In Bhutan, there are approximately 12.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Swaziland, there are 23.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 2.5 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 Swaziland, 118.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 3.1 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 Swaziland, on the other hand, 42.2 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 13.6% 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 Swaziland, that number is 86% of people on average (91% in urban areas, and 85% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 30.5% less likely to have internet access

In Bhutan, approximately 91.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Swaziland, about 63.4% do as of 2024.

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be 19.3% 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 Swaziland, that number is 80% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 74% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 69.7% more on healthcare

Bhutan spends 4.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Swaziland, that number is 7.5% of GDP as of 2023.

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Safety

be 5.1 times more likely to be murdered

Bhutan has a homicide rate of 2.5 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In Swaziland, that number is 12.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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be 2.0 times more likely to die in a road accident

In Bhutan, road accidents kill 12.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Swaziland, they kill 24.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 14.0% less home broadband

Bhutan has 2.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Swaziland has 2.5 as of 2024.

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live with 55.0 times more strain on fresh water

Bhutan withdraws 1% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Swaziland withdraws 78% as of 2022.

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Environment

emit 56.2% less CO2

Bhutan emits 2.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Swaziland emits 0.9 tonnes as of 2024.

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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 Swaziland, it causes 66.0 as of 2019.

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Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Swaziland: At a glance

Swaziland is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 17,204 sq km. Autonomy for the Swazis of southern Africa was guaranteed by the British in the late 19th century; independence was granted in 1968. Student and labor unrest during the 1990s pressured King MSWATI III, Africa's last absolute monarch, to grudgingly allow political reform and greater democracy, although he has backslid on these promises in recent years. A constitution came into effect in 2006, but the legal status of political parties remains unclear. The African United Democratic Party tried unsuccessfully to register as an official political party in mid 2006. Talks over the constitution broke down between the government and progressive groups in 2007. Swaziland recently surpassed Botswana as the country with the world's highest known HIV/AIDS prevalence rate.
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