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

Health

have 3.4 times more doctors per person

Bhutan has 5.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Tajikistan has 18.7 as of 2023.

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have 11.7% more access to essential health services

Bhutan scores 60 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Tajikistan scores 67 as of 2021.

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be 50.4% less likely to die by suicide

Bhutan has a suicide rate of 4.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Tajikistan, it is 2.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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live 1.3 years less

In Bhutan, the average life expectancy is 73 years (72 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024. In Tajikistan, that number is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 76.5% more likely to be obese

In Bhutan, 13.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Tajikistan, that number is 23.1% of people as of 2024.

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see 46.2% less spent on your healthcare

Bhutan spends $677 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Tajikistan spends $364 as of 2023.

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Economy

be 2.1 times more likely to be unemployed

In Bhutan, 3.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Tajikistan, that number is 6.9% as of 2025.

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be 59.7% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Bhutan, 12.4% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Tajikistan, however, that number is 19.8% as of 2024.

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make 63.6% less money

Bhutan has a GDP per capita of $4,493 as of 2025, while in Tajikistan, the GDP per capita is $1,637 as of 2025.

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Life

be 70.2% 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 Tajikistan, 14.0 women do as of 2023.

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have 2.0 times more children

In Bhutan, there are approximately 12.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Tajikistan, there are 25.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 71.5% 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 Tajikistan, on the other hand, 23.5 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 38.9% less likely to have internet access

In Bhutan, approximately 91.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Tajikistan, about 55.8% do as of 2024.

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be 10.4% 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 Tajikistan, that number is 89% of people on average (95% in urban areas, and 87% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 68.3% more on healthcare

Bhutan spends 4.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Tajikistan, that number is 7.4% of GDP as of 2023.

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Safety

be 64.0% less likely to be murdered

Bhutan has a homicide rate of 2.5 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In Tajikistan, that number is 0.9 per 100,000 as of 2020.

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be 13.9% more likely to die in a road accident

In Bhutan, road accidents kill 12.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Tajikistan, they kill 13.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 66.4% less home broadband

Bhutan has 2.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Tajikistan has 1.0 as of 2023.

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live with 49.6 times more strain on fresh water

Bhutan withdraws 1% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Tajikistan withdraws 70% as of 2022.

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Environment

emit 54.2% less CO2

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

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be 2.8 times more likely to die from air pollution

In Bhutan, air pollution causes 57.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Tajikistan, it causes 159.0 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

Tajikistan: At a glance

Tajikistan is a sovereign country in Central Asia, with a total land area of approximately 141,510 sq km. The Tajik people came under Russian rule in the 1860s and 1870s, but Russia's hold on Central Asia weakened following the Revolution of 1917. Bands of indigenous guerrillas (called "basmachi") fiercely contested Bolshevik control of the area, which was not fully reestablished until 1925. Tajikistan was first created as an autonomous republic within Uzbekistan in 1924, but the USSR designated Tajikistan a separate republic in 1929 and transferred to it much of present-day Sughd province. Ethnic Uzbeks form a substantial minority in Tajikistan. Tajikistan became independent in 1991 following the breakup of the Soviet Union, and experienced a civil war between regional factions from 1992 to 1997. Tajikistan endured several domestic security incidents during 2010-12, including armed conflict between government forces and local strongmen in the Rasht Valley and between government forces and criminal groups in Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast. The country remains the poorest in the former Soviet sphere. Tajikistan became a member of the World Trade Organization in March 2013. However, its economy continues to face major challenges, including dependence on remittances from Tajikistanis working in Russia, pervasive corruption, and the major role narcotrafficking plays in the country's informal economy.
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How big is Tajikistan compared to Bhutan? See an in-depth size comparison.

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