Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Turkmenistan instead of Bhutan, you would:
Health
see 86.8% more spent on your healthcare
Bhutan spends $677 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Turkmenistan spends $1,264 as of 2023.
have 3.5 times more doctors per person
Bhutan has 5.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Turkmenistan has 19.3 as of 2023.
have 25.0% more access to essential health services
Bhutan scores 60 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Turkmenistan scores 75 as of 2021.
live 3.1 years less
In Bhutan, the average life expectancy is 73 years (72 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024. In Turkmenistan, that number is 70 years (67 years for men, 73 years for women) as of 2024.
be 70.0% more likely to be obese
In Bhutan, 13.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Turkmenistan, that number is 22.2% of people as of 2024.
be 39.4% more likely to die by suicide
Bhutan has a suicide rate of 4.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Turkmenistan, it is 6.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 45.6% more money
Bhutan has a GDP per capita of $4,493 as of 2025, while in Turkmenistan, the GDP per capita is $6,540 as of 2025.
be 32.2% more likely to be unemployed
In Bhutan, 3.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Turkmenistan, that number is 4.3% as of 2025.
Life
be 89.4% 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 Turkmenistan, 5.0 women do as of 2023.
be 53.9% more likely to be literate
In Bhutan, the literacy rate is 64.9% as of 2022. In Turkmenistan, it is 99.9% as of 2022.
have 66.9% more children
In Bhutan, there are approximately 12.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Turkmenistan, there are 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 2.2 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 Turkmenistan, on the other hand, 30.4 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 72.3% less likely to have internet access
In Bhutan, approximately 91.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Turkmenistan, about 25.3% do as of 2022.
Expenditures
spend 26.7% less on education
Bhutan spends 5.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Turkmenistan spends 4.3% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 24.4% more on healthcare
Bhutan spends 4.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Turkmenistan, that number is 5.5% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 34.4% less likely to die in a road accident
In Bhutan, road accidents kill 12.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Turkmenistan, they kill 8.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 78.8% more home broadband
Bhutan has 2.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Turkmenistan has 5.2 as of 2022.
live with 95.9 times more strain on fresh water
Bhutan withdraws 1% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Turkmenistan withdraws 135% as of 2022.
Environment
be 52.6% more likely to die from air pollution
In Bhutan, air pollution causes 57.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Turkmenistan, it causes 87.0 as of 2019.
emit 5.4 times more CO2
Bhutan emits 2.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Turkmenistan emits 10.9 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2022). How we calculate this
Compare further: Bhutan vs. Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan: At a glance
How big is Turkmenistan compared to Bhutan? See an in-depth size comparison.