Quality of life comparison
If you lived in United Arab Emirates instead of Bhutan, you would:
Health
live 9.8 years longer
In Bhutan, the average life expectancy is 73 years (72 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 83 years (82 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2024.
see 5.5 times more spent on your healthcare
Bhutan spends $677 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). United Arab Emirates spends $3,727 as of 2023.
have 5.4 times more doctors per person
Bhutan has 5.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. United Arab Emirates has 29.9 as of 2023.
have 36.7% more access to essential health services
Bhutan scores 60 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. United Arab Emirates scores 82 as of 2021.
be 65.1% less likely to die by suicide
Bhutan has a suicide rate of 4.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In United Arab Emirates, it is 1.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 2.4 times more likely to be obese
In Bhutan, 13.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 31.6% of people as of 2024.
Economy
be 32.8% less likely to be unemployed
In Bhutan, 3.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 2.2% as of 2025.
make 11.2 times more money
Bhutan has a GDP per capita of $4,493 as of 2025, while in United Arab Emirates, the GDP per capita is $50,274 as of 2024.
Life
be 93.6% 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 United Arab Emirates, 3.0 women do as of 2023.
be 52.2% more likely to be literate
In Bhutan, the literacy rate is 64.9% as of 2022. In United Arab Emirates, it is 98.8% as of 2024.
be 72.3% 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 United Arab Emirates, on the other hand, 3.8 children do as of 2024.
have 21.6% fewer children
In Bhutan, there are approximately 12.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In United Arab Emirates, there are 9.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 33.5% less on education
Bhutan spends 5.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. United Arab Emirates spends 3.9% of total GDP on education as of 2021.
spend 12.4% more on healthcare
Bhutan spends 4.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 5.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 72.1% less likely to be murdered
Bhutan has a homicide rate of 2.5 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 0.7 per 100,000 as of 2022.
be 51.6% less likely to die in a road accident
In Bhutan, road accidents kill 12.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In United Arab Emirates, they kill 5.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 14.0 times more home broadband
Bhutan has 2.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. United Arab Emirates has 40.8 as of 2024.
live with 1070.9 times more strain on fresh water
Bhutan withdraws 1% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. United Arab Emirates withdraws 1510% as of 2022.
Environment
be 22.8% more likely to die from air pollution
In Bhutan, air pollution causes 57.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In United Arab Emirates, it causes 70.0 as of 2019.
emit 9.1 times more CO2
Bhutan emits 2.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. United Arab Emirates emits 18.3 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. United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates: At a glance
How big is United Arab Emirates compared to Bhutan? See an in-depth size comparison.