Quality of life comparison
If you lived in United Kingdom instead of Bhutan, you would:
Health
live 8.1 years longer
In Bhutan, the average life expectancy is 73 years (72 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024. In United Kingdom, that number is 81 years (80 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2024.
see 9.8 times more spent on your healthcare
Bhutan spends $677 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). United Kingdom spends $6,606 as of 2024.
have 6.0 times more doctors per person
Bhutan has 5.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. United Kingdom has 33.0 as of 2023.
have 46.7% more access to essential health services
Bhutan scores 60 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. United Kingdom scores 88 as of 2021.
be 2.1 times more likely to be obese
In Bhutan, 13.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In United Kingdom, that number is 27.4% of people as of 2024.
be 94.9% more likely to die by suicide
Bhutan has a suicide rate of 4.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In United Kingdom, it is 9.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 12.8 times more money
Bhutan has a GDP per capita of $4,493 as of 2025, while in United Kingdom, the GDP per capita is $57,602 as of 2025.
be 47.1% more likely to be unemployed
In Bhutan, 3.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In United Kingdom, that number is 4.8% as of 2025.
Life
be 83.0% 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 Kingdom, 8.0 women do as of 2023.
be 70.1% 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 Kingdom, on the other hand, 4.1 children do as of 2024.
have 21.1% fewer children
In Bhutan, there are approximately 12.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In United Kingdom, there are 9.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 2.5 times more on healthcare
Bhutan spends 4.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In United Kingdom, that number is 11.1% of GDP as of 2024.
Safety
be 54.7% less likely to be murdered
Bhutan has a homicide rate of 2.5 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In United Kingdom, that number is 1.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 80.3% less likely to die in a road accident
In Bhutan, road accidents kill 12.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In United Kingdom, they kill 2.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 14.4 times more home broadband
Bhutan has 2.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. United Kingdom has 42.2 as of 2024.
live with 10.2 times more strain on fresh water
Bhutan withdraws 1% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. United Kingdom withdraws 14% as of 2022.
Environment
be 77.2% less likely to die from air pollution
In Bhutan, air pollution causes 57.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In United Kingdom, it causes 13.0 as of 2019.
emit 2.1 times more CO2
Bhutan emits 2.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. United Kingdom emits 4.2 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 Kingdom
United Kingdom: At a glance
How big is United Kingdom compared to Bhutan? See an in-depth size comparison.