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

Health

see 10.7% more spent on your healthcare

Bhutan spends $677 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Uzbekistan spends $749 as of 2023.

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have 5.1 times more doctors per person

Bhutan has 5.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Uzbekistan has 28.1 as of 2021.

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have 25.0% more access to essential health services

Bhutan scores 60 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Uzbekistan scores 75 as of 2021.

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be 2.4 times more likely to be obese

In Bhutan, 13.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Uzbekistan, that number is 31.2% of people as of 2024.

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be 70.2% more likely to die by suicide

Bhutan has a suicide rate of 4.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Uzbekistan, it is 8.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 53.2% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Bhutan, 12.4% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Uzbekistan, however, that number is 5.8% as of 2025.

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be 43.0% more likely to be unemployed

In Bhutan, 3.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Uzbekistan, that number is 4.6% as of 2025.

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make 11.7% less money

Bhutan has a GDP per capita of $4,493 as of 2025, while in Uzbekistan, the GDP per capita is $3,968 as of 2025.

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Life

be 44.7% 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 Uzbekistan, 26.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 54.1% more likely to be literate

In Bhutan, the literacy rate is 64.9% as of 2022. In Uzbekistan, it is 100.0% as of 2022.

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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 Uzbekistan, there are 25.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 52.5% more on healthcare

Bhutan spends 4.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Uzbekistan, that number is 6.7% of GDP as of 2023.

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Safety

be 43.3% less likely to be murdered

Bhutan has a homicide rate of 2.5 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In Uzbekistan, that number is 1.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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be 23.8% less likely to die in a road accident

In Bhutan, road accidents kill 12.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Uzbekistan, they kill 9.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 11.9 times more home broadband

Bhutan has 2.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Uzbekistan has 34.7 as of 2024.

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live with 87.3 times more strain on fresh water

Bhutan withdraws 1% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Uzbekistan withdraws 123% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 2.1 times more likely to die from air pollution

In Bhutan, air pollution causes 57.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Uzbekistan, it causes 117.0 as of 2019.

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emit 2.0 times more CO2

Bhutan emits 2.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Uzbekistan emits 4.1 tonnes as of 2024.

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

Uzbekistan: At a glance

Uzbekistan is a sovereign country in Central Asia, with a total land area of approximately 425,400 sq km. Russia conquered the territory of present-day Uzbekistan in the late 19th century. Stiff resistance to the Red Army after the Bolshevik Revolution was eventually suppressed and a socialist republic established in 1924. During the Soviet era, intensive production of "white gold" (cotton) and grain led to overuse of agrochemicals and the depletion of water supplies, which have left the land degraded and the Aral Sea and certain rivers half dry. Independent since 1991, the country has lessened its dependence on the cotton monoculture by diversifying agricultural production while developing its mineral and petroleum export capacity and increasing its manufacturing base. However, longserving septuagenarian President Islom KARIMOV, who rose through the ranks of the Soviet-era State Planning Committee (Gosplan), remains wedded to the concepts of a command economy, creating a challenging environment for foreign investment. Current concerns include post-KARIMOV succession, terrorism by Islamic militants, economic stagnation, and the curtailment of human rights and democratization.
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