Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Vanuatu instead of Bhutan, you would:
Health
live 1.6 years less
In Bhutan, the average life expectancy is 73 years (72 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024. In Vanuatu, that number is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024.
be 72.7% more likely to be obese
In Bhutan, 13.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Vanuatu, that number is 22.6% of people as of 2024.
see 79.1% less spent on your healthcare
Bhutan spends $677 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Vanuatu spends $141 as of 2023.
have 70.3% fewer doctors per person
Bhutan has 5.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Vanuatu has 1.6 as of 2019.
have 21.7% less access to essential health services
Bhutan scores 60 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Vanuatu scores 47 as of 2021.
be 3.2 times more likely to die by suicide
Bhutan has a suicide rate of 4.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Vanuatu, it is 15.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 57.0% more likely to be unemployed
In Bhutan, 3.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Vanuatu, that number is 5.1% as of 2025.
be 28.2% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Bhutan, 12.4% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Vanuatu, however, that number is 15.9% as of 2020.
make 10.1% less money
Bhutan has a GDP per capita of $4,493 as of 2025, while in Vanuatu, the GDP per capita is $4,039 as of 2025.
Life
be 35.5% more likely to be literate
In Bhutan, the literacy rate is 64.9% as of 2022. In Vanuatu, it is 88.0% as of 2023.
have 2.2 times more children
In Bhutan, there are approximately 12.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Vanuatu, there are 27.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 2.1 times more 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 Vanuatu, 100.0 women do as of 2023.
Basic Needs
be 38.4% less likely to have access to electricity
In Bhutan, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Vanuatu, that number is 62% of people on average (88% in urban areas, and 54% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 23.4% less likely to have internet access
In Bhutan, approximately 91.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Vanuatu, about 69.9% do as of 2022.
be 12.5% 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 Vanuatu, that number is 87% of people on average (97% in urban areas, and 84% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 30.6% more on education
Bhutan spends 5.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Vanuatu spends 7.6% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
Safety
be 86.6% less likely to be murdered
Bhutan has a homicide rate of 2.5 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In Vanuatu, that number is 0.3 per 100,000 as of 2020.
Infrastructure
find 60.3% less home broadband
Bhutan has 2.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Vanuatu has 1.2 as of 2024.
Environment
emit 56.7% less CO2
Bhutan emits 2.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Vanuatu emits 0.9 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021–2022), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2020). How we calculate this
Compare further: Bhutan vs. Vanuatu
Vanuatu: At a glance
How big is Vanuatu compared to Bhutan? See an in-depth size comparison.