Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 3.2 years longer

In Bhutan, the average life expectancy is 72 years (71 years for men, 73 years for women) as of 2022. In Vietnam, that number is 76 years (73 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2022.

be 67.2% less likely to be obese

In Bhutan, 6.4% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Vietnam, that number is 2.1% of people as of 2016.

Economy

be 18.3% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Bhutan, 8.2% live below the poverty line as of 2017. In Vietnam, however, that number is 6.7% as of 2018.

make 24.8% less money

Bhutan has a GDP per capita of $10,900 as of 2020, while in Vietnam, the GDP per capita is $8,200 as of 2020.

Life

be 76.5% less likely to die during childbirth

In Bhutan, approximately 183.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In Vietnam, 43.0 women do as of 2017.

be 43.8% more likely to be literate

In Bhutan, the literacy rate is 66.6% as of 2017. In Vietnam, it is 95.8% as of 2019.

be 45.5% less likely to die during infancy

In Bhutan, approximately 27.0 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Vietnam, on the other hand, 14.8 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 29.6% more likely to have internet access

In Bhutan, approximately 54.0% of the population has internet access as of 2020. In Vietnam, about 70.0% do as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 40.6% less on education

Bhutan spends 6.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2018. Vietnam spends 4.1% of total GDP on education as of 2019.

spend 47.2% more on healthcare

Bhutan spends 3.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2019. In Vietnam, that number is 5.3% of GDP as of 2019.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

Vietnam: At a glance

Vietnam (sometimes abbreviated SRV) is a sovereign country in East/Southeast Asia, with a total land area of approximately 310,070 sq km. The conquest of Vietnam by France began in 1858 and was completed by 1884. It became part of French Indochina in 1887. Vietnam declared independence after World War II, but France continued to rule until its 1954 defeat by communist forces under Ho Chi MINH. Under the Geneva Accords of 1954, Vietnam was divided into the communist North and anti-communist South. US economic and military aid to South Vietnam grew through the 1960s in an attempt to bolster the government, but US armed forces were withdrawn following a cease-fire agreement in 1973. Two years later, North Vietnamese forces overran the South reuniting the country under communist rule. Despite the return of peace, for over a decade the country experienced little economic growth because of conservative leadership policies, the persecution and mass exodus of individuals - many of them successful South Vietnamese merchants - and growing international isolation. However, since the enactment of Vietnam's "doi moi" (renovation) policy in 1986, Vietnamese authorities have committed to increased economic liberalization and enacted structural reforms needed to modernize the economy and to produce more competitive, export-driven industries. The communist leaders, however, maintain control on political expression and have resisted outside calls to improve human rights. The country continues to experience small-scale protests from various groups - the vast majority connected to land-use issues, calls for increased political space, and the lack of equitable mechanisms for resolving disputes. Various ethnic minorities, such as the Montagnards of the Central Highlands and the Khmer Krom in the southern delta region, have also held protests.
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How big is Vietnam compared to Bhutan? See an in-depth size comparison.

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