Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Vietnam instead of Bhutan, you would:
Health
live 1.5 years longer
In Bhutan, the average life expectancy is 73 years (72 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024. In Vietnam, that number is 75 years (70 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2024.
be 81.6% less likely to be obese
In Bhutan, 13.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Vietnam, that number is 2.4% of people as of 2024.
have 2.0 times more doctors per person
Bhutan has 5.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Vietnam has 11.1 as of 2021.
have 13.3% more access to essential health services
Bhutan scores 60 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Vietnam scores 68 as of 2021.
be 49.0% more likely to die by suicide
Bhutan has a suicide rate of 4.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Vietnam, it is 7.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 52.9% less likely to be unemployed
In Bhutan, 3.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Vietnam, that number is 1.5% as of 2025.
be 66.1% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Bhutan, 12.4% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Vietnam, however, that number is 4.2% as of 2022.
make 12.8% more money
Bhutan has a GDP per capita of $4,493 as of 2025, while in Vietnam, the GDP per capita is $5,066 as of 2025.
Life
be 48.1% more likely to be literate
In Bhutan, the literacy rate is 64.9% as of 2022. In Vietnam, it is 96.1% as of 2022.
be 12.4% 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 Vietnam, on the other hand, 12.0 children do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 50.6% less on education
Bhutan spends 5.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Vietnam spends 2.9% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
Safety
be 45.1% more likely to die in a road accident
In Bhutan, road accidents kill 12.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Vietnam, they kill 17.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 8.1 times more home broadband
Bhutan has 2.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Vietnam has 23.7 as of 2024.
live with 12.9 times more strain on fresh water
Bhutan withdraws 1% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Vietnam withdraws 18% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 2.1 times more CO2
Bhutan emits 2.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Vietnam emits 4.3 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Bhutan vs. Vietnam
Vietnam: At a glance
How big is Vietnam compared to Bhutan? See an in-depth size comparison.