Quality of life comparison
If you lived in United States instead of Brunei, you would:
Health
live 3.4 years longer
In Brunei, the average life expectancy is 76 years (73 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2024. In United States, that number is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024.
see 7.1 times more spent on your healthcare
Brunei spends $1,896 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). United States spends $13,473 as of 2023.
have 95.2% more doctors per person
Brunei has 18.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. United States has 36.8 as of 2022.
have 10.3% more access to essential health services
Brunei scores 78 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. United States scores 86 as of 2021.
be 10.6% more likely to be obese
In Brunei, 37.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In United States, that number is 41.0% of people as of 2024.
be 5.1 times more likely to die by suicide
Brunei has a suicide rate of 3.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In United States, it is 15.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 20.5% less likely to be unemployed
In Brunei, 5.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In United States, that number is 4.2% as of 2025.
make 2.8 times more money
Brunei has a GDP per capita of $32,235 as of 2025, while in United States, the GDP per capita is $90,027 as of 2025.
Life
be 52.8% less likely to die during childbirth
In Brunei, approximately 36.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In United States, 17.0 women do as of 2023.
be 36.0% less likely to die during infancy
In Brunei, approximately 8.6 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In United States, on the other hand, 5.5 children do as of 2024.
have 20.5% fewer children
In Brunei, there are approximately 13.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In United States, there are 10.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 7.5 times more on healthcare
Brunei spends 2.2% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In United States, that number is 16.7% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 123.8 times more coastline
Brunei has a total of 161 km of coastline. In United States, that number is 19,924 km.
Safety
be 3.9 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Brunei, road accidents kill 3.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In United States, they kill 14.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 83.5% more home broadband
Brunei has 21.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. United States has 38.9 as of 2024.
use 20.3% more electricity
Brunei uses 10,674 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. United States uses 12,839 kWh as of 2024.
live with 8.1 times more strain on fresh water
Brunei withdraws 3% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. United States withdraws 28% as of 2022.
Environment
be 30.0% less likely to die from air pollution
In Brunei, air pollution causes 20.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In United States, it causes 14.0 as of 2019.
emit 32.7% less CO2
Brunei emits 20.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. United States emits 13.6 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Brunei vs. United States
United States: At a glance
How big is United States compared to Brunei? See an in-depth size comparison.