Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Turkmenistan instead of Bulgaria, you would:
Health
be 28.2% less likely to die by suicide
Bulgaria has a suicide rate of 9.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Turkmenistan, it is 6.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 5.6 years less
In Bulgaria, the average life expectancy is 76 years (72 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024. In Turkmenistan, that number is 70 years (67 years for men, 73 years for women) as of 2024.
see 57.4% less spent on your healthcare
Bulgaria spends $2,970 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Turkmenistan spends $1,264 as of 2023.
have 55.4% fewer doctors per person
Bulgaria has 43.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Turkmenistan has 19.3 as of 2023.
Economy
be 20.6% more likely to be unemployed
In Bulgaria, 3.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Turkmenistan, that number is 4.3% as of 2025.
make 67.8% less money
Bulgaria has a GDP per capita of $20,328 as of 2025, while in Turkmenistan, the GDP per capita is $6,540 as of 2025.
Life
be 16.7% less likely to die during childbirth
In Bulgaria, approximately 6.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Turkmenistan, 5.0 women do as of 2023.
have 2.5 times more children
In Bulgaria, there are approximately 8.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Turkmenistan, there are 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 6.6 times more likely to die during infancy
In Bulgaria, approximately 4.6 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Turkmenistan, on the other hand, 30.4 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 69.3% less likely to have internet access
In Bulgaria, approximately 82.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Turkmenistan, about 25.3% do as of 2022.
Expenditures
spend 30.6% less on healthcare
Bulgaria spends 7.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Turkmenistan, that number is 5.5% of GDP as of 2023.
Infrastructure
find 85.9% less home broadband
Bulgaria has 37.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Turkmenistan has 5.2 as of 2022.
live with 3.4 times more strain on fresh water
Bulgaria withdraws 40% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Turkmenistan withdraws 135% as of 2022.
use 48.2% less electricity
Bulgaria uses 5,360 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Turkmenistan uses 2,778 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 38.1% more likely to die from air pollution
In Bulgaria, air pollution causes 63.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Turkmenistan, it causes 87.0 as of 2019.
emit 2.0 times more CO2
Bulgaria emits 5.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Turkmenistan emits 10.9 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019), The World Factbook (2022). How we calculate this
Compare further: Bulgaria vs. Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan: At a glance
How big is Turkmenistan compared to Bulgaria? See an in-depth size comparison.