Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Brunei instead of Burma, you would:
Health
live 8.4 years longer
In Burma, the average life expectancy is 67 years (64 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024. In Brunei, that number is 76 years (73 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2024.
see 6.7 times more spent on your healthcare
Burma spends $283 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Brunei spends $1,896 as of 2023.
have 2.5 times more doctors per person
Burma has 7.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2019. Brunei has 18.9 as of 2021.
have 50.0% more access to essential health services
Burma scores 52 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Brunei scores 78 as of 2021.
be 4.6 times more likely to be obese
In Burma, 8.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Brunei, that number is 37.0% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 21.7 times more money
Burma has a GDP per capita of $1,489 as of 2025, while in Brunei, the GDP per capita is $32,235 as of 2025.
be 73.1% more likely to be unemployed
In Burma, 3.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Brunei, that number is 5.3% as of 2025.
Life
be 80.5% less likely to die during childbirth
In Burma, approximately 185.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Brunei, 36.0 women do as of 2023.
be 73.8% less likely to die during infancy
In Burma, approximately 32.8 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Brunei, on the other hand, 8.6 children do as of 2024.
have 19.0% fewer children
In Burma, there are approximately 16.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Brunei, there are 13.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 30.2% more likely to have access to electricity
In Burma, approximately 77% of people have electricity access (95% in urban areas, and 69% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Brunei, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 2.2 times more likely to have internet access
In Burma, approximately 44.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Brunei, about 96.3% do as of 2024.
be 16.7% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Burma, approximately 86% of people have access to drinking water as of 2024. In Brunei, 100% of people do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 50.0% less on healthcare
Burma spends 4.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Brunei, that number is 2.2% of GDP as of 2023.
spend 2.2 times more on education
Burma spends 2.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2019. Brunei spends 4.4% of total GDP on education as of 2016.
Geography
see 91.7% less coastline
Burma has a total of 1,930 km of coastline. In Brunei, that number is 161 km.
Safety
be 81.3% less likely to die in a road accident
In Burma, road accidents kill 19.3 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Brunei, they kill 3.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 7.4 times more home broadband
Burma has 2.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Brunei has 21.2 as of 2024.
live with 40.2% less strain on fresh water
Burma withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Brunei withdraws 3% as of 2022.
use 29.0 times more electricity
Burma uses 368 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Brunei uses 10,674 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 71.8% less likely to die from air pollution
In Burma, air pollution causes 71.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Brunei, it causes 20.0 as of 2019.
emit 34.9 times more CO2
Burma emits 0.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Brunei emits 20.2 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2016–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Burma vs. Brunei
Brunei: At a glance
How big is Brunei compared to Burma? See an in-depth size comparison.