Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Bhutan instead of China, you would:
Health
be 45.3% less likely to die by suicide
China has a suicide rate of 8.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Bhutan, it is 4.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 4.8 years less
In China, the average life expectancy is 78 years (75 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024. In Bhutan, that number is 73 years (72 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024.
be 40.7% more likely to be obese
In China, 9.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Bhutan, that number is 13.1% of people as of 2024.
see 54.5% less spent on your healthcare
China spends $1,487 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Bhutan spends $677 as of 2023.
have 82.2% fewer doctors per person
China has 31.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Bhutan has 5.5 as of 2022.
have 25.9% less access to essential health services
China scores 81 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Bhutan scores 60 as of 2021.
Economy
be 30.1% less likely to be unemployed
In China, 4.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Bhutan, that number is 3.2% as of 2025.
make 67.6% less money
China has a GDP per capita of $13,862 as of 2025, while in Bhutan, the GDP per capita is $4,493 as of 2025.
Life
have 85.1% more children
In China, there are approximately 6.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Bhutan, there are 12.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 2.9 times more likely to die during childbirth
In China, approximately 16.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Bhutan, 47.0 women do as of 2023.
be 32.9% less likely to be literate
In China, the literacy rate is 96.7% as of 2020. In Bhutan, it is 64.9% as of 2022.
be 3.3 times more likely to die during infancy
In China, approximately 4.1 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Bhutan, on the other hand, 13.7 children do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 25.6% less on healthcare
China spends 5.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Bhutan, that number is 4.4% of GDP as of 2023.
spend 50.0% more on education
China spends 3.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Bhutan spends 5.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
Safety
be 29.9% less likely to die in a road accident
In China, road accidents kill 17.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Bhutan, they kill 12.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 4.9 times more likely to be murdered
China has a homicide rate of 0.5 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In Bhutan, that number is 2.5 per 100,000 as of 2020.
Infrastructure
live with 96.6% less strain on fresh water
China withdraws 42% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Bhutan withdraws 1% as of 2022.
find 93.8% less home broadband
China has 47.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Bhutan has 2.9 as of 2024.
Environment
be 10.9% less likely to die from air pollution
In China, air pollution causes 64.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Bhutan, it causes 57.0 as of 2019.
emit 78.4% less CO2
China emits 9.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Bhutan emits 2.0 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: China vs. Bhutan
Bhutan: At a glance
How big is Bhutan compared to China? See an in-depth size comparison.