Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Bhutan instead of Cook Islands, you would:

Health

be 81.9% less likely to be obese

In Cook Islands, 72.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Bhutan, that number is 13.1% of people as of 2024.

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have 30.4% more access to essential health services

Cook Islands scores 46 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Bhutan scores 60 as of 2021.

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live 3.9 years less

In Cook Islands, the average life expectancy is 77 years (74 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2022. In Bhutan, that number is 73 years (72 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024.

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have 58.9% fewer doctors per person

Cook Islands has 13.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2019. Bhutan has 5.5 as of 2022.

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Life

be 14.0% less likely to die during infancy

In Cook Islands, approximately 15.9 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Bhutan, on the other hand, 13.7 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 40.9% more likely to have internet access

In Cook Islands, approximately 64.8% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Bhutan, about 91.3% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 27.2% more on education

Cook Islands spends 4.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Bhutan spends 5.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 38.1% more on healthcare

Cook Islands spends 3.2% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Bhutan, that number is 4.4% of GDP as of 2023.

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Safety

be 30.7% less likely to die in a road accident

In Cook Islands, road accidents kill 17.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Bhutan, they kill 12.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 84.0% less home broadband

Cook Islands has 18.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Bhutan has 2.9 as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2022–2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), The World Factbook (2020–2022), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Compare further: Cook Islands vs. Bhutan

Cost of Living Comparison · 5 categories - 2026 data
Bhutan is 64.9% cheaper than Cook Islands overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
Cook Islands is about 163 times smaller than Bhutan.
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Moving from Cook Islands to Bhutan · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
→

Bhutan: At a glance

Bhutan is a sovereign country in South Asia, with a total land area of approximately 38,394 sq km. In 1865, Britain and Bhutan signed the Treaty of Sinchulu, under which Bhutan would receive an annual subsidy in exchange for ceding some border land to British India. Under British influence, a monarchy was set up in 1907; three years later, a treaty was signed whereby the British agreed not to interfere in Bhutanese internal affairs, and Bhutan allowed Britain to direct its foreign affairs. This role was assumed by independent India after 1947. Two years later, a formal Indo-Bhutanese accord returned to Bhutan the areas annexed by the British, formalized the annual subsidies the country received, and defined India's responsibilities in defense and foreign relations. In March 2005, King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK unveiled the government's draft constitution - which introduced major democratic reforms - and pledged to hold a national referendum for its approval. In December 2006, the King abdicated the throne in favor of his son, Jigme Khesar Namgyel WANGCHUCK, in order to give him experience as head of state before the democratic transition. In early 2007, India and Bhutan renegotiated their treaty, eliminating the clause that stated that Bhutan would be "guided by" India in conducting its foreign policy, although Thimphu continues to coordinate closely with New Delhi. Elections for seating the country's first parliament were completed in March 2008; the king ratified the country's first constitution in July 2008. Bhutan experienced a peaceful turnover of power following parliamentary elections in 2013, which routed the incumbent party. The disposition of some 30,000 Bhutanese refugees - housed in two UN refugee camps in Nepal - remains unresolved.
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