Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 88.8% less likely to be obese

In Cook Islands, 72.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Burma, that number is 8.1% of people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

have 13.0% more access to essential health services

Cook Islands scores 46 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Burma scores 52 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

live 10.0 years less

In Cook Islands, the average life expectancy is 77 years (74 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2022. In Burma, that number is 67 years (64 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024.

View global rankings →

have 43.7% fewer doctors per person

Cook Islands has 13.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2019. Burma has 7.6 as of 2019.

View global rankings →

Life

have 36.0% more children

In Cook Islands, there are approximately 12.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Burma, there are 16.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 2.1 times more 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 Burma, on the other hand, 32.8 children do as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Basic Needs

be 32.1% less likely to have internet access

In Cook Islands, approximately 64.8% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Burma, about 44.0% do as of 2021.

View global rankings →

Expenditures

spend 56.5% less on education

Cook Islands spends 4.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Burma spends 2.0% of total GDP on education as of 2019.

View global rankings →

spend 39.4% more on healthcare

Cook Islands spends 3.2% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Burma, that number is 4.5% of GDP as of 2023.

View global rankings →

Geography

see 16.1 times more coastline

Cook Islands has a total of 120 km of coastline. In Burma, that number is 1,930 km.

View global rankings →

Infrastructure

find 84.2% less home broadband

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

View global rankings →

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

Compare further: Cook Islands vs. Burma

Cost of Living Comparison · 5 categories - 2026 data
Burma is 38.5% cheaper than Cook Islands overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
Cook Islands is about 2,867 times smaller than Burma.
→

Burma: At a glance

Burma is a sovereign country in East/Southeast Asia, with a total land area of approximately 653,508 sq km. Various ethnic Burmese and ethnic minority city-states or kingdoms occupied the present borders through the 19th century. Over a period of 62 years (1824-1886), Britain conquered Burma and incorporated the country into its Indian Empire. Burma was administered as a province of India until 1937 when it became a separate, self-governing colony; in 1948, Burma attained independence from the British Commonwealth. Gen. NE WIN dominated the government from 1962 to 1988, first as military ruler, then as self-appointed president, and later as political kingpin. In response to widespread civil unrest, NE WIN resigned in 1988, but within months the military crushed student-led protests and took power. Multiparty legislative elections in 1990 resulted in the main opposition party - the National League for Democracy (NLD) - winning a landslide victory. Instead of handing over power, the junta placed NLD leader (and Nobel Peace Prize recipient) AUNG SAN SUU KYI (ASSK) under house arrest from 1989 to 1995, 2000 to 2002, and from May 2003 to November 2010. In late September 2007, the ruling junta brutally suppressed protests over increased fuel prices led by prodemocracy activists and Buddhist monks, killing at least 13 people and arresting thousands for participating in the demonstrations. In early May 2008, Burma was struck by Cyclone Nargis, which left over 138,000 dead and tens of thousands injured and homeless. Despite this tragedy, the junta proceeded with its May constitutional referendum, the first vote in Burma since 1990. Parliamentary elections held in November 2010, considered flawed by many in the international community, saw the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party garner over 75% of the seats. Parliament convened in January 2011 and selected former Prime Minister THEIN SEIN as president. Although the vast majority of national-level appointees named by THEIN SEIN are former or current military officers, the government has initiated a series of political and economic reforms leading to a substantial opening of the long-isolated country. These reforms have included allowing ASSK to contest parliamentary by-elections on 1 April 2012, releasing hundreds of political prisoners, reaching preliminary peace agreements with 10 of the 11 major armed ethnic groups, enacting laws that provide better protections for basic human rights, and gradually reducing restrictions on freedom of the press, association, and civil society. At least due in part to these reforms, ASSK now serves as an elected Member of Parliament and chair of the Committee for Rule of Law and Tranquility. Most political parties have begun building their institutions in preparation for the next round of general elections in 2015. The country is the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for 2014.
Read more

How big is Burma compared to Cook Islands? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

Ask the Elsewhere Community

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Burma or Cook Islands. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.