Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Bhutan instead of Hong Kong, you would:

Health

live 12.1 years less

In Hong Kong, the average life expectancy is 85 years (83 years for men, 88 years for women) as of 2024. In Bhutan, that number is 73 years (72 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024.

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Economy

be 15.4% more likely to be unemployed

In Hong Kong, 2.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Bhutan, that number is 3.2% as of 2025.

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make 92.1% less money

Hong Kong has a GDP per capita of $56,983 as of 2025, while in Bhutan, the GDP per capita is $4,493 as of 2025.

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Life

have 2.6 times more children

In Hong Kong, there are approximately 4.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Bhutan, there are 12.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 5.4 times more likely to die during infancy

In Hong Kong, approximately 2.5 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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Expenditures

spend 53.5% more on education

Hong Kong spends 3.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Bhutan spends 5.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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Safety

be 6.5 times more likely to be murdered

Hong Kong has a homicide rate of 0.4 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Bhutan, that number is 2.5 per 100,000 as of 2020.

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Infrastructure

find 92.7% less home broadband

Hong Kong has 40.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Bhutan has 2.9 as of 2024.

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Environment

emit 56.3% less CO2

Hong Kong emits 4.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Bhutan emits 2.0 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), The World Factbook (2022). How we calculate this

Compare further: Hong Kong vs. Bhutan

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Bhutan is 83.4% cheaper than Hong Kong overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
Hong Kong is about 35 times smaller than Bhutan.
→
Moving from Hong Kong 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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How big is Bhutan compared to Hong Kong? See an in-depth size comparison.

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