Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Bhutan instead of Iraq, you would:
Health
live 0.8 years longer
In Iraq, the average life expectancy is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 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 67.1% less likely to be obese
In Iraq, 39.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Bhutan, that number is 13.1% of people as of 2024.
see 19.7% less spent on your healthcare
Iraq spends $843 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Bhutan spends $677 as of 2023.
have 45.9% fewer doctors per person
Iraq has 10.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Bhutan has 5.5 as of 2022.
be 65.0% more likely to die by suicide
Iraq has a suicide rate of 3.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Bhutan, it is 4.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 79.1% less likely to be unemployed
In Iraq, 15.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Bhutan, that number is 3.2% as of 2025.
be 29.1% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Iraq, 17.5% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Bhutan, however, that number is 12.4% as of 2022.
make 16.9% less money
Iraq has a GDP per capita of $5,410 as of 2025, while in Bhutan, the GDP per capita is $4,493 as of 2025.
Life
be 28.8% less likely to die during childbirth
In Iraq, approximately 66.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Bhutan, 47.0 women do as of 2023.
be 31.8% less likely to die during infancy
In Iraq, approximately 20.1 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.
be 22.8% less likely to be literate
In Iraq, the literacy rate is 84.1% as of 2021. In Bhutan, it is 64.9% as of 2022.
have 51.0% fewer children
In Iraq, there are approximately 25.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Bhutan, there are 12.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 12.0% more likely to have internet access
In Iraq, approximately 81.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Bhutan, about 91.3% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 20.1% less on healthcare
Iraq spends 5.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Bhutan, that number is 4.4% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 43.3% less likely to die in a road accident
In Iraq, road accidents kill 21.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Bhutan, they kill 12.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 97.6% less strain on fresh water
Iraq withdraws 60% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Bhutan withdraws 1% as of 2022.
find 83.4% less home broadband
Iraq has 17.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Bhutan has 2.9 as of 2024.
Environment
be 34.5% less likely to die from air pollution
In Iraq, air pollution causes 87.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Bhutan, it causes 57.0 as of 2019.
emit 61.2% less CO2
Iraq emits 5.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Bhutan emits 2.0 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Iraq vs. Bhutan
Bhutan: At a glance
How big is Bhutan compared to Iraq? See an in-depth size comparison.