Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Brunei instead of Ireland, you would:
Health
be 64.3% less likely to die by suicide
Ireland has a suicide rate of 8.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Brunei, it is 3.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 7.5 years less
In Ireland, the average life expectancy is 83 years (81 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2024. In Brunei, that number is 76 years (73 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2024.
be 32.9% more likely to be obese
In Ireland, 27.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Brunei, that number is 37.0% of people as of 2024.
see 78.4% less spent on your healthcare
Ireland spends $8,772 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Brunei spends $1,896 as of 2023.
have 51.3% fewer doctors per person
Ireland has 38.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Brunei has 18.9 as of 2021.
Economy
be 14.0% more likely to be unemployed
In Ireland, 4.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Brunei, that number is 5.3% as of 2025.
make 75.5% less money
Ireland has a GDP per capita of $131,592 as of 2025, while in Brunei, the GDP per capita is $32,235 as of 2025.
Life
have 33.3% more children
In Ireland, there are approximately 10.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Brunei, there are 13.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 9.0 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Ireland, approximately 4.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Brunei, 36.0 women do as of 2023.
be 2.5 times more likely to die during infancy
In Ireland, approximately 3.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Brunei, on the other hand, 8.6 children do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 67.4% less on healthcare
Ireland spends 6.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Brunei, that number is 2.2% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 88.9% less coastline
Ireland has a total of 1,448 km of coastline. In Brunei, that number is 161 km.
Safety
be 28.6% more likely to die in a road accident
In Ireland, road accidents kill 2.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Brunei, they kill 3.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 56.9% less strain on fresh water
Ireland withdraws 8% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Brunei withdraws 3% as of 2022.
use 69.5% more electricity
Ireland uses 6,298 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Brunei uses 10,674 kWh as of 2023.
find 34.4% less home broadband
Ireland has 32.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Brunei has 21.2 as of 2024.
Environment
be 53.8% more likely to die from air pollution
In Ireland, air pollution causes 13.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Brunei, it causes 20.0 as of 2019.
emit 3.4 times more CO2
Ireland emits 6.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Brunei emits 20.2 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Ireland vs. Brunei
Brunei: At a glance
How big is Brunei compared to Ireland? See an in-depth size comparison.