Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Bhutan instead of Malaysia, you would:
Health
be 44.0% less likely to be obese
In Malaysia, 23.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Bhutan, that number is 13.1% of people as of 2024.
be 13.3% less likely to die by suicide
Malaysia has a suicide rate of 5.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Bhutan, it is 4.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 3.6 years less
In Malaysia, the average life expectancy is 77 years (74 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024. In Bhutan, that number is 73 years (72 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024.
see 53.0% less spent on your healthcare
Malaysia spends $1,441 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Bhutan spends $677 as of 2023.
have 76.4% fewer doctors per person
Malaysia has 23.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Bhutan has 5.5 as of 2022.
have 21.1% less access to essential health services
Malaysia scores 76 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Bhutan scores 60 as of 2021.
Economy
be 14.1% less likely to be unemployed
In Malaysia, 3.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Bhutan, that number is 3.2% as of 2025.
be 2.4 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Malaysia, 5.1% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Bhutan, however, that number is 12.4% as of 2022.
make 65.8% less money
Malaysia has a GDP per capita of $13,125 as of 2025, while in Bhutan, the GDP per capita is $4,493 as of 2025.
Life
be 80.8% more likely to die during childbirth
In Malaysia, approximately 26.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Bhutan, 47.0 women do as of 2023.
be 32.2% less likely to be literate
In Malaysia, the literacy rate is 95.8% as of 2022. In Bhutan, it is 64.9% as of 2022.
be 95.7% more likely to die during infancy
In Malaysia, approximately 7.0 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.
Expenditures
spend 66.7% more on education
Malaysia spends 3.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Bhutan spends 5.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 11.6% more on healthcare
Malaysia spends 4.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Bhutan, that number is 4.4% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 12.2% less likely to die in a road accident
In Malaysia, road accidents kill 13.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Bhutan, they kill 12.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 3.4 times more likely to be murdered
Malaysia has a homicide rate of 0.7 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Bhutan, that number is 2.5 per 100,000 as of 2020.
Infrastructure
live with 59.0% less strain on fresh water
Malaysia withdraws 3% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Bhutan withdraws 1% as of 2022.
find 78.5% less home broadband
Malaysia has 13.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Bhutan has 2.9 as of 2024.
Environment
emit 75.8% less CO2
Malaysia emits 8.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Bhutan emits 2.0 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Malaysia vs. Bhutan
Bhutan: At a glance
How big is Bhutan compared to Malaysia? See an in-depth size comparison.