Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Brunei instead of Netherlands, you would:
Health
be 73.5% less likely to die by suicide
Netherlands has a suicide rate of 11.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Brunei, it is 3.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 6.5 years less
In Netherlands, the average life expectancy is 82 years (81 years for men, 83 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 2.5 times more likely to be obese
In Netherlands, 14.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Brunei, that number is 37.0% of people as of 2024.
see 76.9% less spent on your healthcare
Netherlands spends $8,195 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
Netherlands has 38.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Brunei has 18.9 as of 2021.
Economy
be 36.4% more likely to be unemployed
In Netherlands, 3.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Brunei, that number is 5.3% as of 2025.
make 56.3% less money
Netherlands has a GDP per capita of $73,684 as of 2025, while in Brunei, the GDP per capita is $32,235 as of 2025.
Life
have 44.9% more children
In Netherlands, there are approximately 9.2 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 Netherlands, 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 Netherlands, 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 77.7% less on healthcare
Netherlands spends 10.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Brunei, that number is 2.2% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 64.3% less coastline
Netherlands has a total of 451 km of coastline. In Brunei, that number is 161 km.
Infrastructure
live with 79.2% less strain on fresh water
Netherlands withdraws 17% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Brunei withdraws 3% as of 2022.
use 67.1% more electricity
Netherlands uses 6,386 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Brunei uses 10,674 kWh as of 2023.
find 50.7% less home broadband
Netherlands has 43.0 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 Netherlands, air pollution causes 13.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Brunei, it causes 20.0 as of 2019.
emit 3.1 times more CO2
Netherlands emits 6.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Brunei emits 20.2 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators (2019). How we calculate this
Compare further: Netherlands vs. Brunei
Brunei: At a glance
How big is Brunei compared to Netherlands? See an in-depth size comparison.