If you lived in Bhutan instead of Saint Lucia, you would:

Health

be 62.4% less likely to be obese

In Saint Lucia, 34.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Bhutan, that number is 13.1% of people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

see 44.9% less spent on your healthcare

Saint Lucia spends $1,228 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Bhutan spends $677 as of 2023.

View global rankings →

have 86.9% fewer doctors per person

Saint Lucia has 42.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2020. Bhutan has 5.5 as of 2022.

View global rankings →

have 22.1% less access to essential health services

Saint Lucia scores 77 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Bhutan scores 60 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

Economy

be 65.8% less likely to be unemployed

In Saint Lucia, 9.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Bhutan, that number is 3.2% as of 2025.

View global rankings →

make 69.5% less money

Saint Lucia has a GDP per capita of $14,746 as of 2025, while in Bhutan, the GDP per capita is $4,493 as of 2025.

View global rankings →

Life

be 13.3% less likely to die during infancy

In Saint Lucia, approximately 15.8 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.

View global rankings →

have 11.8% more children

In Saint Lucia, there are approximately 11.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Bhutan, there are 12.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Basic Needs

be 33.8% more likely to have internet access

In Saint Lucia, approximately 68.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Bhutan, about 91.3% do as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Expenditures

spend 51.9% more on education

Saint Lucia spends 3.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Bhutan spends 5.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

View global rankings →

Safety

be 93.7% less likely to be murdered

Saint Lucia has a homicide rate of 39.0 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Bhutan, that number is 2.5 per 100,000 as of 2020.

View global rankings →

be 37.1% more likely to die in a road accident

In Saint Lucia, road accidents kill 8.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Bhutan, they kill 12.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

Infrastructure

live with 90.1% less strain on fresh water

Saint Lucia withdraws 14% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Bhutan withdraws 1% as of 2022.

View global rankings →

find 78.5% less home broadband

Saint Lucia has 13.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Bhutan has 2.9 as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Environment

be 2.9 times more likely to die from air pollution

In Saint Lucia, air pollution causes 20.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Bhutan, it causes 57.0 as of 2019.

View global rankings →

emit 17.5% more CO2

Saint Lucia emits 1.7 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Bhutan emits 2.0 tonnes as of 2024.

View global rankings →


Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

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.
Read more

How big is Bhutan compared to Saint Lucia? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

Ask the Elsewhere Community

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Bhutan or Saint Lucia. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.