Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Bhutan instead of Sri Lanka, you would:
Health
see 33.5% more spent on your healthcare
Sri Lanka spends $507 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Bhutan spends $677 as of 2023.
be 66.8% less likely to die by suicide
Sri Lanka has a suicide rate of 14.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Bhutan, it is 4.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 4.4 years less
In Sri Lanka, the average life expectancy is 78 years (74 years for men, 81 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 16.5% more likely to be obese
In Sri Lanka, 11.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Bhutan, that number is 13.1% of people as of 2024.
have 51.3% fewer doctors per person
Sri Lanka has 11.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Bhutan has 5.5 as of 2022.
have 10.4% less access to essential health services
Sri Lanka scores 67 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Bhutan scores 60 as of 2021.
Economy
be 19.2% less likely to be unemployed
In Sri Lanka, 4.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Bhutan, that number is 3.2% as of 2025.
be 13.3% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Sri Lanka, 14.3% live below the poverty line as of 2019. In Bhutan, however, that number is 12.4% as of 2022.
make 10.2% less money
Sri Lanka has a GDP per capita of $5,002 as of 2025, while in Bhutan, the GDP per capita is $4,493 as of 2025.
Life
have 24.1% more children
In Sri Lanka, there are approximately 10.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Bhutan, there are 12.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 2.6 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Sri Lanka, approximately 18.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Bhutan, 47.0 women do as of 2023.
be 30.0% less likely to be literate
In Sri Lanka, the literacy rate is 92.7% as of 2024. In Bhutan, it is 64.9% as of 2022.
be 2.6 times more likely to die during infancy
In Sri Lanka, approximately 5.2 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.
Basic Needs
be 67.2% more likely to have internet access
In Sri Lanka, approximately 54.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Bhutan, about 91.3% do as of 2024.
be 10.4% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Sri Lanka, approximately 90% of people have access to drinking water (98% in urban areas, and 88% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Bhutan, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 99% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 3.2 times more on education
Sri Lanka spends 1.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Bhutan spends 5.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 20.1% more on healthcare
Sri Lanka spends 3.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Bhutan, that number is 4.4% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 25.4% less likely to be murdered
Sri Lanka has a homicide rate of 3.3 per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Bhutan, that number is 2.5 per 100,000 as of 2020.
Infrastructure
live with 98.4% less strain on fresh water
Sri Lanka withdraws 91% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Bhutan withdraws 1% as of 2022.
find 65.5% less home broadband
Sri Lanka has 8.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Bhutan has 2.9 as of 2024.
Environment
be 54.1% more likely to die from air pollution
In Sri Lanka, air pollution causes 37.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Bhutan, it causes 57.0 as of 2019.
emit 89.6% more CO2
Sri Lanka emits 1.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Bhutan emits 2.0 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Sri Lanka vs. Bhutan
Bhutan: At a glance
How big is Bhutan compared to Sri Lanka? See an in-depth size comparison.