Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Bhutan instead of Sri Lanka, you would:

Health

live 5.2 years less

In Sri Lanka, the average life expectancy is 78 years (75 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2020. In Bhutan, that number is 72 years (71 years for men, 73 years for women) as of 2022.

be 23.1% more likely to be obese

In Sri Lanka, 5.2% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Bhutan, that number is 6.4% of people as of 2016.

Economy

be 33.7% less likely to be unemployed

In Sri Lanka, 4.8% of adults are unemployed as of 2019. In Bhutan, that number is 3.2% as of 2017.

make 12.8% less money

Sri Lanka has a GDP per capita of $12,500 as of 2020, while in Bhutan, the GDP per capita is $10,900 as of 2020.

be 100.0% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Sri Lanka, 4.1% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Bhutan, however, that number is 8.2% as of 2017.

Life

have 15.5% more children

In Sri Lanka, there are approximately 13.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Bhutan, there are 15.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022.

be 5.1 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Sri Lanka, approximately 36.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In Bhutan, 183.0 women do as of 2017.

be 27.8% less likely to be literate

In Sri Lanka, the literacy rate is 92.3% as of 2019. In Bhutan, it is 66.6% as of 2017.

be 3.3 times more likely to die during infancy

In Sri Lanka, approximately 8.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Bhutan, on the other hand, 27.0 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 54.3% more likely to have internet access

In Sri Lanka, approximately 35.0% of the population has internet access as of 2020. In Bhutan, about 54.0% do as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 12.2% less on healthcare

Sri Lanka spends 4.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2019. In Bhutan, that number is 3.6% of GDP as of 2019.

spend 3.3 times more on education

Sri Lanka spends 2.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2018. Bhutan spends 6.9% of total GDP on education as of 2018.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

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.
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How big is Bhutan compared to Sri Lanka? See an in-depth size comparison.

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