Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Brunei instead of Thailand, you would:
Health
see 77.7% more spent on your healthcare
Thailand spends $1,067 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Brunei spends $1,896 as of 2023.
have 3.5 times more doctors per person
Thailand has 5.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. Brunei has 18.9 as of 2021.
be 81.6% less likely to die by suicide
Thailand has a suicide rate of 16.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Brunei, it is 3.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 1.1 years less
In Thailand, the average life expectancy is 77 years (72 years for men, 81 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 2.3 times more likely to be obese
In Thailand, 16.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Brunei, that number is 37.0% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 4.0 times more money
Thailand has a GDP per capita of $8,057 as of 2025, while in Brunei, the GDP per capita is $32,235 as of 2025.
be 6.8 times more likely to be unemployed
In Thailand, 0.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Brunei, that number is 5.3% as of 2025.
Life
have 64.2% more children
In Thailand, there are approximately 8.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Brunei, there are 13.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 11.7% more likely to die during infancy
In Thailand, approximately 7.7 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 50.9% less on healthcare
Thailand spends 4.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Brunei, that number is 2.2% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 95.0% less coastline
Thailand has a total of 3,219 km of coastline. In Brunei, that number is 161 km.
Safety
be 89.6% less likely to be murdered
Thailand has a homicide rate of 4.8 per 100,000 people as of 2011. In Brunei, that number is 0.5 per 100,000 as of 2013.
be 85.8% less likely to die in a road accident
In Thailand, road accidents kill 25.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Brunei, they kill 3.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 42.2% more home broadband
Thailand has 14.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Brunei has 21.2 as of 2024.
live with 84.9% less strain on fresh water
Thailand withdraws 23% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Brunei withdraws 3% as of 2022.
use 3.6 times more electricity
Thailand uses 2,965 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Brunei uses 10,674 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 31.0% less likely to die from air pollution
In Thailand, air pollution causes 29.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Brunei, it causes 20.0 as of 2019.
emit 5.1 times more CO2
Thailand emits 4.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Brunei emits 20.2 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2011–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Thailand vs. Brunei
Brunei: At a glance
How big is Brunei compared to Thailand? See an in-depth size comparison.