Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Brunei instead of Timor-Leste, you would:
Health
live 7.6 years longer
In Timor-Leste, the average life expectancy is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024. In Brunei, that number is 76 years (73 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2024.
see 4.1 times more spent on your healthcare
Timor-Leste spends $461 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Brunei spends $1,896 as of 2023.
have 2.5 times more doctors per person
Timor-Leste has 7.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2020. Brunei has 18.9 as of 2021.
have 50.0% more access to essential health services
Timor-Leste scores 52 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Brunei scores 78 as of 2021.
be 14.3% less likely to die by suicide
Timor-Leste has a suicide rate of 3.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Brunei, it is 3.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 10.3 times more likely to be obese
In Timor-Leste, 3.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Brunei, that number is 37.0% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 24.0 times more money
Timor-Leste has a GDP per capita of $1,341 as of 2025, while in Brunei, the GDP per capita is $32,235 as of 2025.
be 3.3 times more likely to be unemployed
In Timor-Leste, 1.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Brunei, that number is 5.3% as of 2025.
Life
be 81.2% less likely to die during childbirth
In Timor-Leste, approximately 192.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Brunei, 36.0 women do as of 2023.
be 40.6% more likely to be literate
In Timor-Leste, the literacy rate is 69.4% as of 2022. In Brunei, it is 97.6% as of 2021.
be 75.1% less likely to die during infancy
In Timor-Leste, approximately 34.6 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.
have 38.8% fewer children
In Timor-Leste, there are approximately 21.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Brunei, there are 13.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 2.4 times more likely to have internet access
In Timor-Leste, approximately 40.8% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Brunei, about 96.3% do as of 2024.
be 14.5% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Timor-Leste, approximately 87% of people have access to drinking water as of 2024. In Brunei, 100% of people do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 76.8% less on healthcare
Timor-Leste spends 9.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Brunei, that number is 2.2% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 77.2% less coastline
Timor-Leste has a total of 706 km of coastline. In Brunei, that number is 161 km.
Safety
be 87.7% less likely to be murdered
Timor-Leste has a homicide rate of 4.1 per 100,000 people as of 2015. In Brunei, that number is 0.5 per 100,000 as of 2013.
be 70.0% less likely to die in a road accident
In Timor-Leste, road accidents kill 12.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Brunei, they kill 3.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 2118.0 times more home broadband
Timor-Leste has 0.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Brunei has 21.2 as of 2024.
live with 87.7% less strain on fresh water
Timor-Leste withdraws 28% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Brunei withdraws 3% as of 2022.
Environment
be 67.2% less likely to die from air pollution
In Timor-Leste, air pollution causes 61.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Brunei, it causes 20.0 as of 2019.
emit 40.5 times more CO2
Timor-Leste emits 0.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Brunei emits 20.2 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2015–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2013–2022), The World Factbook (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Timor-Leste vs. Brunei
Brunei: At a glance
How big is Brunei compared to Timor-Leste? See an in-depth size comparison.