Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Bhutan instead of United Kingdom, you would:
Health
be 52.3% less likely to be obese
In United Kingdom, 27.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Bhutan, that number is 13.1% of people as of 2024.
be 48.7% less likely to die by suicide
United Kingdom has a suicide rate of 9.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Bhutan, it is 4.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 8.1 years less
In United Kingdom, the average life expectancy is 81 years (80 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2024. In Bhutan, that number is 73 years (72 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024.
see 89.8% less spent on your healthcare
United Kingdom spends $6,606 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Bhutan spends $677 as of 2023.
have 83.2% fewer doctors per person
United Kingdom has 33.0 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Bhutan has 5.5 as of 2022.
have 31.8% less access to essential health services
United Kingdom scores 88 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Bhutan scores 60 as of 2021.
Economy
be 32.0% less likely to be unemployed
In United Kingdom, 4.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Bhutan, that number is 3.2% as of 2025.
make 92.2% less money
United Kingdom has a GDP per capita of $57,602 as of 2025, while in Bhutan, the GDP per capita is $4,493 as of 2025.
Life
have 26.7% more children
In United Kingdom, there are approximately 9.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Bhutan, there are 12.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 5.9 times more likely to die during childbirth
In United Kingdom, approximately 8.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Bhutan, 47.0 women do as of 2023.
be 3.3 times more likely to die during infancy
In United Kingdom, approximately 4.1 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.
Expenditures
spend 60.3% less on healthcare
United Kingdom spends 11.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Bhutan, that number is 4.4% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 2.2 times more likely to be murdered
United Kingdom has a homicide rate of 1.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Bhutan, that number is 2.5 per 100,000 as of 2020.
be 5.1 times more likely to die in a road accident
In United Kingdom, road accidents kill 2.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Bhutan, they kill 12.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 90.2% less strain on fresh water
United Kingdom withdraws 14% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Bhutan withdraws 1% as of 2022.
find 93.1% less home broadband
United Kingdom has 42.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Bhutan has 2.9 as of 2024.
Environment
emit 52.4% less CO2
United Kingdom emits 4.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Bhutan emits 2.0 tonnes as of 2024.
be 4.4 times more likely to die from air pollution
In United Kingdom, air pollution causes 13.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Bhutan, it causes 57.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: United Kingdom vs. Bhutan
Bhutan: At a glance
How big is Bhutan compared to United Kingdom? See an in-depth size comparison.