Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Timor-Leste instead of United Kingdom, you would:

Health

be 86.8% less likely to be obese

In United Kingdom, 27.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Timor-Leste, that number is 3.6% of people as of 2024.

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be 62.7% less likely to die by suicide

United Kingdom has a suicide rate of 9.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Timor-Leste, it is 3.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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live 13.5 years less

In United Kingdom, the average life expectancy is 81 years (80 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2024. In Timor-Leste, that number is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 93.0% less spent on your healthcare

United Kingdom spends $6,606 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Timor-Leste spends $461 as of 2023.

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have 77.2% fewer doctors per person

United Kingdom has 33.0 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Timor-Leste has 7.5 as of 2020.

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have 40.9% less access to essential health services

United Kingdom scores 88 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Timor-Leste scores 52 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 66.5% less likely to be unemployed

In United Kingdom, 4.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Timor-Leste, that number is 1.6% as of 2025.

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be 2.2 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In United Kingdom, 18.6% live below the poverty line as of 2017. In Timor-Leste, however, that number is 41.8% as of 2014.

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make 97.7% less money

United Kingdom has a GDP per capita of $57,602 as of 2025, while in Timor-Leste, the GDP per capita is $1,341 as of 2025.

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Life

have 2.2 times more children

In United Kingdom, there are approximately 9.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Timor-Leste, there are 21.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 24.0 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 Timor-Leste, 192.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 8.4 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 Timor-Leste, on the other hand, 34.6 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 57.3% less likely to have internet access

In United Kingdom, approximately 95.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Timor-Leste, about 40.8% do as of 2022.

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be 12.7% less likely to have access to drinking water

In United Kingdom, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Timor-Leste, that number is 87% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 82% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 11.3% less on education

United Kingdom spends 5.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Timor-Leste spends 5.2% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 13.7% less on healthcare

United Kingdom spends 11.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Timor-Leste, that number is 9.6% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 94.3% less coastline

United Kingdom has a total of 12,429 km of coastline. In Timor-Leste, that number is 706 km.

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Safety

be 5.0 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 Timor-Leste, they kill 12.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 100.0% less home broadband

United Kingdom has 42.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Timor-Leste has 0.0 as of 2024.

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live with 97.0% more strain on fresh water

United Kingdom withdraws 14% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Timor-Leste withdraws 28% as of 2022.

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Environment

emit 88.2% less CO2

United Kingdom emits 4.2 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Timor-Leste emits 0.5 tonnes as of 2024.

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be 4.7 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 Timor-Leste, it causes 61.0 as of 2019.

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Sources: World Bank (2017–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), The World Factbook (2014), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Compare further: United Kingdom vs. Timor-Leste

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Timor-Leste is 35.8% cheaper than United Kingdom overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
United Kingdom is about 16 times bigger than Timor-Leste.
→
Moving from United Kingdom to Timor-Leste · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
→

Timor-Leste: At a glance

Timor-Leste is a sovereign country in East/Southeast Asia, with a total land area of approximately 14,874 sq km. The Portuguese began to trade with the island of Timor in the early 16th century and colonized it in mid-century. Skirmishing with the Dutch in the region eventually resulted in an 1859 treaty in which Portugal ceded the western portion of the island. Imperial Japan occupied Portuguese Timor from 1942 to 1945, but Portugal resumed colonial authority after the Japanese defeat in World War II. East Timor declared itself independent from Portugal on 28 November 1975 and was invaded and occupied by Indonesian forces nine days later. It was incorporated into Indonesia in July 1976 as the province of Timor Timur (East Timor). An unsuccessful campaign of pacification followed over the next two decades, during which an estimated 100,000 to 250,000 individuals lost their lives. On 30 August 1999, in a UN-supervised popular referendum, an overwhelming majority of the people of Timor-Leste voted for independence from Indonesia. However, in the next three weeks, anti-independence Timorese militias - organized and supported by the Indonesian military - commenced a large-scale, scorched-earth campaign of retribution. The militias killed approximately 1,400 Timorese and forcibly pushed 300,000 people into western Timor as refugees. Most of the country's infrastructure, including homes, irrigation systems, water supply systems, and schools, and nearly 100% of the country's electrical grid were destroyed. On 20 September 1999, Australian-led peacekeeping troops deployed to the country and brought the violence to an end. On 20 May 2002, Timor-Leste was internationally recognized as an independent state. In 2006, internal tensions threatened the new nation's security when a military strike led to violence and a breakdown of law and order. At Dili's request, an Australian-led International Stabilization Force (ISF) deployed to Timor-Leste, and the UN Security Council established the UN Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT), which included an authorized police presence of over 1,600 personnel. The ISF and UNMIT restored stability, allowing for presidential and parliamentary elections in 2007 in a largely peaceful atmosphere. In February 2008, a rebel group staged an unsuccessful attack against the president and prime minister. The ringleader was killed in the attack, and most of the rebels surrendered in April 2008. Since the attack, the government has enjoyed one of its longest periods of post-independence stability, including successful 2012 elections for both the parliament and president. In late 2012, the UN Security Council voted to end its peacekeeping mission in Timor-Leste and both the ISF and UNMIT departed the country by the end of the year.
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