Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Bhutan instead of United States, you would:
Health
be 68.1% less likely to be obese
In United States, 41.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Bhutan, that number is 13.1% of people as of 2024.
be 68.7% less likely to die by suicide
United States has a suicide rate of 15.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Bhutan, it is 4.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 5.6 years less
In United States, the average life expectancy is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 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 95.0% less spent on your healthcare
United States spends $13,473 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Bhutan spends $677 as of 2023.
have 85.0% fewer doctors per person
United States has 36.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Bhutan has 5.5 as of 2022.
have 30.2% less access to essential health services
United States scores 86 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Bhutan scores 60 as of 2021.
Economy
be 23.1% less likely to be unemployed
In United States, 4.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Bhutan, that number is 3.2% as of 2025.
make 95.0% less money
United States has a GDP per capita of $90,027 as of 2025, while in Bhutan, the GDP per capita is $4,493 as of 2025.
Life
have 18.2% more children
In United States, there are approximately 10.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Bhutan, there are 12.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 2.8 times more likely to die during childbirth
In United States, approximately 17.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Bhutan, 47.0 women do as of 2023.
be 2.5 times more likely to die during infancy
In United States, approximately 5.5 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 73.5% less on healthcare
United States spends 16.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Bhutan, that number is 4.4% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 57.1% less likely to be murdered
United States has a homicide rate of 5.8 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Bhutan, that number is 2.5 per 100,000 as of 2020.
be 14.1% less likely to die in a road accident
In United States, road accidents kill 14.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Bhutan, they kill 12.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 95.0% less strain on fresh water
United States withdraws 28% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Bhutan withdraws 1% as of 2022.
find 92.5% less home broadband
United States has 38.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Bhutan has 2.9 as of 2024.
Environment
emit 85.2% less CO2
United States emits 13.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Bhutan emits 2.0 tonnes as of 2024.
be 4.1 times more likely to die from air pollution
In United States, air pollution causes 14.0 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 States vs. Bhutan
Bhutan: At a glance
How big is Bhutan compared to United States? See an in-depth size comparison.