Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Bhutan instead of Vanuatu, you would:
Health
live 1.6 years longer
In Vanuatu, the average life expectancy is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024. In Bhutan, that number is 73 years (72 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024.
be 42.1% less likely to be obese
In Vanuatu, 22.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Bhutan, that number is 13.1% of people as of 2024.
see 4.8 times more spent on your healthcare
Vanuatu spends $141 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Bhutan spends $677 as of 2023.
have 3.4 times more doctors per person
Vanuatu has 1.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2019. Bhutan has 5.5 as of 2022.
have 27.7% more access to essential health services
Vanuatu scores 47 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Bhutan scores 60 as of 2021.
be 68.8% less likely to die by suicide
Vanuatu has a suicide rate of 15.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Bhutan, it is 4.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 36.3% less likely to be unemployed
In Vanuatu, 5.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Bhutan, that number is 3.2% as of 2025.
be 22.0% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Vanuatu, 15.9% live below the poverty line as of 2020. In Bhutan, however, that number is 12.4% as of 2022.
make 11.2% more money
Vanuatu has a GDP per capita of $4,039 as of 2025, while in Bhutan, the GDP per capita is $4,493 as of 2025.
Life
be 53.0% less likely to die during childbirth
In Vanuatu, approximately 100.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Bhutan, 47.0 women do as of 2023.
be 26.2% less likely to be literate
In Vanuatu, the literacy rate is 88.0% as of 2023. In Bhutan, it is 64.9% as of 2022.
have 54.7% fewer children
In Vanuatu, there are approximately 27.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Bhutan, there are 12.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 62.3% more likely to have access to electricity
In Vanuatu, approximately 62% of people have electricity access (88% in urban areas, and 54% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Bhutan, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 30.6% more likely to have internet access
In Vanuatu, approximately 69.9% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Bhutan, about 91.3% do as of 2024.
be 14.3% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Vanuatu, approximately 87% of people have access to drinking water (97% in urban areas, and 84% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Bhutan, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 99% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 23.4% less on education
Vanuatu spends 7.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Bhutan spends 5.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
Safety
be 7.5 times more likely to be murdered
Vanuatu has a homicide rate of 0.3 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In Bhutan, that number is 2.5 per 100,000 as of 2020.
Infrastructure
find 2.5 times more home broadband
Vanuatu has 1.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Bhutan has 2.9 as of 2024.
Environment
emit 2.3 times more CO2
Vanuatu emits 0.9 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Bhutan emits 2.0 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021–2022), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2020). How we calculate this
Compare further: Vanuatu vs. Bhutan
Bhutan: At a glance
How big is Bhutan compared to Vanuatu? See an in-depth size comparison.