Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Bhutan instead of Vietnam, you would:
Health
be 32.9% less likely to die by suicide
Vietnam has a suicide rate of 7.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Bhutan, it is 4.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 1.5 years less
In Vietnam, the average life expectancy is 75 years (70 years for men, 79 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 5.4 times more likely to be obese
In Vietnam, 2.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Bhutan, that number is 13.1% of people as of 2024.
have 50.0% fewer doctors per person
Vietnam has 11.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. Bhutan has 5.5 as of 2022.
have 11.8% less access to essential health services
Vietnam scores 68 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Bhutan scores 60 as of 2021.
Economy
be 2.1 times more likely to be unemployed
In Vietnam, 1.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Bhutan, that number is 3.2% as of 2025.
be 3.0 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Vietnam, 4.2% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Bhutan, however, that number is 12.4% as of 2022.
make 11.3% less money
Vietnam has a GDP per capita of $5,066 as of 2025, while in Bhutan, the GDP per capita is $4,493 as of 2025.
Life
be 32.5% less likely to be literate
In Vietnam, the literacy rate is 96.1% as of 2022. In Bhutan, it is 64.9% as of 2022.
be 14.2% more likely to die during infancy
In Vietnam, approximately 12.0 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 2.0 times more on education
Vietnam spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Bhutan spends 5.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
Safety
be 31.1% less likely to die in a road accident
In Vietnam, road accidents kill 17.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Bhutan, they kill 12.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 92.2% less strain on fresh water
Vietnam withdraws 18% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Bhutan withdraws 1% as of 2022.
find 87.7% less home broadband
Vietnam has 23.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Bhutan has 2.9 as of 2024.
Environment
emit 52.9% less CO2
Vietnam emits 4.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Bhutan emits 2.0 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Vietnam vs. Bhutan
Bhutan: At a glance
How big is Bhutan compared to Vietnam? See an in-depth size comparison.