Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Brunei instead of Vietnam, you would:
Health
live 0.8 years longer
In Vietnam, the average life expectancy is 75 years (70 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2024. In Brunei, that number is 76 years (73 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2024.
see 2.7 times more spent on your healthcare
Vietnam spends $690 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Brunei spends $1,896 as of 2023.
have 70.4% more doctors per person
Vietnam has 11.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. Brunei has 18.9 as of 2021.
have 14.7% more access to essential health services
Vietnam scores 68 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Brunei scores 78 as of 2021.
be 58.2% less likely to die by suicide
Vietnam has a suicide rate of 7.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Brunei, it is 3.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 15.4 times more likely to be obese
In Vietnam, 2.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Brunei, that number is 37.0% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 6.4 times more money
Vietnam has a GDP per capita of $5,066 as of 2025, while in Brunei, the GDP per capita is $32,235 as of 2025.
be 3.5 times more likely to be unemployed
In Vietnam, 1.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Brunei, that number is 5.3% as of 2025.
Life
be 25.0% less likely to die during childbirth
In Vietnam, approximately 48.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Brunei, 36.0 women do as of 2023.
be 28.3% less 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 Brunei, on the other hand, 8.6 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 14.4% more likely to have internet access
In Vietnam, approximately 84.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Brunei, about 96.3% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 51.1% less on healthcare
Vietnam spends 4.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Brunei, that number is 2.2% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 95.3% less coastline
Vietnam has a total of 3,444 km of coastline. In Brunei, that number is 161 km.
Safety
be 66.7% less likely to be murdered
Vietnam has a homicide rate of 1.5 per 100,000 people as of 2011. In Brunei, that number is 0.5 per 100,000 as of 2013.
be 79.7% less likely to die in a road accident
In Vietnam, road accidents kill 17.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Brunei, they kill 3.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 80.9% less strain on fresh water
Vietnam withdraws 18% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Brunei withdraws 3% as of 2022.
use 4.1 times more electricity
Vietnam uses 2,585 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Brunei uses 10,674 kWh as of 2023.
find 10.7% less home broadband
Vietnam has 23.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Brunei has 21.2 as of 2024.
Environment
be 61.5% less likely to die from air pollution
In Vietnam, air pollution causes 52.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Brunei, it causes 20.0 as of 2019.
emit 4.7 times more CO2
Vietnam emits 4.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Brunei emits 20.2 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2011–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Vietnam vs. Brunei
Brunei: At a glance
How big is Brunei compared to Vietnam? See an in-depth size comparison.