Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Bulgaria instead of Vietnam, you would:
Health
live 1.0 years longer
In Vietnam, the average life expectancy is 75 years (70 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2024. In Bulgaria, that number is 76 years (72 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024.
see 4.3 times more spent on your healthcare
Vietnam spends $690 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Bulgaria spends $2,970 as of 2023.
have 3.9 times more doctors per person
Vietnam has 11.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. Bulgaria has 43.3 as of 2022.
be 8.5 times more likely to be obese
In Vietnam, 2.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Bulgaria, that number is 20.3% of people as of 2024.
be 30.3% more likely to die by suicide
Vietnam has a suicide rate of 7.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Bulgaria, it is 9.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 4.0 times more money
Vietnam has a GDP per capita of $5,066 as of 2025, while in Bulgaria, the GDP per capita is $20,328 as of 2025.
be 2.3 times more likely to be unemployed
In Vietnam, 1.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Bulgaria, that number is 3.5% as of 2025.
be 5.0 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Vietnam, 4.2% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Bulgaria, however, that number is 21.2% as of 2024.
Life
be 87.5% 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 Bulgaria, 6.0 women do as of 2023.
be 61.7% 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 Bulgaria, on the other hand, 4.6 children do as of 2024.
have 38.2% fewer children
In Vietnam, there are approximately 13.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Bulgaria, there are 8.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 55.7% more on education
Vietnam spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Bulgaria spends 4.5% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 73.7% more on healthcare
Vietnam spends 4.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Bulgaria, that number is 7.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 89.7% less coastline
Vietnam has a total of 3,444 km of coastline. In Bulgaria, that number is 354 km.
Safety
be 52.5% less likely to die in a road accident
In Vietnam, road accidents kill 17.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Bulgaria, they kill 8.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 56.1% more home broadband
Vietnam has 23.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Bulgaria has 37.0 as of 2023.
use 2.1 times more electricity
Vietnam uses 2,585 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Bulgaria uses 5,360 kWh as of 2023.
live with 2.2 times more strain on fresh water
Vietnam withdraws 18% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Bulgaria withdraws 40% as of 2022.
Environment
be 21.2% more likely to die from air pollution
In Vietnam, air pollution causes 52.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Bulgaria, it causes 63.0 as of 2019.
emit 24.4% more CO2
Vietnam emits 4.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Bulgaria emits 5.3 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Vietnam vs. Bulgaria
Bulgaria: At a glance
How big is Bulgaria compared to Vietnam? See an in-depth size comparison.