Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Iceland instead of Bhutan, you would:

Health

live 11.3 years longer

In Bhutan, the average life expectancy is 72 years (71 years for men, 73 years for women) as of 2022. In Iceland, that number is 84 years (81 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2022.

be 3.4 times more likely to be obese

In Bhutan, 6.4% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Iceland, that number is 21.9% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 4.8 times more money

Bhutan has a GDP per capita of $11,600 as of 2021, while in Iceland, the GDP per capita is $55,600 as of 2022.

be 36.3% less likely to be unemployed

In Bhutan, 6.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Iceland, that number is 3.8% as of 2022.

be 29.0% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Bhutan, 12.4% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Iceland, however, that number is 8.8% as of 2017.

Life

be 95.0% less likely to die during childbirth

In Bhutan, approximately 60.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Iceland, 3.0 women do as of 2020.

be 93.9% less likely to die during infancy

In Bhutan, approximately 27.0 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Iceland, on the other hand, 1.6 children do as of 2022.

have 17.6% fewer children

In Bhutan, there are approximately 15.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Iceland, there are 12.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 16.3% more likely to have internet access

In Bhutan, approximately 86.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Iceland, about 100.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 10.0% more on education

Bhutan spends 7.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Iceland spends 7.7% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 2.2 times more on healthcare

Bhutan spends 4.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Iceland, that number is 9.6% of GDP as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

Iceland: At a glance

Iceland is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 100,250 sq km. Settled by Norwegian and Celtic (Scottish and Irish) immigrants during the late 9th and 10th centuries A.D., Iceland boasts the world's oldest functioning legislative assembly, the Althing, established in 930. Independent for over 300 years, Iceland was subsequently ruled by Norway and Denmark. Fallout from the Askja volcano of 1875 devastated the Icelandic economy and caused widespread famine. Over the next quarter century, 20% of the island's population emigrated, mostly to Canada and the US. Denmark granted limited home rule in 1874 and complete independence in 1944. The second half of the 20th century saw substantial economic growth driven primarily by the fishing industry. The economy diversified greatly after the country joined the European Economic Area in 1994, but Iceland was especially hard hit by the global financial crisis in the years following 2008. Literacy, longevity, and social cohesion are first rate by world standards.
Read more

How big is Iceland compared to Bhutan? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Iceland.or Bhutan It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.