Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 10.2 years longer

In Bhutan, the average life expectancy is 72 years (71 years for men, 73 years for women) as of 2022. In Spain, that number is 83 years (80 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2022.

be 3.7 times more likely to be obese

In Bhutan, 6.4% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Spain, that number is 23.8% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 3.5 times more money

Bhutan has a GDP per capita of $11,600 as of 2021, while in Spain, the GDP per capita is $40,200 as of 2022.

be 2.2 times more likely to be unemployed

In Bhutan, 6.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Spain, that number is 12.9% as of 2022.

be 64.5% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Bhutan, 12.4% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Spain, however, that number is 20.4% as of 2021.

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 Spain, 3.0 women do as of 2020.

be 39.1% more likely to be literate

In Bhutan, the literacy rate is 70.9% as of 2021. In Spain, it is 98.6% as of 2020.

be 90.9% 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 Spain, on the other hand, 2.5 children do as of 2022.

have 53.6% fewer children

In Bhutan, there are approximately 15.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Spain, there are 7.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Expenditures

spend 34.3% less on education

Bhutan spends 7.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Spain spends 4.6% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 2.4 times more on healthcare

Bhutan spends 4.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Spain, that number is 10.7% of GDP as of 2020.

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

Spain: At a glance

Spain is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 498,980 sq km. Spain's powerful world empire of the 16th and 17th centuries ultimately yielded command of the seas to England. Subsequent failure to embrace the mercantile and industrial revolutions caused the country to fall behind Britain, France, and Germany in economic and political power. Spain remained neutral in World War I and II but suffered through a devastating civil war (1936-39). A peaceful transition to democracy following the death of dictator Francisco FRANCO in 1975, and rapid economic modernization (Spain joined the EU in 1986) gave Spain a dynamic and rapidly growing economy and made it a global champion of freedom and human rights. More recently the government has had to focus on measures to reverse a severe economic recession that began in mid-2008. Austerity measures implemented to reduce a large budget deficit and reassure foreign investors have led to one of the highest unemployment rates in Europe.
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How big is Spain compared to Bhutan? See an in-depth size comparison.

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