Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 2.8 years longer

In Bhutan, the average life expectancy is 72 years (71 years for men, 73 years for women) as of 2022. In Vanuatu, that number is 75 years (73 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2022.

be 3.9 times more likely to be obese

In Bhutan, 6.4% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Vanuatu, that number is 25.2% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 78.6% less money

Bhutan has a GDP per capita of $14,000 as of 2022, while in Vanuatu, the GDP per capita is $3,000 as of 2023.

be 28.2% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Bhutan, 12.4% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Vanuatu, however, that number is 15.9% as of 2020.

Life

be 25.7% more likely to be literate

In Bhutan, the literacy rate is 70.9% as of 2021. In Vanuatu, it is 89.1% as of 2021.

be 47.0% 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 Vanuatu, on the other hand, 14.3 children do as of 2022.

have 35.9% more children

In Bhutan, there are approximately 15.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Vanuatu, there are 20.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 56.7% more likely to die during childbirth

In Bhutan, approximately 60.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Vanuatu, 94.0 women do as of 2020.

Basic Needs

be 30.0% less likely to have access to electricity

In Bhutan, approximately 100% of the population has electricity access as of 2022. In Vanuatu, 70% of the population do as of 2022.

be 23.3% less likely to have internet access

In Bhutan, approximately 86.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Vanuatu, about 66.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 67.1% less on education

Bhutan spends 7.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Vanuatu spends 2.3% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

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

Vanuatu: At a glance

Vanuatu is a sovereign country in Australia-Oceania, with a total land area of approximately 12,189 sq km. Multiple waves of colonizers, each speaking a distinct language, migrated to the New Hebrides in the millennia preceding European exploration in the 18th century. This settlement pattern accounts for the complex linguistic diversity found on the archipelago to this day. The British and French, who settled the New Hebrides in the 19th century, agreed in 1906 to an Anglo-French Condominium, which administered the islands until independence in 1980, when the new name of Vanuatu was adopted.
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How big is Vanuatu compared to Bhutan? See an in-depth size comparison.

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