Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Switzerland instead of Belgium, you would:
Health
live 2.1 years longer
In Belgium, the average life expectancy is 82 years (80 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2024. In Switzerland, that number is 84 years (83 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2024.
be 45.9% less likely to be obese
In Belgium, 20.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Switzerland, that number is 11.3% of people as of 2024.
see 41.6% more spent on your healthcare
Belgium spends $7,489 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Switzerland spends $10,602 as of 2023.
have 25.3% more doctors per person
Belgium has 35.7 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Switzerland has 44.8 as of 2022.
be 23.6% less likely to die by suicide
Belgium has a suicide rate of 18.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Switzerland, it is 14.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 17.6% less likely to be unemployed
In Belgium, 5.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Switzerland, that number is 4.9% as of 2025.
make 88.9% more money
Belgium has a GDP per capita of $60,750 as of 2025, while in Switzerland, the GDP per capita is $114,769 as of 2025.
be 28.5% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Belgium, 12.3% live below the poverty line as of 2022. In Switzerland, however, that number is 15.8% as of 2021.
Life
be 25.0% more likely to die during childbirth
In Belgium, approximately 4.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Switzerland, 5.0 women do as of 2023.
Expenditures
spend 22.6% less on education
Belgium spends 6.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Switzerland spends 4.9% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
Safety
be 44.4% less likely to be murdered
Belgium has a homicide rate of 1.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Switzerland, that number is 0.6 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 15.8% more likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Belgium, 62% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2021. In Switzerland, that number is 72% as of 2021.
be 47.8% less likely to die in a road accident
In Belgium, road accidents kill 4.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Switzerland, they kill 2.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 87.7% less strain on fresh water
Belgium withdraws 53% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Switzerland withdraws 6% as of 2022.
Environment
be 33.3% less likely to die from air pollution
In Belgium, air pollution causes 15.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Switzerland, it causes 10.0 as of 2019.
emit 48.7% less CO2
Belgium emits 7.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Switzerland emits 3.8 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Belgium vs. Switzerland
Switzerland: At a glance
How big is Switzerland compared to Belgium? See an in-depth size comparison.