Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Switzerland instead of Bulgaria, you would:
Health
live 8.6 years longer
In Bulgaria, the average life expectancy is 76 years (72 years for men, 80 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 44.4% less likely to be obese
In Bulgaria, 20.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Switzerland, that number is 11.3% of people as of 2024.
see 3.6 times more spent on your healthcare
Bulgaria spends $2,970 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Switzerland spends $10,602 as of 2023.
have 17.8% more access to essential health services
Bulgaria scores 73 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Switzerland scores 86 as of 2021.
be 47.4% more likely to die by suicide
Bulgaria has a suicide rate of 9.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Switzerland, it is 14.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 25.5% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Bulgaria, 21.2% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Switzerland, however, that number is 15.8% as of 2021.
make 5.6 times more money
Bulgaria has a GDP per capita of $20,328 as of 2025, while in Switzerland, the GDP per capita is $114,769 as of 2025.
be 37.6% more likely to be unemployed
In Bulgaria, 3.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Switzerland, that number is 4.9% as of 2025.
Life
be 16.7% less likely to die during childbirth
In Bulgaria, approximately 6.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Switzerland, 5.0 women do as of 2023.
be 26.1% less likely to die during infancy
In Bulgaria, approximately 4.6 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Switzerland, on the other hand, 3.4 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 18.0% more likely to have internet access
In Bulgaria, approximately 82.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Switzerland, about 97.3% do as of 2025.
Expenditures
spend 47.6% more on healthcare
Bulgaria spends 7.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Switzerland, that number is 11.7% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 45.0% less likely to be murdered
Bulgaria has a homicide rate of 1.1 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Switzerland, that number is 0.6 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 71.4% less likely to die in a road accident
In Bulgaria, road accidents kill 8.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Switzerland, they kill 2.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 16.8% less likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Bulgaria, 86% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2020. In Switzerland, that number is 72% as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 27.0% more home broadband
Bulgaria has 37.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Switzerland has 47.0 as of 2024.
live with 83.8% less strain on fresh water
Bulgaria withdraws 40% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Switzerland withdraws 6% as of 2022.
use 32.8% more electricity
Bulgaria uses 5,360 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Switzerland uses 7,117 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 84.1% less likely to die from air pollution
In Bulgaria, air pollution causes 63.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Switzerland, it causes 10.0 as of 2019.
emit 29.4% less CO2
Bulgaria emits 5.3 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: Bulgaria vs. Switzerland
Switzerland: At a glance
How big is Switzerland compared to Bulgaria? See an in-depth size comparison.