If you lived in Switzerland instead of Cabo Verde, you would:

Health

live 8.2 years longer

In Cabo Verde, the average life expectancy is 76 years (73 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2024. In Switzerland, that number is 84 years (83 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 32.5% less likely to be obese

In Cabo Verde, 16.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Switzerland, that number is 11.3% of people as of 2024.

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see 17.2 times more spent on your healthcare

Cabo Verde spends $617 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Switzerland spends $10,602 as of 2023.

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have 6.1 times more doctors per person

Cabo Verde has 7.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Switzerland has 44.8 as of 2022.

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have 21.1% more access to essential health services

Cabo Verde scores 71 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Switzerland scores 86 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 59.2% less likely to be unemployed

In Cabo Verde, 11.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Switzerland, that number is 4.9% as of 2025.

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be 36.3% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Cabo Verde, 24.8% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Switzerland, however, that number is 15.8% as of 2021.

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make 19.8 times more money

Cabo Verde has a GDP per capita of $5,796 as of 2025, while in Switzerland, the GDP per capita is $114,769 as of 2025.

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Life

be 87.5% less likely to die during childbirth

In Cabo Verde, approximately 40.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Switzerland, 5.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 67.9% less likely to die during infancy

In Cabo Verde, approximately 10.6 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.

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have 28.8% fewer children

In Cabo Verde, there are approximately 12.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Switzerland, there are 8.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 30.2% more likely to have internet access

In Cabo Verde, approximately 74.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Switzerland, about 97.3% do as of 2025.

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Expenditures

spend 11.7% more on education

Cabo Verde spends 4.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Switzerland spends 4.9% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

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spend 99.8% more on healthcare

Cabo Verde spends 5.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Switzerland, that number is 11.7% of GDP as of 2023.

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Safety

be 91.4% less likely to be murdered

Cabo Verde has a homicide rate of 7.0 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In Switzerland, that number is 0.6 per 100,000 as of 2023.

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be 85.5% less likely to die in a road accident

In Cabo Verde, road accidents kill 16.5 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Switzerland, they kill 2.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 5.7 times more home broadband

Cabo Verde has 8.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Switzerland has 47.0 as of 2024.

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live with 89.1% less strain on fresh water

Cabo Verde withdraws 60% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Switzerland withdraws 6% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 83.1% less likely to die from air pollution

In Cabo Verde, air pollution causes 59.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Switzerland, it causes 10.0 as of 2019.

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emit 2.9 times more CO2

Cabo Verde emits 1.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Switzerland emits 3.8 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Switzerland: At a glance

Switzerland is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 39,997 sq km. The Swiss Confederation was founded in 1291 as a defensive alliance among three cantons. In succeeding years, other localities joined the original three. The Swiss Confederation secured its independence from the Holy Roman Empire in 1499. A constitution of 1848, subsequently modified in 1874, replaced the confederation with a centralized federal government. Switzerland's sovereignty and neutrality have long been honored by the major European powers, and the country was not involved in either of the two world wars. The political and economic integration of Europe over the past half century, as well as Switzerland's role in many UN and international organizations, has strengthened Switzerland's ties with its neighbors. However, the country did not officially become a UN member until 2002. Switzerland remains active in many UN and international organizations but retains a strong commitment to neutrality.
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How big is Switzerland compared to Cabo Verde? See an in-depth size comparison.

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