Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Switzerland instead of Canada, you would:
Health
live 2.3 years longer
In Canada, 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 56.5% less likely to be obese
In Canada, 26.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Switzerland, that number is 11.3% of people as of 2024.
see 38.7% more spent on your healthcare
Canada spends $7,646 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Switzerland spends $10,602 as of 2023.
have 58.8% more doctors per person
Canada has 28.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Switzerland has 44.8 as of 2022.
be 48.5% more likely to die by suicide
Canada has a suicide rate of 9.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Switzerland, it is 14.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 29.5% less likely to be unemployed
In Canada, 6.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Switzerland, that number is 4.9% as of 2025.
make 2.1 times more money
Canada has a GDP per capita of $55,698 as of 2025, while in Switzerland, the GDP per capita is $114,769 as of 2025.
Life
be 58.3% less likely to die during childbirth
In Canada, approximately 12.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Switzerland, 5.0 women do as of 2023.
be 27.7% less likely to die during infancy
In Canada, approximately 4.7 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.
Safety
be 69.7% less likely to be murdered
Canada has a homicide rate of 2.0 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Switzerland, that number is 0.6 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 48.9% less likely to die in a road accident
In Canada, road accidents kill 4.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Switzerland, they kill 2.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 18.3% less likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Canada, 88% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2019. In Switzerland, that number is 72% as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 10.6% more home broadband
Canada has 42.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Switzerland has 47.0 as of 2024.
live with 74.7% more strain on fresh water
Canada withdraws 4% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Switzerland withdraws 6% as of 2022.
use 49.5% less electricity
Canada uses 14,093 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Switzerland uses 7,117 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
emit 73.2% less CO2
Canada emits 14.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Switzerland emits 3.8 tonnes as of 2024.
be 25.0% more likely to die from air pollution
In Canada, air pollution causes 8.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Switzerland, it causes 10.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Canada vs. Switzerland
Switzerland: At a glance
How big is Switzerland compared to Canada? See an in-depth size comparison.