Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Switzerland instead of Denmark, you would:
Health
live 2.2 years longer
In Denmark, 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 21.2% less likely to be obese
In Denmark, 14.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Switzerland, that number is 11.3% of people as of 2024.
see 46.0% more spent on your healthcare
Denmark spends $7,262 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Switzerland spends $10,602 as of 2023.
be 34.0% more likely to die by suicide
Denmark has a suicide rate of 10.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Switzerland, it is 14.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 11.9% less likely to be unemployed
In Denmark, 5.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Switzerland, that number is 4.9% as of 2025.
make 49.1% more money
Denmark has a GDP per capita of $76,970 as of 2025, while in Switzerland, the GDP per capita is $114,769 as of 2025.
be 27.4% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Denmark, 12.4% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Switzerland, however, that number is 15.8% as of 2021.
Life
be 25.0% more likely to die during childbirth
In Denmark, 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 23.6% less on education
Denmark spends 6.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Switzerland spends 4.9% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 24.5% more on healthcare
Denmark spends 9.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Switzerland, that number is 11.7% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 28.6% less likely to be murdered
Denmark has a homicide rate of 0.8 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Switzerland, that number is 0.6 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Infrastructure
live with 74.3% less strain on fresh water
Denmark withdraws 25% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Switzerland withdraws 6% as of 2022.
use 15.4% more electricity
Denmark uses 6,165 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Switzerland uses 7,117 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 23.1% less likely to die from air pollution
In Denmark, air pollution causes 13.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Switzerland, it causes 10.0 as of 2019.
emit 12.4% less CO2
Denmark emits 4.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Switzerland emits 3.8 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019). How we calculate this
Compare further: Denmark vs. Switzerland
Switzerland: At a glance
How big is Switzerland compared to Denmark? See an in-depth size comparison.