If you lived in Switzerland instead of Eritrea, you would:

Health

live 15.5 years longer

In Eritrea, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 71 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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see 122.5 times more spent on your healthcare

Eritrea spends $87 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Switzerland spends $10,602 as of 2023.

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have 50.9 times more doctors per person

Eritrea has 0.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Switzerland has 44.8 as of 2022.

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have 91.1% more access to essential health services

Eritrea scores 45 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Switzerland scores 86 as of 2021.

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be 2.6 times more likely to be obese

In Eritrea, 4.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Switzerland, that number is 11.3% of people as of 2024.

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Economy

be 18.6% less likely to be unemployed

In Eritrea, 6.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Switzerland, that number is 4.9% as of 2025.

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Life

be 98.3% less likely to die during childbirth

In Eritrea, approximately 291.0 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 86.2% less likely to die during infancy

In Eritrea, approximately 24.7 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.

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have 69.7% fewer children

In Eritrea, there are approximately 28.7 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 83.8% more likely to have access to electricity

In Eritrea, approximately 54% of people have electricity access (77% in urban areas, and 37% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Switzerland, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 3.7 times more likely to have internet access

In Eritrea, approximately 26.6% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Switzerland, about 97.3% do as of 2025.

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Expenditures

spend 3.2 times more on healthcare

Eritrea spends 3.7% 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 86.4% less likely to die in a road accident

In Eritrea, road accidents kill 17.7 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 276.6 times more home broadband

Eritrea has 0.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Switzerland has 47.0 as of 2024.

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live with 41.9% less strain on fresh water

Eritrea withdraws 11% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Switzerland withdraws 6% as of 2022.

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use 57.7 times more electricity

Eritrea uses 123 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Switzerland uses 7,117 kWh as of 2024.

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Environment

be 87.2% less likely to die from air pollution

In Eritrea, air pollution causes 78.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Switzerland, it causes 10.0 as of 2019.

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emit 17.0 times more CO2

Eritrea emits 0.2 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 (2022–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), 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 Eritrea? See an in-depth size comparison.

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