Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Switzerland instead of Malta, you would:
Health
live 1.5 years longer
In Malta, the average life expectancy is 83 years (81 years for men, 85 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 63.1% less likely to be obese
In Malta, 30.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Switzerland, that number is 11.3% of people as of 2024.
see 85.8% more spent on your healthcare
Malta spends $5,706 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Switzerland spends $10,602 as of 2023.
be 2.2 times more likely to die by suicide
Malta has a suicide rate of 6.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Switzerland, it is 14.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 2.4 times more money
Malta has a GDP per capita of $47,907 as of 2025, while in Switzerland, the GDP per capita is $114,769 as of 2025.
be 67.9% more likely to be unemployed
In Malta, 2.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Switzerland, that number is 4.9% as of 2025.
Life
be 37.5% less likely to die during childbirth
In Malta, approximately 8.0 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 Malta, 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.
have 13.0% more children
In Malta, there are approximately 7.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Switzerland, there are 8.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 32.2% more on healthcare
Malta spends 8.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Switzerland, that number is 11.7% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 26.3% more likely to die in a road accident
In Malta, road accidents kill 1.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Switzerland, they kill 2.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 91.0% less strain on fresh water
Malta withdraws 73% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Switzerland withdraws 6% as of 2022.
use 42.0% more electricity
Malta uses 5,013 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Switzerland uses 7,117 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 52.4% less likely to die from air pollution
In Malta, air pollution causes 21.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Switzerland, it causes 10.0 as of 2019.
emit 17.9% more CO2
Malta emits 3.2 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: Malta vs. Switzerland
Switzerland: At a glance
How big is Switzerland compared to Malta? See an in-depth size comparison.