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

Health

live 8.0 years longer

In Romania, the average life expectancy is 76 years (73 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024. In Switzerland, that number is 84 years (83 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 65.2% less likely to be obese

In Romania, 32.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Switzerland, that number is 11.3% of people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

see 4.1 times more spent on your healthcare

Romania spends $2,614 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Switzerland spends $10,602 as of 2023.

View global rankings →

have 23.5% more doctors per person

Romania has 36.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Switzerland has 44.8 as of 2022.

View global rankings →

have 10.3% more access to essential health services

Romania scores 78 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Switzerland scores 86 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

be 45.7% more likely to die by suicide

Romania has a suicide rate of 9.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Switzerland, it is 14.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

Economy

be 18.7% less likely to be unemployed

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

View global rankings →

be 14.1% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Romania, 18.4% live below the poverty line as of 2024. In Switzerland, however, that number is 15.8% as of 2021.

View global rankings →

make 5.1 times more money

Romania has a GDP per capita of $22,538 as of 2025, while in Switzerland, the GDP per capita is $114,769 as of 2025.

View global rankings →

Life

be 58.3% less likely to die during childbirth

In Romania, 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.

View global rankings →

be 43.3% less likely to die during infancy

In Romania, approximately 6.0 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.

View global rankings →

have 16.0% more children

In Romania, there are approximately 7.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Switzerland, there are 8.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Expenditures

spend 48.2% more on education

Romania spends 3.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Switzerland spends 4.9% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

View global rankings →

spend 2.0 times more on healthcare

Romania spends 5.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Switzerland, that number is 11.7% of GDP as of 2023.

View global rankings →

Safety

be 45.9% less likely to be murdered

Romania has a homicide rate of 1.1 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Switzerland, that number is 0.6 per 100,000 as of 2023.

View global rankings →

be 75.0% less likely to die in a road accident

In Romania, road accidents kill 9.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Switzerland, they kill 2.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

Infrastructure

find 31.3% more home broadband

Romania has 35.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Switzerland has 47.0 as of 2024.

View global rankings →

live with 14.8% less strain on fresh water

Romania withdraws 8% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Switzerland withdraws 6% as of 2022.

View global rankings →

use 2.8 times more electricity

Romania uses 2,585 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Switzerland uses 7,117 kWh as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Environment

be 78.3% less likely to die from air pollution

In Romania, air pollution causes 46.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Switzerland, it causes 10.0 as of 2019.

View global rankings →


Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), 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.
Read more

How big is Switzerland compared to Romania? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

Ask the Elsewhere Community

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Switzerland or Romania. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.