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

Health

be 90.0% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Rwanda, 2.0% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Switzerland, that number is 0.2% of people as of 2024.

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live 16.4 years longer

In Rwanda, the average life expectancy is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 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 59.9 times more spent on your healthcare

Rwanda spends $177 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Switzerland spends $10,602 as of 2023.

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have 49.7 times more doctors per person

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

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have 75.5% more access to essential health services

Rwanda scores 49 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Switzerland scores 86 as of 2021.

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be 2.0 times more likely to be obese

In Rwanda, 5.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Switzerland, that number is 11.3% of people as of 2024.

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be 61.5% more likely to die by suicide

Rwanda has a suicide rate of 8.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Switzerland, it is 14.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 57.1% less likely to be unemployed

In Rwanda, 11.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Switzerland, that number is 4.9% as of 2025.

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be 42.3% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Rwanda, 27.4% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Switzerland, however, that number is 15.8% as of 2021.

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make 102.1 times more money

Rwanda has a GDP per capita of $1,124 as of 2025, while in Switzerland, the GDP per capita is $114,769 as of 2025.

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Life

be 97.8% less likely to die during childbirth

In Rwanda, approximately 229.0 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 88.4% less likely to die during infancy

In Rwanda, approximately 29.4 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 69.0% fewer children

In Rwanda, there are approximately 28.1 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 56.5% more likely to have access to electricity

In Rwanda, approximately 64% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 58% 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 3.1 times more likely to have internet access

In Rwanda, approximately 31.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Switzerland, about 97.3% do as of 2025.

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be 62.9% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Rwanda, approximately 61% of people have access to drinking water (88% in urban areas, and 56% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Switzerland, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 2.3 times more on healthcare

Rwanda spends 5.1% 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 83.4% less likely to be murdered

Rwanda has a homicide rate of 3.6 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In Switzerland, that number is 0.6 per 100,000 as of 2023.

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be 79.3% less likely to die in a road accident

In Rwanda, road accidents kill 11.6 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 78.4 times more home broadband

Rwanda has 0.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Switzerland has 47.0 as of 2024.

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live with 67.8% less strain on fresh water

Rwanda withdraws 20% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Switzerland withdraws 6% as of 2022.

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use 92.8 times more electricity

Rwanda uses 77 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Switzerland uses 7,117 kWh as of 2024.

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Environment

be 83.9% less likely to die from air pollution

In Rwanda, air pollution causes 62.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Switzerland, it causes 10.0 as of 2019.

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emit 23.4 times more CO2

Rwanda 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 (2020–2025), 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.
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