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

Health

have 23.2% more doctors per person

Switzerland has 44.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Austria has 55.1 as of 2023.

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live 2.4 years less

In Switzerland, the average life expectancy is 84 years (83 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2024. In Austria, that number is 82 years (80 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 46.4% more likely to be obese

In Switzerland, 11.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Austria, that number is 16.5% of people as of 2024.

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see 22.2% less spent on your healthcare

Switzerland spends $10,602 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Austria spends $8,250 as of 2024.

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Economy

be 14.6% more likely to be unemployed

In Switzerland, 4.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Austria, that number is 5.6% as of 2025.

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make 45.2% less money

Switzerland has a GDP per capita of $114,769 as of 2025, while in Austria, the GDP per capita is $62,930 as of 2025.

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Life

be 17.6% less likely to die during infancy

In Switzerland, approximately 3.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Austria, on the other hand, 2.8 children do as of 2024.

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be 20.0% more likely to die during childbirth

In Switzerland, approximately 5.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Austria, 6.0 women do as of 2023.

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Safety

be 46.7% more likely to be murdered

Switzerland has a homicide rate of 0.6 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Austria, that number is 0.9 per 100,000 as of 2023.

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be 91.7% more likely to die in a road accident

In Switzerland, road accidents kill 2.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Austria, they kill 4.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

use 11.0% more electricity

Switzerland uses 7,117 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Austria uses 7,897 kWh as of 2024.

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find 35.9% less home broadband

Switzerland has 47.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Austria has 30.1 as of 2024.

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live with 33.5% more strain on fresh water

Switzerland withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Austria withdraws 9% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 70.0% more likely to die from air pollution

In Switzerland, air pollution causes 10.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Austria, it causes 17.0 as of 2019.

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emit 68.5% more CO2

Switzerland emits 3.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Austria emits 6.3 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Austria: At a glance

Austria is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 82,445 sq km. Once the center of power for the large Austro-Hungarian Empire, Austria was reduced to a small republic after its defeat in World War I. Following annexation by Nazi Germany in 1938 and subsequent occupation by the victorious Allies in 1945, Austria's status remained unclear for a decade. A State Treaty signed in 1955 ended the occupation, recognized Austria's independence, and forbade unification with Germany. A constitutional law that same year declared the country's "perpetual neutrality" as a condition for Soviet military withdrawal. The Soviet Union's collapse in 1991 and Austria's entry into the European Union in 1995 have altered the meaning of this neutrality. A prosperous, democratic country, Austria entered the EU Economic and Monetary Union in 1999.
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How big is Austria compared to Switzerland? See an in-depth size comparison.

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