Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Bulgaria instead of Switzerland, you would:
Health
be 32.2% less likely to die by suicide
Switzerland has a suicide rate of 14.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Bulgaria, it is 9.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 8.6 years less
In Switzerland, the average life expectancy is 84 years (83 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2024. In Bulgaria, that number is 76 years (72 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024.
be 80.0% more likely to be obese
In Switzerland, 11.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Bulgaria, that number is 20.3% of people as of 2024.
see 72.0% less spent on your healthcare
Switzerland spends $10,602 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Bulgaria spends $2,970 as of 2023.
have 15.1% less access to essential health services
Switzerland scores 86 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Bulgaria scores 73 as of 2021.
Economy
be 27.3% less likely to be unemployed
In Switzerland, 4.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Bulgaria, that number is 3.5% as of 2025.
be 34.2% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Switzerland, 15.8% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Bulgaria, however, that number is 21.2% as of 2024.
make 82.3% less money
Switzerland has a GDP per capita of $114,769 as of 2025, while in Bulgaria, the GDP per capita is $20,328 as of 2025.
Life
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 Bulgaria, 6.0 women do as of 2023.
be 35.3% more 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 Bulgaria, on the other hand, 4.6 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 15.3% less likely to have internet access
In Switzerland, approximately 97.3% of the population has internet access as of 2025. In Bulgaria, about 82.4% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 32.2% less on healthcare
Switzerland spends 11.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Bulgaria, that number is 7.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 20.3% more likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Switzerland, 72% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2021. In Bulgaria, that number is 86% as of 2020.
be 81.7% more likely to be murdered
Switzerland has a homicide rate of 0.6 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Bulgaria, that number is 1.1 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 3.5 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Switzerland, road accidents kill 2.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Bulgaria, they kill 8.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 21.3% less home broadband
Switzerland has 47.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Bulgaria has 37.0 as of 2023.
live with 6.2 times more strain on fresh water
Switzerland withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Bulgaria withdraws 40% as of 2022.
use 24.7% less electricity
Switzerland uses 7,117 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Bulgaria uses 5,360 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 6.3 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Switzerland, air pollution causes 10.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Bulgaria, it causes 63.0 as of 2019.
emit 41.6% more CO2
Switzerland emits 3.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Bulgaria emits 5.3 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: Switzerland vs. Bulgaria
Bulgaria: At a glance
How big is Bulgaria compared to Switzerland? See an in-depth size comparison.