Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 10.8% more likely to be obese

In Switzerland, 19.5% of adults are obese as of 2016. In France, that number is 21.6% of people as of 2016.

Economy

be 15.0% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Switzerland, 16.0% live below the poverty line as of 2018. In France, however, that number is 13.6% as of 2018.

make 38.6% less money

Switzerland has a GDP per capita of $68,400 as of 2020, while in France, the GDP per capita is $42,000 as of 2020.

be 3.5 times more likely to be unemployed

In Switzerland, 2.3% of adults are unemployed as of 2019. In France, that number is 8.1% as of 2019.

pay a 25.5% higher top tax rate

Switzerland has a top tax rate of 40.0% as of 2016. In France, the top tax rate is 50.2% as of 2016.

Life

be 12.0% less likely to die during infancy

In Switzerland, approximately 3.6 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In France, on the other hand, 3.1 children do as of 2022.

have 12.5% more children

In Switzerland, there are approximately 10.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In France, there are 11.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022.

be 60.0% more likely to die during childbirth

In Switzerland, approximately 5.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In France, 8.0 women do as of 2017.

Expenditures

spend 10.2% more on education

Switzerland spends 4.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2018. France spends 5.4% of total GDP on education as of 2018.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Direction Générale des Finances Publiques, Swiss Federal Tax Administration.

France: At a glance

France is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 549,970 sq km. France today is one of the most modern countries in the world and is a leader among European nations. It plays an influential global role as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, NATO, the G-8, the G-20, the EU and other multilateral organizations. France rejoined NATO's integrated military command structure in 2009, reversing DE GAULLE's 1966 decision to take French forces out of NATO. Since 1958, it has constructed a hybrid presidential-parliamentary governing system resistant to the instabilities experienced in earlier, more purely parliamentary administrations. In recent decades, its reconciliation and cooperation with Germany have proved central to the economic integration of Europe, including the introduction of a common currency, the euro, in January 1999. In the early 21st century, five French overseas entities - French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, and Reunion - became French regions and were made part of France proper.
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How big is France compared to Switzerland? See an in-depth size comparison.

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