Quality of life comparison
If you lived in France instead of Switzerland, you would:
Health
live 1.4 years less
In Switzerland, the average life expectancy is 84 years (83 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2024. In France, that number is 83 years (80 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2024.
see 35.2% less spent on your healthcare
Switzerland spends $10,602 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). France spends $6,868 as of 2024.
have 26.7% fewer doctors per person
Switzerland has 44.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. France has 32.8 as of 2022.
be 18.3% more likely to die by suicide
Switzerland has a suicide rate of 14.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In France, it is 16.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 54.8% more likely to be unemployed
In Switzerland, 4.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In France, that number is 7.5% as of 2025.
make 57.3% less money
Switzerland has a GDP per capita of $114,769 as of 2025, while in France, the GDP per capita is $48,986 as of 2025.
Life
have 11.5% more children
In Switzerland, there are approximately 8.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In France, there are 9.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 40.0% 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 France, 7.0 women do as of 2023.
Safety
be 14.5% more likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Switzerland, 72% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2021. In France, that number is 82% as of 2022.
be 2.2 times more likely to be murdered
Switzerland has a homicide rate of 0.6 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In France, that number is 1.3 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 95.8% more likely to die in a road accident
In Switzerland, road accidents kill 2.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In France, they kill 4.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 3.3 times more strain on fresh water
Switzerland withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. France withdraws 21% as of 2022.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021–2022). How we calculate this
Compare further: Switzerland vs. France
France: At a glance
How big is France compared to Switzerland? See an in-depth size comparison.