Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Ireland instead of Switzerland, you would:
Health
be 39.0% less likely to die by suicide
Switzerland has a suicide rate of 14.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Ireland, it is 8.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
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 Ireland, that number is 83 years (81 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2024.
be 2.5 times more likely to be obese
In Switzerland, 11.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Ireland, that number is 27.9% of people as of 2024.
see 17.3% less spent on your healthcare
Switzerland spends $10,602 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Ireland spends $8,772 as of 2024.
have 13.4% fewer doctors per person
Switzerland has 44.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Ireland has 38.8 as of 2023.
Economy
be 11.4% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Switzerland, 15.8% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Ireland, however, that number is 14.0% as of 2021.
make 14.7% more money
Switzerland has a GDP per capita of $114,769 as of 2025, while in Ireland, the GDP per capita is $131,592 as of 2025.
Life
be 20.0% less 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 Ireland, 4.0 women do as of 2023.
have 14.9% more children
In Switzerland, there are approximately 8.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Ireland, there are 10.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 40.3% less on education
Switzerland spends 4.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Ireland spends 2.9% of total GDP on education as of 2021.
spend 41.4% less on healthcare
Switzerland spends 11.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Ireland, that number is 6.8% of GDP as of 2024.
Safety
be 16.7% more likely to die in a road accident
In Switzerland, road accidents kill 2.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Ireland, they kill 2.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 31.3% less home broadband
Switzerland has 47.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Ireland has 32.3 as of 2024.
live with 23.8% more strain on fresh water
Switzerland withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Ireland withdraws 8% as of 2022.
use 11.5% less electricity
Switzerland uses 7,117 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Ireland uses 6,298 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 30.0% more likely to die from air pollution
In Switzerland, air pollution causes 10.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Ireland, it causes 13.0 as of 2019.
emit 61.1% more CO2
Switzerland emits 3.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Ireland emits 6.0 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. Ireland
Ireland: At a glance
How big is Ireland compared to Switzerland? See an in-depth size comparison.