Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Italy instead of Switzerland, you would:
Health
be 50.1% less likely to die by suicide
Switzerland has a suicide rate of 14.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Italy, it is 7.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 23.9% more likely to be obese
In Switzerland, 11.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Italy, that number is 14.0% of people as of 2024.
see 52.9% less spent on your healthcare
Switzerland spends $10,602 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Italy spends $4,993 as of 2024.
Economy
be 31.2% more likely to be unemployed
In Switzerland, 4.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Italy, that number is 6.4% as of 2025.
be 27.2% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Switzerland, 15.8% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Italy, however, that number is 20.1% as of 2021.
make 62.3% less money
Switzerland has a GDP per capita of $114,769 as of 2025, while in Italy, the GDP per capita is $43,309 as of 2025.
Life
be 32.4% 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 Italy, on the other hand, 2.3 children do as of 2024.
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 Italy, 6.0 women do as of 2023.
have 27.6% fewer children
In Switzerland, there are approximately 8.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Italy, there are 6.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 16.3% less on education
Switzerland spends 4.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Italy spends 4.1% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 27.8% less on healthcare
Switzerland spends 11.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Italy, that number is 8.4% of GDP as of 2024.
Safety
be 2.1 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Switzerland, road accidents kill 2.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Italy, they kill 5.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 32.4% less home broadband
Switzerland has 47.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Italy has 31.8 as of 2024.
live with 4.6 times more strain on fresh water
Switzerland withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Italy withdraws 30% as of 2022.
use 27.8% less electricity
Switzerland uses 7,117 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Italy uses 5,137 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 50.0% more likely to die from air pollution
In Switzerland, air pollution causes 10.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Italy, it causes 15.0 as of 2019.
emit 35.5% more CO2
Switzerland emits 3.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Italy emits 5.1 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. Italy
Italy: At a glance
How big is Italy compared to Switzerland? See an in-depth size comparison.