Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Malta instead of Switzerland, you would:
Health
be 53.9% less likely to die by suicide
Switzerland has a suicide rate of 14.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Malta, it is 6.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 1.5 years less
In Switzerland, the average life expectancy is 84 years (83 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2024. In Malta, that number is 83 years (81 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2024.
be 2.7 times more likely to be obese
In Switzerland, 11.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Malta, that number is 30.6% of people as of 2024.
see 46.2% less spent on your healthcare
Switzerland spends $10,602 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Malta spends $5,706 as of 2023.
Economy
be 40.5% less likely to be unemployed
In Switzerland, 4.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Malta, that number is 2.9% as of 2025.
make 58.3% less money
Switzerland has a GDP per capita of $114,769 as of 2025, while in Malta, the GDP per capita is $47,907 as of 2025.
Life
be 60.0% 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 Malta, 8.0 women do as of 2023.
be 38.2% 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 Malta, on the other hand, 4.7 children do as of 2024.
have 11.5% fewer children
In Switzerland, there are approximately 8.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Malta, there are 7.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 24.4% less on healthcare
Switzerland spends 11.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Malta, that number is 8.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 20.8% less likely to die in a road accident
In Switzerland, road accidents kill 2.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Malta, they kill 1.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 11.2 times more strain on fresh water
Switzerland withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Malta withdraws 73% as of 2022.
use 29.6% less electricity
Switzerland uses 7,117 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Malta uses 5,013 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 15.2% less CO2
Switzerland emits 3.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Malta emits 3.2 tonnes as of 2024.
be 2.1 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Switzerland, air pollution causes 10.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Malta, it causes 21.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Switzerland vs. Malta
Malta: At a glance
How big is Malta compared to Switzerland? See an in-depth size comparison.