Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Nicaragua instead of Switzerland, you would:
Health
be 69.8% less likely to die by suicide
Switzerland has a suicide rate of 14.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Nicaragua, it is 4.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 9.3 years less
In Switzerland, the average life expectancy is 84 years (83 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2024. In Nicaragua, that number is 75 years (72 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2024.
be 3.1 times more likely to be obese
In Switzerland, 11.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Nicaragua, that number is 34.9% of people as of 2024.
see 93.5% less spent on your healthcare
Switzerland spends $10,602 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Nicaragua spends $689 as of 2023.
have 18.6% less access to essential health services
Switzerland scores 86 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Nicaragua scores 70 as of 2021.
Economy
make 97.2% less money
Switzerland has a GDP per capita of $114,769 as of 2025, while in Nicaragua, the GDP per capita is $3,173 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.2 times more children
In Switzerland, there are approximately 8.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Nicaragua, there are 19.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 12.0 times 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 Nicaragua, 60.0 women do as of 2023.
be 2.8 times 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 Nicaragua, on the other hand, 9.4 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 11.7% less likely to have access to electricity
In Switzerland, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Nicaragua, that number is 88% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 71% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 36.9% less likely to have internet access
In Switzerland, approximately 97.3% of the population has internet access as of 2025. In Nicaragua, about 61.4% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 40.9% less on education
Switzerland spends 4.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Nicaragua spends 2.9% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 29.0% less on healthcare
Switzerland spends 11.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Nicaragua, that number is 8.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 18.9 times more likely to be murdered
Switzerland has a homicide rate of 0.6 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Nicaragua, that number is 11.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 5.7 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Switzerland, road accidents kill 2.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Nicaragua, they kill 13.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 65.8% less strain on fresh water
Switzerland withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Nicaragua withdraws 2% as of 2022.
find 87.7% less home broadband
Switzerland has 47.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Nicaragua has 5.8 as of 2024.
use 91.0% less electricity
Switzerland uses 7,117 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Nicaragua uses 641 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 77.9% less CO2
Switzerland emits 3.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Nicaragua emits 0.8 tonnes as of 2024.
be 3.8 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Switzerland, air pollution causes 10.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Nicaragua, it causes 38.0 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. Nicaragua
Nicaragua: At a glance
How big is Nicaragua compared to Switzerland? See an in-depth size comparison.