Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Norway instead of Switzerland, you would:
Health
have 11.1% more doctors per person
Switzerland has 44.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Norway has 49.8 as of 2023.
live 1.2 years less
In Switzerland, the average life expectancy is 84 years (83 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2024. In Norway, that number is 83 years (82 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2024.
be 78.8% more likely to be obese
In Switzerland, 11.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Norway, that number is 20.2% of people as of 2024.
see 10.2% less spent on your healthcare
Switzerland spends $10,602 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Norway spends $9,523 as of 2023.
Economy
be 22.8% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Switzerland, 15.8% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Norway, however, that number is 12.2% as of 2021.
make 17.6% less money
Switzerland has a GDP per capita of $114,769 as of 2025, while in Norway, the GDP per capita is $94,594 as of 2025.
Life
be 80.0% 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 Norway, 1.0 women do as of 2023.
be 41.2% 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 Norway, on the other hand, 2.0 children do as of 2024.
have 11.5% more children
In Switzerland, there are approximately 8.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Norway, there are 9.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 19.3% less on healthcare
Switzerland spends 11.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Norway, that number is 9.4% of GDP as of 2023.
spend 11.7% more on education
Switzerland spends 4.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Norway spends 5.4% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
Safety
be 37.5% less likely to die in a road accident
In Switzerland, road accidents kill 2.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Norway, they kill 1.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 20.0% more likely to be murdered
Switzerland has a homicide rate of 0.6 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Norway, that number is 0.7 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Infrastructure
live with 68.6% less strain on fresh water
Switzerland withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Norway withdraws 2% as of 2022.
use 3.3 times more electricity
Switzerland uses 7,117 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Norway uses 23,673 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 20.0% less likely to die from air pollution
In Switzerland, air pollution causes 10.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Norway, it causes 8.0 as of 2019.
emit 91.5% more CO2
Switzerland emits 3.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Norway emits 7.2 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. Norway
Norway: At a glance
How big is Norway compared to Switzerland? See an in-depth size comparison.