Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Portugal instead of Switzerland, you would:
Health
have 30.7% more doctors per person
Switzerland has 44.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Portugal has 58.5 as of 2022.
be 17.8% less likely to die by suicide
Switzerland has a suicide rate of 14.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Portugal, it is 11.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 2.0 years less
In Switzerland, the average life expectancy is 84 years (83 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2024. In Portugal, that number is 82 years (80 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2024.
be 60.1% more likely to be obese
In Switzerland, 11.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Portugal, that number is 18.1% of people as of 2024.
see 53.5% less spent on your healthcare
Switzerland spends $10,602 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Portugal spends $4,928 as of 2024.
Economy
be 26.5% more likely to be unemployed
In Switzerland, 4.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Portugal, that number is 6.2% as of 2025.
make 72.0% less money
Switzerland has a GDP per capita of $114,769 as of 2025, while in Portugal, the GDP per capita is $32,082 as of 2025.
Life
be 20.6% 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 Portugal, on the other hand, 2.7 children do as of 2024.
be 3.0 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 Portugal, 15.0 women do as of 2023.
Expenditures
spend 12.4% less on healthcare
Switzerland spends 11.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Portugal, that number is 10.2% of GDP as of 2024.
Safety
be 20.0% more likely to be murdered
Switzerland has a homicide rate of 0.6 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Portugal, that number is 0.7 per 100,000 as of 2022.
be 3.0 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Switzerland, road accidents kill 2.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Portugal, they kill 7.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 89.5% more strain on fresh water
Switzerland withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Portugal withdraws 12% as of 2022.
use 25.6% less electricity
Switzerland uses 7,117 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Portugal uses 5,294 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
emit 11.5% less CO2
Switzerland emits 3.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Portugal emits 3.3 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Switzerland vs. Portugal
Portugal: At a glance
How big is Portugal compared to Switzerland? See an in-depth size comparison.