Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Puerto Rico instead of Switzerland, you would:
Health
be 61.3% less likely to die by suicide
Switzerland has a suicide rate of 14.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Puerto Rico, it is 5.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 2.5 years less
In Switzerland, the average life expectancy is 84 years (83 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2024. In Puerto Rico, that number is 82 years (78 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2024.
be 3.8 times more likely to be obese
In Switzerland, 11.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Puerto Rico, that number is 42.4% of people as of 2024.
Economy
be 23.0% more likely to be unemployed
In Switzerland, 4.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Puerto Rico, that number is 6.0% as of 2025.
make 64.6% less money
Switzerland has a GDP per capita of $114,769 as of 2025, while in Puerto Rico, the GDP per capita is $40,620 as of 2025.
Life
be 2.2 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 Puerto Rico, 11.0 women do as of 2023.
be 77.6% 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 Puerto Rico, on the other hand, 6.0 children do as of 2022.
have 34.5% fewer children
In Switzerland, there are approximately 8.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Puerto Rico, there are 5.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 10.3% less likely to have internet access
In Switzerland, approximately 97.3% of the population has internet access as of 2025. In Puerto Rico, about 87.3% do as of 2022.
Expenditures
spend 12.1% less on education
Switzerland spends 4.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Puerto Rico spends 4.3% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
Safety
be 24.3 times more likely to be murdered
Switzerland has a homicide rate of 0.6 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Puerto Rico, that number is 14.6 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 5.2 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Switzerland, road accidents kill 2.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Puerto Rico, they kill 12.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 40.5% less home broadband
Switzerland has 47.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Puerto Rico has 28.0 as of 2024.
live with 3.0 times more strain on fresh water
Switzerland withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Puerto Rico withdraws 20% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 28.5% more CO2
Switzerland emits 3.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Puerto Rico emits 4.8 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), The World Factbook (2022). How we calculate this
Compare further: Switzerland vs. Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico: At a glance
How big is Puerto Rico compared to Switzerland? See an in-depth size comparison.