Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Romania instead of Switzerland, you would:
Health
be 31.4% less likely to die by suicide
Switzerland has a suicide rate of 14.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Romania, it is 9.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 8.0 years less
In Switzerland, the average life expectancy is 84 years (83 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2024. In Romania, that number is 76 years (73 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024.
be 2.9 times more likely to be obese
In Switzerland, 11.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Romania, that number is 32.4% of people as of 2024.
see 75.3% less spent on your healthcare
Switzerland spends $10,602 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Romania spends $2,614 as of 2023.
have 19.0% fewer doctors per person
Switzerland has 44.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Romania has 36.2 as of 2022.
Economy
be 23.0% more likely to be unemployed
In Switzerland, 4.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Romania, that number is 6.0% as of 2025.
be 16.5% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Switzerland, 15.8% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Romania, however, that number is 18.4% as of 2024.
make 80.4% less money
Switzerland has a GDP per capita of $114,769 as of 2025, while in Romania, the GDP per capita is $22,538 as of 2025.
Life
be 2.4 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 Romania, 12.0 women do as of 2023.
be 76.5% 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 Romania, on the other hand, 6.0 children do as of 2024.
have 13.8% fewer children
In Switzerland, there are approximately 8.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Romania, there are 7.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 32.5% less on education
Switzerland spends 4.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Romania spends 3.3% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 51.2% less on healthcare
Switzerland spends 11.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Romania, that number is 5.7% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 85.0% more likely to be murdered
Switzerland has a homicide rate of 0.6 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Romania, that number is 1.1 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 4.0 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Switzerland, road accidents kill 2.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Romania, they kill 9.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 23.9% less home broadband
Switzerland has 47.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Romania has 35.8 as of 2024.
live with 17.4% more strain on fresh water
Switzerland withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Romania withdraws 8% as of 2022.
use 63.7% less electricity
Switzerland uses 7,117 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Romania uses 2,585 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 4.6 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Switzerland, air pollution causes 10.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Romania, it causes 46.0 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. Romania
Romania: At a glance
How big is Romania compared to Switzerland? See an in-depth size comparison.