Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Somalia instead of Switzerland, you would:
Health
be 43.2% less likely to die by suicide
Switzerland has a suicide rate of 14.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Somalia, it is 8.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 25.4 years less
In Switzerland, the average life expectancy is 84 years (83 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2024. In Somalia, that number is 59 years (56 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2024.
be 32.1% more likely to be obese
In Switzerland, 11.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Somalia, that number is 14.9% of people as of 2024.
see 99.5% less spent on your healthcare
Switzerland spends $10,602 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Somalia spends $52 as of 2023.
have 68.6% less access to essential health services
Switzerland scores 86 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Somalia scores 27 as of 2021.
Economy
be 3.9 times more likely to be unemployed
In Switzerland, 4.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Somalia, that number is 18.9% as of 2025.
be 3.5 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Switzerland, 15.8% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Somalia, however, that number is 55.4% as of 2022.
make 99.4% less money
Switzerland has a GDP per capita of $114,769 as of 2025, while in Somalia, the GDP per capita is $661 as of 2025.
Life
have 4.9 times more children
In Switzerland, there are approximately 8.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Somalia, there are 42.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 112.6 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 Somalia, 563.0 women do as of 2023.
be 19.2 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 Somalia, on the other hand, 65.4 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 49.7% 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 Somalia, that number is 50% of people on average (79% in urban areas, and 24% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 71.3% less likely to have internet access
In Switzerland, approximately 97.3% of the population has internet access as of 2025. In Somalia, about 27.9% do as of 2024.
be 24.7% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Switzerland, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Somalia, that number is 75% of people on average (84% in urban areas, and 68% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 68.0% less on healthcare
Switzerland spends 11.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Somalia, that number is 3.7% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 8.4 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Switzerland, road accidents kill 2.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Somalia, they kill 20.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 98.5% less home broadband
Switzerland has 47.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Somalia has 0.7 as of 2023.
live with 3.8 times more strain on fresh water
Switzerland withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Somalia withdraws 25% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 98.7% less CO2
Switzerland emits 3.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Somalia emits 0.1 tonnes as of 2024.
be 6.4 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Switzerland, air pollution causes 10.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Somalia, it causes 64.0 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. Somalia
Somalia: At a glance
How big is Somalia compared to Switzerland? See an in-depth size comparison.