Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Spain instead of Switzerland, you would:
Health
be 37.8% less likely to die by suicide
Switzerland has a suicide rate of 14.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Spain, it is 8.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 35.6% more likely to be obese
In Switzerland, 11.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Spain, that number is 15.3% 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). Spain spends $4,935 as of 2023.
Economy
be 2.1 times more likely to be unemployed
In Switzerland, 4.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Spain, that number is 10.4% as of 2025.
be 27.8% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Switzerland, 15.8% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Spain, however, that number is 20.2% as of 2022.
make 66.3% less money
Switzerland has a GDP per capita of $114,769 as of 2025, while in Spain, the GDP per capita is $38,627 as of 2025.
Life
be 40.0% 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 Spain, 3.0 women do as of 2023.
be 23.5% 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 Spain, on the other hand, 2.6 children do as of 2024.
have 25.3% fewer children
In Switzerland, there are approximately 8.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Spain, there are 6.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 21.1% less on healthcare
Switzerland spends 11.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Spain, that number is 9.2% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 15.0% more likely to be murdered
Switzerland has a homicide rate of 0.6 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Spain, that number is 0.7 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 45.8% more likely to die in a road accident
In Switzerland, road accidents kill 2.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Spain, they kill 3.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 16.6% less home broadband
Switzerland has 47.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Spain has 39.2 as of 2024.
live with 6.7 times more strain on fresh water
Switzerland withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Spain withdraws 43% as of 2022.
use 27.0% less electricity
Switzerland uses 7,117 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Spain uses 5,196 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
emit 20.3% more CO2
Switzerland emits 3.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Spain emits 4.5 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. Spain
Spain: At a glance
How big is Spain compared to Switzerland? See an in-depth size comparison.