Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Turkmenistan instead of Switzerland, you would:
Health
be 51.3% less likely to die by suicide
Switzerland has a suicide rate of 14.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Turkmenistan, it is 6.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 14.2 years less
In Switzerland, the average life expectancy is 84 years (83 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2024. In Turkmenistan, that number is 70 years (67 years for men, 73 years for women) as of 2024.
be 96.8% more likely to be obese
In Switzerland, 11.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Turkmenistan, that number is 22.2% of people as of 2024.
see 88.1% less spent on your healthcare
Switzerland spends $10,602 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Turkmenistan spends $1,264 as of 2023.
have 56.9% fewer doctors per person
Switzerland has 44.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Turkmenistan has 19.3 as of 2023.
have 12.8% less access to essential health services
Switzerland scores 86 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Turkmenistan scores 75 as of 2021.
Economy
be 12.3% less likely to be unemployed
In Switzerland, 4.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Turkmenistan, that number is 4.3% as of 2025.
make 94.3% less money
Switzerland has a GDP per capita of $114,769 as of 2025, while in Turkmenistan, the GDP per capita is $6,540 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.4 times more children
In Switzerland, there are approximately 8.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Turkmenistan, there are 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 8.9 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 Turkmenistan, on the other hand, 30.4 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 74.0% less likely to have internet access
In Switzerland, approximately 97.3% of the population has internet access as of 2025. In Turkmenistan, about 25.3% do as of 2022.
Expenditures
spend 11.7% less on education
Switzerland spends 4.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Turkmenistan spends 4.3% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 53.0% less on healthcare
Switzerland spends 11.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Turkmenistan, that number is 5.5% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 3.3 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Switzerland, road accidents kill 2.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Turkmenistan, they kill 8.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 88.9% less home broadband
Switzerland has 47.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Turkmenistan has 5.2 as of 2022.
live with 20.8 times more strain on fresh water
Switzerland withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Turkmenistan withdraws 135% as of 2022.
use 61.0% less electricity
Switzerland uses 7,117 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Turkmenistan uses 2,778 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 8.7 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Switzerland, air pollution causes 10.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Turkmenistan, it causes 87.0 as of 2019.
emit 2.9 times more CO2
Switzerland emits 3.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Turkmenistan emits 10.9 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2022). How we calculate this
Compare further: Switzerland vs. Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan: At a glance
How big is Turkmenistan compared to Switzerland? See an in-depth size comparison.