Quality of life comparison
If you lived in United Arab Emirates instead of Switzerland, you would:
Health
be 87.8% less likely to die by suicide
Switzerland has a suicide rate of 14.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In United Arab Emirates, it is 1.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 1.3 years less
In Switzerland, the average life expectancy is 84 years (83 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2024. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 83 years (82 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2024.
be 2.8 times more likely to be obese
In Switzerland, 11.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 31.6% of people as of 2024.
see 64.8% less spent on your healthcare
Switzerland spends $10,602 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). United Arab Emirates spends $3,727 as of 2023.
have 33.2% fewer doctors per person
Switzerland has 44.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. United Arab Emirates has 29.9 as of 2023.
Economy
be 55.4% less likely to be unemployed
In Switzerland, 4.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 2.2% as of 2025.
make 56.2% less money
Switzerland has a GDP per capita of $114,769 as of 2025, while in United Arab Emirates, the GDP per capita is $50,274 as of 2024.
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 United Arab Emirates, 3.0 women do as of 2023.
have 12.9% more children
In Switzerland, there are approximately 8.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In United Arab Emirates, there are 9.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 11.8% 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 United Arab Emirates, on the other hand, 3.8 children do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 20.0% less on education
Switzerland spends 4.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. United Arab Emirates spends 3.9% of total GDP on education as of 2021.
spend 57.5% less on healthcare
Switzerland spends 11.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 5.0% 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 United Arab Emirates, that number is 0.7 per 100,000 as of 2022.
be 2.5 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Switzerland, road accidents kill 2.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In United Arab Emirates, they kill 5.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
use 2.1 times more electricity
Switzerland uses 7,117 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. United Arab Emirates uses 15,285 kWh as of 2023.
find 13.1% less home broadband
Switzerland has 47.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. United Arab Emirates has 40.8 as of 2024.
live with 232.3 times more strain on fresh water
Switzerland withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. United Arab Emirates withdraws 1510% as of 2022.
Environment
be 7.0 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Switzerland, air pollution causes 10.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In United Arab Emirates, it causes 70.0 as of 2019.
emit 4.9 times more CO2
Switzerland emits 3.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. United Arab Emirates emits 18.3 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Switzerland vs. United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates: At a glance
How big is United Arab Emirates compared to Switzerland? See an in-depth size comparison.