Quality of life comparison
If you lived in United Kingdom instead of Switzerland, you would:
Health
be 31.9% less likely to die by suicide
Switzerland has a suicide rate of 14.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In United Kingdom, it is 9.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 3.0 years less
In Switzerland, the average life expectancy is 84 years (83 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2024. In United Kingdom, that number is 81 years (80 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2024.
be 2.4 times more likely to be obese
In Switzerland, 11.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In United Kingdom, that number is 27.4% of people as of 2024.
see 37.7% less spent on your healthcare
Switzerland spends $10,602 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). United Kingdom spends $6,606 as of 2024.
have 26.3% fewer doctors per person
Switzerland has 44.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. United Kingdom has 33.0 as of 2023.
Economy
make 49.8% less money
Switzerland has a GDP per capita of $114,769 as of 2025, while in United Kingdom, the GDP per capita is $57,602 as of 2025.
Life
have 13.7% more children
In Switzerland, there are approximately 8.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In United Kingdom, there are 9.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 60.0% 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 United Kingdom, 8.0 women do as of 2023.
be 20.6% 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 Kingdom, on the other hand, 4.1 children do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 21.6% more on education
Switzerland spends 4.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. United Kingdom spends 5.9% of total GDP on education as of 2021.
Safety
be 86.7% more likely to be murdered
Switzerland has a homicide rate of 0.6 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In United Kingdom, that number is 1.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 10.3% less home broadband
Switzerland has 47.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. United Kingdom has 42.2 as of 2024.
live with 2.2 times more strain on fresh water
Switzerland withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. United Kingdom withdraws 14% as of 2022.
use 41.1% less electricity
Switzerland uses 7,117 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. United Kingdom uses 4,195 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 30.0% more likely to die from air pollution
In Switzerland, air pollution causes 10.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In United Kingdom, it causes 13.0 as of 2019.
emit 12.5% more CO2
Switzerland emits 3.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. United Kingdom emits 4.2 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019). How we calculate this
Compare further: Switzerland vs. United Kingdom
United Kingdom: At a glance
How big is United Kingdom compared to Switzerland? See an in-depth size comparison.