Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Switzerland instead of Italy, you would:

Economy

make 63.2% more money

Italy has a GDP per capita of $44,300 as of 2022, while in Switzerland, the GDP per capita is $72,300 as of 2022.

be 46.7% less likely to be unemployed

In Italy, 8.1% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Switzerland, that number is 4.3% as of 2022.

be 26.9% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Italy, 20.1% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Switzerland, however, that number is 14.7% as of 2020.

pay a 18.0% lower top tax rate

Italy has a top tax rate of 48.8% as of 2016. In Switzerland, the top tax rate is 40.0% as of 2016.

Life

have 42.3% more children

In Italy, there are approximately 7.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Switzerland, there are 10.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 40.0% more likely to die during childbirth

In Italy, approximately 5.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Switzerland, 7.0 women do as of 2020.

be 13.3% more likely to die during infancy

In Italy, approximately 3.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Switzerland, on the other hand, 3.6 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 28.0% more likely to have internet access

In Italy, approximately 75.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Switzerland, about 96.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 20.9% more on education

Italy spends 4.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Switzerland spends 5.2% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 22.9% more on healthcare

Italy spends 9.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Switzerland, that number is 11.8% of GDP as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Italian Revenue Agency, Swiss Federal Tax Administration.

Switzerland: At a glance

Switzerland is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 39,997 sq km. The Swiss Confederation was founded in 1291 as a defensive alliance among three cantons. In succeeding years, other localities joined the original three. The Swiss Confederation secured its independence from the Holy Roman Empire in 1499. A constitution of 1848, subsequently modified in 1874, replaced the confederation with a centralized federal government. Switzerland's sovereignty and neutrality have long been honored by the major European powers, and the country was not involved in either of the two world wars. The political and economic integration of Europe over the past half century, as well as Switzerland's role in many UN and international organizations, has strengthened Switzerland's ties with its neighbors. However, the country did not officially become a UN member until 2002. Switzerland remains active in many UN and international organizations but retains a strong commitment to neutrality.
Read more

How big is Switzerland compared to Italy? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Switzerland.or Italy It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.