Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 1.7 years longer

In Portugal, the average life expectancy is 82 years (78 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2022. In Switzerland, that number is 83 years (81 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

make 98.8% more money

Portugal has a GDP per capita of $41,700 as of 2023, while in Switzerland, the GDP per capita is $82,900 as of 2023.

be 37.6% less likely to be unemployed

In Portugal, 6.5% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Switzerland, that number is 4.0% as of 2023.

be 10.4% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Portugal, 16.4% live below the poverty line as of 2021. In Switzerland, however, that number is 14.7% as of 2020.

pay a 29.2% lower top tax rate

Portugal has a top tax rate of 56.5% as of 2016. In Switzerland, the top tax rate is 40.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 41.7% less likely to die during childbirth

In Portugal, approximately 12.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Switzerland, 7.0 women do as of 2020.

have 24.7% more children

In Portugal, there are approximately 8.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2020. In Switzerland, there are 10.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 43.2% more likely to die during infancy

In Portugal, approximately 2.5 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 17.1% more likely to have internet access

In Portugal, approximately 82.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Switzerland, about 96.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 11.3% more on healthcare

Portugal spends 10.6% 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, Swiss Federal Tax Administration, Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira.

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 Portugal? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY

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