Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Switzerland instead of Puerto Rico, you would:

Health

live 1.5 years longer

In Puerto Rico, 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 2.1 times more money

Puerto Rico has a GDP per capita of $34,300 as of 2022, while in Switzerland, the GDP per capita is $72,300 as of 2022.

be 28.3% less likely to be unemployed

In Puerto Rico, 6.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Switzerland, that number is 4.3% as of 2022.

pay a 21.2% higher top tax rate

Puerto Rico has a top tax rate of 33.0% as of 2016. In Switzerland, the top tax rate is 40.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 79.4% less likely to die during childbirth

In Puerto Rico, approximately 34.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Switzerland, 7.0 women do as of 2020.

be 40.7% less likely to die during infancy

In Puerto Rico, approximately 6.0 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.

have 29.5% more children

In Puerto Rico, there are approximately 7.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Switzerland, there are 10.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 23.6% more likely to have internet access

In Puerto Rico, approximately 77.7% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Switzerland, about 96.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 44.4% more on education

Puerto Rico spends 3.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Switzerland spends 5.2% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Puerto Rican Department of Treasury, 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.
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How big is Switzerland compared to Puerto Rico? See an in-depth size comparison.

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