If you lived in Switzerland instead of Sierra Leone, you would:

Health

be 86.7% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Sierra Leone, 1.5% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Switzerland, that number is 0.2% of people as of 2020.

live 24.5 years longer

In Sierra Leone, the average life expectancy is 59 years (57 years for men, 60 years for women) as of 2022. In Switzerland, that number is 83 years (81 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2022.

be 2.2 times more likely to be obese

In Sierra Leone, 8.7% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Switzerland, that number is 19.5% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 45.2 times more money

Sierra Leone has a GDP per capita of $1,600 as of 2022, while in Switzerland, the GDP per capita is $72,300 as of 2022.

be 74.1% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Sierra Leone, 56.8% live below the poverty line as of 2018. In Switzerland, however, that number is 14.7% as of 2020.

be 31.5% more likely to be unemployed

In Sierra Leone, 3.3% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Switzerland, that number is 4.3% as of 2022.

pay a 33.3% higher top tax rate

Sierra Leone has a top tax rate of 30.0% as of 2014. In Switzerland, the top tax rate is 40.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 98.4% less likely to die during childbirth

In Sierra Leone, approximately 443.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Switzerland, 7.0 women do as of 2020.

be 95.1% less likely to die during infancy

In Sierra Leone, approximately 73.4 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 67.2% fewer children

In Sierra Leone, there are approximately 30.8 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 3.6 times more likely to have access to electricity

In Sierra Leone, approximately 27% of the population has electricity access as of 2021. In Switzerland, 100% of the population do as of 2021.

be 7.6 times more likely to have internet access

In Sierra Leone, approximately 12.7% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Switzerland, about 96.0% do as of 2021.

be 37.4% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Sierra Leone, approximately 73% of people have improved drinking water access (92% in urban areas, and 58% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Switzerland, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 42.9% less on education

Sierra Leone spends 9.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Switzerland spends 5.2% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 34.1% more on healthcare

Sierra Leone spends 8.8% 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, National Revenue Authority.

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 Sierra Leone? See an in-depth size comparison.

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