Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 81.8% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Suriname, 1.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Switzerland, that number is 0.2% of people as of 2020.

live 10.8 years longer

In Suriname, the average life expectancy is 72 years (69 years for men, 76 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 26.1% less likely to be obese

In Suriname, 26.4% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Switzerland, that number is 19.5% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 4.4 times more money

Suriname has a GDP per capita of $19,000 as of 2023, while in Switzerland, the GDP per capita is $82,900 as of 2023.

be 47.4% less likely to be unemployed

In Suriname, 7.7% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Switzerland, that number is 4.0% as of 2023.

be 79.0% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Suriname, 70.0% live below the poverty line as of 2002. In Switzerland, however, that number is 14.7% as of 2020.

Life

be 92.7% less likely to die during childbirth

In Suriname, approximately 96.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Switzerland, 7.0 women do as of 2020.

be 88.2% less likely to die during infancy

In Suriname, approximately 30.2 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.

have 32.2% fewer children

In Suriname, there are approximately 14.9 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 45.5% more likely to have internet access

In Suriname, approximately 66.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Switzerland, about 96.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 73.5% more on healthcare

Suriname spends 6.8% 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.

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 Suriname? See an in-depth size comparison.

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