Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 3.5 years less

In Switzerland, the average life expectancy is 83 years (81 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2022. In Cyprus, that number is 80 years (77 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2022.

be 11.8% more likely to be obese

In Switzerland, 19.5% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Cyprus, that number is 21.8% of people as of 2016.

Economy

pay a 12.5% lower top tax rate

Switzerland has a top tax rate of 40.0% as of 2016. In Cyprus, the top tax rate is 35.0% as of 2016.

make 39.0% less money

Switzerland has a GDP per capita of $82,900 as of 2023, while in Cyprus, the GDP per capita is $50,600 as of 2023.

be 47.2% more likely to be unemployed

In Switzerland, 4.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Cyprus, that number is 6.0% as of 2023.

Life

be 9.7 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Switzerland, approximately 7.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Cyprus, 68.0 women do as of 2020.

be 2.3 times more likely to die during infancy

In Switzerland, approximately 3.6 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Cyprus, on the other hand, 8.4 children do as of 2022.

Expenditures

spend 31.4% less on healthcare

Switzerland spends 11.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Cyprus, that number is 8.1% of GDP as of 2020.

spend 17.3% more on education

Switzerland spends 5.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Cyprus spends 6.1% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Inland Revenue Department of the Republic of Cyprus, The World Factbook, Swiss Federal Tax Administration.

Cyprus: At a glance

Cyprus is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 9,241 sq km. A former British colony, Cyprus became independent in 1960 following years of resistance to British rule. Tensions between the Greek Cypriot majority and Turkish Cypriot minority came to a head in December 1963, when violence broke out in the capital of Nicosia. Despite the deployment of UN peacekeepers in 1964, sporadic intercommunal violence continued forcing most Turkish Cypriots into enclaves throughout the island. In 1974, a Greek Government-sponsored attempt to overthrow the elected president of Cyprus was met by military intervention from Turkey, which soon controlled more than a third of the island. In 1983, the Turkish Cypriot-occupied area declared itself the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" ("TRNC"), but it is recognized only by Turkey. In February 2014, after a hiatus of nearly two years, the leaders of the two communities resumed formal discussions under UN auspices aimed at reuniting the divided island. The talks are ongoing. The entire island entered the EU on 1 May 2004, although the EU acquis - the body of common rights and obligations - applies only to the areas under the internationally recognized government, and is suspended in the areas administered by Turkish Cypriots. However, individual Turkish Cypriots able to document their eligibility for Republic of Cyprus citizenship legally enjoy the same rights accorded to other citizens of European Union states.
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How big is Cyprus compared to Switzerland? See an in-depth size comparison.

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