Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 10.3 years less

In Switzerland, the average life expectancy is 83 years (81 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2022. In Guatemala, that number is 73 years (71 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

be 33.1% less likely to be unemployed

In Switzerland, 4.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Guatemala, that number is 2.7% as of 2023.

pay a 82.5% lower top tax rate

Switzerland has a top tax rate of 40.0% as of 2016. In Guatemala, the top tax rate is 7.0% as of 2016.

make 84.7% less money

Switzerland has a GDP per capita of $82,900 as of 2023, while in Guatemala, the GDP per capita is $12,700 as of 2023.

be 4.0 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In Switzerland, 14.7% live below the poverty line as of 2020. In Guatemala, however, that number is 59.3% as of 2014.

Life

have 2.1 times more children

In Switzerland, there are approximately 10.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Guatemala, there are 21.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 13.7 times more likely to die during childbirth

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

be 7.3 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 Guatemala, on the other hand, 26.2 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 46.9% less likely to have internet access

In Switzerland, approximately 96.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Guatemala, about 51.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 40.4% less on education

Switzerland spends 5.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Guatemala spends 3.1% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

spend 44.9% less on healthcare

Switzerland spends 11.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Guatemala, that number is 6.5% of GDP as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Swiss Federal Tax Administration, Superintendence of the Tax Administration.

Guatemala: At a glance

Guatemala is a sovereign country in Central America/Caribbean, with a total land area of approximately 107,159 sq km. The Maya civilization flourished in Guatemala and surrounding regions during the first millennium A.D. After almost three centuries as a Spanish colony, Guatemala won its independence in 1821. During the second half of the 20th century, it experienced a variety of military and civilian governments, as well as a 36-year guerrilla war. In 1996, the government signed a peace agreement formally ending the internal conflict, which had left more than 200,000 people dead and had created, by some estimates, about 1 million refugees.
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How big is Guatemala compared to Switzerland? See an in-depth size comparison.

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