Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Switzerland fits inside Austria 2 times.
Austria: 83,879 km² (2023) · Switzerland: 41,291 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Austria: 0 km (2026 edition) · Switzerland: 0 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Switzerland’s highest peak towers 836 m above Austria’s.
Austria: 3,798 m (2026 edition) · Switzerland: 4,634 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Austria has 1% more people than Switzerland.
Austria: 9.21 million (2025) · Switzerland: 9.09 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Switzerland is 2.1 times as densely populated as Austria.
Austria: 112 per km² (2025) · Switzerland: 230 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Switzerland and Austria are practically level.
Austria: 178.5 cm (2019) · Switzerland: 178.7 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Austria are 2.6 cm taller than in Switzerland.
Austria: 166.9 cm (2019) · Switzerland: 164.3 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Austria is 0.75 years older than in Switzerland.
Austria: 43.1 years (2023) · Switzerland: 42.3 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Austria have 0.0 more children on average than in Switzerland.
Austria: 1.31 children per woman (2024) · Switzerland: 1.29 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
21% of people in Austria are 65 or older, versus 20% in Switzerland.
Austria: 21.1% (2025) · Switzerland: 20.4% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Switzerland has produced 20.9 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Austria 20.6.
Austria: 20.6 (2025) · Switzerland: 20.9 (2025)
How many official languages?
Switzerland has 4 official languages, Austria 1.
Austria: 1 (2026) · Switzerland: 4 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Switzerland’s economy is 80% larger than Austria’s.
Austria: $579 billion (2025) · Switzerland: $1.04 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Switzerland produces 34% more per person than Austria.
Austria: Int$76,778 (2025) · Switzerland: Int$102,513 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Switzerland than in Austria (Gini 2.6 points higher).
Austria: 31.2 (2023) · Switzerland: 33.8 (2022)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 5.6% in Austria, versus 4.9% in Switzerland.
Austria: 5.6% (2025) · Switzerland: 4.9% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Austria and Switzerland are practically level.
Austria: 1% (2024) · Switzerland: 0.7% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Switzerland’s price level (US = 100) is 1.4× Austria’s.
Austria: 82% (2025) · Switzerland: 112% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Switzerland spends 75% more on health per person than Austria.
Austria: $6,739 (2024) · Switzerland: $11,784 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Switzerland live 2.4 years longer than in Austria.
Austria: 82 years (2024) · Switzerland: 84.4 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Switzerland is 21% more likely to die before turning one than in Austria.
Austria: 2.8 per 1,000 (2024) · Switzerland: 3.4 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Austria has 23% more doctors per person than Switzerland.
Austria: 5.5 per 1,000 (2023) · Switzerland: 4.5 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
18% of adults in Austria are obese, versus 13% in Switzerland.
Austria: 18.3% (2024) · Switzerland: 12.9% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
24% of adults in Austria smoke, versus 23% in Switzerland.
Austria: 23.8% (2024) · Switzerland: 23.1% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Switzerland rate their lives 0.17 points higher than in Austria.
Austria: 6.85 (2025) · Switzerland: 7.02 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Austria drink 32% more alcohol than in Switzerland.
Austria: 11.6 litres (2023) · Switzerland: 8.8 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Austria has 15% more meat per person than Switzerland.
Austria: 73.7 kg (2023) · Switzerland: 64 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Austria has 353 kcal more food per person per day than Switzerland.
Austria: 3,756 kcal (2023) · Switzerland: 3,402 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Switzerland put in 90 more hours a year than in Austria.
Austria: 1,438 hours (2023) · Switzerland: 1,529 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Switzerland went to school 1.6 years longer than in Austria.
Austria: 12.4 years (2023) · Switzerland: 13.9 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Austria welcomed 2.8 times as many tourists per resident as Switzerland (2019).
Austria: 2.9 (2022) · Switzerland: 1.04 (2022)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
97% of people in Switzerland are online, versus 92% in Austria.
Austria: 92% (2025) · Switzerland: 97% (2025)
Who has electricity at home?
Austria and Switzerland are practically level.
Austria: 100% (2024) · Switzerland: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
86% of people in Switzerland live in cities, versus 70% in Austria.
Austria: 70% (2025) · Switzerland: 86% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Switzerland has 129 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Austria 124.
Austria: 124 (2024) · Switzerland: 129 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Austria’s railway network is 20% longer than Switzerland’s.
Austria: 4,962 km (2021) · Switzerland: 4,122 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Austria fly 64% more passengers per resident than those from Switzerland.
Austria: 5 (2023) · Switzerland: 3.05 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 47% of Austria, but only 32% of Switzerland.
Austria: 47.2% (2023) · Switzerland: 32.4% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Austria emits 72% more CO₂ than someone in Switzerland.
Austria: 6.2 t (2024) · Switzerland: 3.6 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
84% of Austria’s electricity is renewable, versus 68% in Switzerland.
Austria: 83.6% (2025) · Switzerland: 67.8% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Austria carries 14% more fine dust than in Switzerland.
Austria: 10.3 µg/m³ (2024) · Switzerland: 9 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 47% more likely to be murdered in Austria than in Switzerland.
Austria: 0.9 per 100k (2023) · Switzerland: 0.6 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Austria are 92% deadlier than in Switzerland.
Austria: 4.6 per 100k (2021) · Switzerland: 2.4 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Austria is on average 1.3 °C warmer than Switzerland.
Austria: 7.8°C (2016–2025 avg) · Switzerland: 6.5°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Switzerland gets 27% more rain than Austria.
Austria: 1,268 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Switzerland: 1,616 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Austria bigger than Switzerland?
Austria is larger. Switzerland fits inside Austria 2 times.
Which has more people, Austria or Switzerland?
Austria has 1% more people than Switzerland (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Austria or Switzerland?
People in Switzerland live 2.4 years longer than in Austria. Life expectancy at birth is 82.0 years in Austria and 84.4 in Switzerland.
Are people taller in Austria or Switzerland?
Switzerland and Austria are practically level (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
