Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Switzerland fits inside China 232 times.
China: 9,562,910 km² (2023) · Switzerland: 41,291 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
China: 14,500 km (2026 edition) · Switzerland: 0 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
China’s highest peak towers 4,215 m above Switzerland’s.
China: 8,849 m (2026 edition) · Switzerland: 4,634 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
China has 155 times as many people as Switzerland.
China: 1.41 billion (2025) · Switzerland: 9.09 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Switzerland is 54% more densely populated than China.
China: 150 per km² (2025) · Switzerland: 230 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Switzerland are 3.1 cm taller than in China.
China: 175.7 cm (2019) · Switzerland: 178.7 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Switzerland are 0.9 cm taller than in China.
China: 163.5 cm (2019) · Switzerland: 164.3 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Switzerland is 3.3 years older than in China.
China: 39.1 years (2023) · Switzerland: 42.3 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Switzerland have 0.3 more children on average than in China.
China: 1.01 children per woman (2024) · Switzerland: 1.29 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
20% of people in Switzerland are 65 or older, versus 15% in China.
China: 14.9% (2025) · Switzerland: 20.4% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Switzerland has produced 20.9 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, China 0.1.
China: 0.1 (2025) · Switzerland: 20.9 (2025)
How many official languages?
Switzerland has 4 official languages, China 1.
China: 1 (2026) · Switzerland: 4 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
China’s economy is 19 times the size of Switzerland’s.
China: $19.5 trillion (2025) · Switzerland: $1.04 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Switzerland produces 3.5 times as much per person as China.
China: Int$29,333 (2025) · Switzerland: Int$102,513 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in China than in Switzerland (Gini 2.2 points higher).
China: 36 (2022) · Switzerland: 33.8 (2022)
How many people are looking for work?
Switzerland and China are practically level.
China: 4.6% (2025) · Switzerland: 4.9% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
China spends 1.7% of its GDP on the military, Switzerland 0.7%.
China: 1.7% (2024) · Switzerland: 0.7% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Switzerland’s price level (US = 100) is 2.4× China’s.
China: 47% (2025) · Switzerland: 112% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Switzerland spends 15 times as much on health per person as China.
China: $763 (2023) · Switzerland: $11,784 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Switzerland live 6.4 years longer than in China.
China: 78 years (2024) · Switzerland: 84.4 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in China is 21% more likely to die before turning one than in Switzerland.
China: 4.1 per 1,000 (2024) · Switzerland: 3.4 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Switzerland has 44% more doctors per person than China.
China: 3.1 per 1,000 (2022) · Switzerland: 4.5 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
13% of adults in Switzerland are obese, versus 9.1% in China.
China: 9.1% (2024) · Switzerland: 12.9% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
Switzerland and China are practically level.
China: 22.8% (2024) · Switzerland: 23.1% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Switzerland rate their lives 0.94 points higher than in China.
China: 6.07 (2025) · Switzerland: 7.02 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Switzerland drink 2.4 times as much alcohol as in China.
China: 3.7 litres (2023) · Switzerland: 8.8 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
China has 15% more meat per person than Switzerland.
China: 73.5 kg (2023) · Switzerland: 64 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
China has 125 kcal more food per person per day than Switzerland.
China: 3,527 kcal (2023) · Switzerland: 3,402 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in China put in 799 more hours a year than in Switzerland.
China: 2,328 hours (2023) · Switzerland: 1,529 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Switzerland went to school 5.9 years longer than in China.
China: 8 years (2023) · Switzerland: 13.9 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Switzerland welcomed 22 times as many tourists per resident as China (2019).
China: 0.05 (2019) · Switzerland: 1.04 (2022)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
97% of people in Switzerland are online, versus 92% in China.
China: 92% (2025) · Switzerland: 97% (2025)
Who has electricity at home?
China and Switzerland are practically level.
China: 100% (2024) · Switzerland: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
86% of people in Switzerland live in cities, versus 66% in China.
China: 66% (2025) · Switzerland: 86% (2025)
How many phones per person?
China has 132 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Switzerland 129.
China: 132 (2024) · Switzerland: 129 (2024)
How much railway is there?
China’s railway network is 27 times as long as Switzerland’s.
China: 109,767 km (2021) · Switzerland: 4,122 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Switzerland fly 6.9 times as many passengers per resident as those from China.
China: 0.44 (2023) · Switzerland: 3.05 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 32% of Switzerland, but only 24% of China.
China: 24% (2023) · Switzerland: 32.4% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in China emits 2.4 times as much CO₂ as someone in Switzerland.
China: 8.7 t (2024) · Switzerland: 3.6 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
68% of Switzerland’s electricity is renewable, versus 37% in China.
China: 37% (2025) · Switzerland: 67.8% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in China carries 3.5 times as much fine dust as in Switzerland.
China: 31.3 µg/m³ (2024) · Switzerland: 9 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 19% more likely to be murdered in Switzerland than in China.
China: 0.5 per 100k (2020) · Switzerland: 0.6 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in China are 7.3 times as deadly as in Switzerland.
China: 17.4 per 100k (2021) · Switzerland: 2.4 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
China is on average 1.3 °C warmer than Switzerland.
China: 7.8°C (2016–2025 avg) · Switzerland: 6.5°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Switzerland gets 2 times as much rain as China.
China: 813 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Switzerland: 1,616 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is China bigger than Switzerland?
China is larger. Switzerland fits inside China 232 times.
Which has more people, China or Switzerland?
China has 155 times as many people as Switzerland (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, China or Switzerland?
People in Switzerland live 6.4 years longer than in China. Life expectancy at birth is 78.0 years in China and 84.4 in Switzerland.
Are people taller in China or Switzerland?
Men in Switzerland are 3.1 cm taller than in China (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
