Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Denmark is 4% bigger than Switzerland.
Denmark: 42,920 km² (2023) · Switzerland: 41,291 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Denmark: 7,314 km (2026 edition) · Switzerland: 0 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Switzerland’s highest peak towers 4,463 m above Denmark’s.
Denmark: 171 m (2026 edition) · Switzerland: 4,634 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Switzerland has 51% more people than Denmark.
Denmark: 6.01 million (2025) · Switzerland: 9.09 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Switzerland is 53% more densely populated than Denmark.
Denmark: 150 per km² (2025) · Switzerland: 230 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Denmark are 3.2 cm taller than in Switzerland.
Denmark: 181.9 cm (2019) · Switzerland: 178.7 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Denmark are 5.1 cm taller than in Switzerland.
Denmark: 169.5 cm (2019) · Switzerland: 164.3 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Switzerland is 1.1 years older than in Denmark.
Denmark: 41.2 years (2023) · Switzerland: 42.3 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Denmark have 0.2 more children on average than in Switzerland.
Denmark: 1.47 children per woman (2024) · Switzerland: 1.29 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
21% of people in Denmark are 65 or older, versus 20% in Switzerland.
Denmark: 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, Denmark 20.0.
Denmark: 20 (2025) · Switzerland: 20.9 (2025)
How many official languages?
Switzerland has 4 official languages, Denmark 1.
Denmark: 1 (2026) · Switzerland: 4 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Switzerland’s economy is 2.3 times the size of Denmark’s.
Denmark: $463 billion (2025) · Switzerland: $1.04 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Switzerland produces 23% more per person than Denmark.
Denmark: Int$83,218 (2025) · Switzerland: Int$102,513 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Switzerland than in Denmark (Gini 3.9 points higher).
Denmark: 29.9 (2023) · Switzerland: 33.8 (2022)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 5.5% in Denmark, versus 4.9% in Switzerland.
Denmark: 5.5% (2025) · Switzerland: 4.9% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Denmark spends 2.4% of its GDP on the military, Switzerland 0.7%.
Denmark: 2.4% (2024) · Switzerland: 0.7% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Switzerland’s price level (US = 100) is 1.2× Denmark’s.
Denmark: 92% (2025) · Switzerland: 112% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Switzerland spends 75% more on health per person than Denmark.
Denmark: $6,745 (2024) · Switzerland: $11,784 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Switzerland live 2.2 years longer than in Denmark.
Denmark: 82.3 years (2024) · Switzerland: 84.4 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Denmark is 3% more likely to die before turning one than in Switzerland.
Denmark: 3.5 per 1,000 (2024) · Switzerland: 3.4 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Denmark and Switzerland are nearly identical here.
Denmark: 4.5 per 1,000 (2021) · Switzerland: 4.5 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
15% of adults in Denmark are obese, versus 13% in Switzerland.
Denmark: 15.2% (2024) · Switzerland: 12.9% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
23% of adults in Switzerland smoke, versus 16% in Denmark.
Denmark: 15.7% (2024) · Switzerland: 23.1% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Denmark rate their lives 0.52 points higher than in Switzerland.
Denmark: 7.54 (2025) · Switzerland: 7.02 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Denmark drink 9% more alcohol than in Switzerland.
Denmark: 9.5 litres (2023) · Switzerland: 8.8 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Denmark has 58% more meat per person than Switzerland.
Denmark: 101.3 kg (2023) · Switzerland: 64 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Denmark has 331 kcal more food per person per day than Switzerland.
Denmark: 3,734 kcal (2023) · Switzerland: 3,402 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Switzerland put in 149 more hours a year than in Denmark.
Denmark: 1,380 hours (2023) · Switzerland: 1,529 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Switzerland went to school 0.92 years longer than in Denmark.
Denmark: 13 years (2023) · Switzerland: 13.9 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Denmark welcomed 2.3 times as many tourists per resident as Switzerland (2019).
Denmark: 2.4 (2022) · Switzerland: 1.04 (2022)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
100% of people in Denmark are online, versus 97% in Switzerland.
Denmark: 100% (2024) · Switzerland: 97% (2025)
Who has electricity at home?
Denmark and Switzerland are practically level.
Denmark: 100% (2024) · Switzerland: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
89% of people in Denmark live in cities, versus 86% in Switzerland.
Denmark: 89% (2025) · Switzerland: 86% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Switzerland has 129 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Denmark 127.
Denmark: 127 (2024) · Switzerland: 129 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Switzerland’s railway network is 54% longer than Denmark’s.
Denmark: 2,682 km (2020) · Switzerland: 4,122 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Denmark: no data · Switzerland: 3.05 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 32% of Switzerland, but only 16% of Denmark.
Denmark: 15.8% (2023) · Switzerland: 32.4% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Denmark emits 32% more CO₂ than someone in Switzerland.
Denmark: 4.7 t (2024) · Switzerland: 3.6 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
91% of Denmark’s electricity is renewable, versus 68% in Switzerland.
Denmark: 91.2% (2025) · Switzerland: 67.8% (2025)
How clean is the air?
Denmark and Switzerland are nearly identical here.
Denmark: 9 µg/m³ (2024) · Switzerland: 9 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 41% more likely to be murdered in Denmark than in Switzerland.
Denmark: 0.8 per 100k (2023) · Switzerland: 0.6 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Switzerland are 4% deadlier than in Denmark.
Denmark: 2.3 per 100k (2021) · Switzerland: 2.4 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Denmark is on average 3.0 °C warmer than Switzerland.
Denmark: 9.6°C (2016–2025 avg) · Switzerland: 6.5°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Switzerland gets 91% more rain than Denmark.
Denmark: 845 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Switzerland: 1,616 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Denmark bigger than Switzerland?
Denmark is larger. Denmark is 4% bigger than Switzerland.
Which has more people, Denmark or Switzerland?
Switzerland has 51% more people than Denmark (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Denmark or Switzerland?
People in Switzerland live 2.2 years longer than in Denmark. Life expectancy at birth is 82.3 years in Denmark and 84.4 in Switzerland.
Are people taller in Denmark or Switzerland?
Men in Denmark are 3.2 cm taller than in Switzerland (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
