Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Switzerland fits inside Finland 8.2 times.
Finland: 338,480 km² (2023) · Switzerland: 41,291 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Finland: 1,250 km (2026 edition) · Switzerland: 0 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Switzerland’s highest peak towers 3,306 m above Finland’s.
Finland: 1,328 m (2026 edition) · Switzerland: 4,634 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Switzerland has 61% more people than Finland.
Finland: 5.65 million (2025) · Switzerland: 9.09 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Switzerland is 12 times as densely populated as Finland.
Finland: 19 per km² (2025) · Switzerland: 230 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Finland are 1.8 cm taller than in Switzerland.
Finland: 180.6 cm (2019) · Switzerland: 178.7 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Finland are 2.1 cm taller than in Switzerland.
Finland: 166.5 cm (2019) · Switzerland: 164.3 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Finland is 0.46 years older than in Switzerland.
Finland: 42.8 years (2023) · Switzerland: 42.3 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Switzerland and Finland are practically level.
Finland: 1.25 children per woman (2024) · Switzerland: 1.29 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
24% of people in Finland are 65 or older, versus 20% in Switzerland.
Finland: 24.2% (2025) · Switzerland: 20.4% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Switzerland has produced 20.9 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Finland 8.9.
Finland: 8.9 (2025) · Switzerland: 20.9 (2025)
How many official languages?
Switzerland has 4 official languages, Finland 2.
Finland: 2 (2026) · Switzerland: 4 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Switzerland’s economy is 3.3 times the size of Finland’s.
Finland: $317 billion (2025) · Switzerland: $1.04 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Switzerland produces 56% more per person than Finland.
Finland: Int$65,885 (2025) · Switzerland: Int$102,513 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Switzerland than in Finland (Gini 6.4 points higher).
Finland: 27.4 (2023) · Switzerland: 33.8 (2022)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 9.5% in Finland, versus 4.9% in Switzerland.
Finland: 9.5% (2025) · Switzerland: 4.9% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Finland spends 2.3% of its GDP on the military, Switzerland 0.7%.
Finland: 2.3% (2024) · Switzerland: 0.7% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Switzerland’s price level (US = 100) is 1.3× Finland’s.
Finland: 85% (2025) · Switzerland: 112% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Switzerland spends 2.1 times as much on health per person as Finland.
Finland: $5,515 (2023) · Switzerland: $11,784 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Switzerland live 2.1 years longer than in Finland.
Finland: 82.3 years (2024) · Switzerland: 84.4 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Switzerland is 79% more likely to die before turning one than in Finland.
Finland: 1.9 per 1,000 (2024) · Switzerland: 3.4 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Switzerland has 24% more doctors per person than Finland.
Finland: 3.6 per 1,000 (2021) · Switzerland: 4.5 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
26% of adults in Finland are obese, versus 13% in Switzerland.
Finland: 26.2% (2024) · Switzerland: 12.9% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
23% of adults in Switzerland smoke, versus 21% in Finland.
Finland: 21.4% (2024) · Switzerland: 23.1% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Finland rate their lives 0.75 points higher than in Switzerland.
Finland: 7.76 (2025) · Switzerland: 7.02 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Finland drink 7% more alcohol than in Switzerland.
Finland: 9.4 litres (2023) · Switzerland: 8.8 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Finland has 8% more meat per person than Switzerland.
Finland: 69.4 kg (2023) · Switzerland: 64 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Switzerland has 57 kcal more food per person per day than Finland.
Finland: 3,346 kcal (2023) · Switzerland: 3,402 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Switzerland put in 32 more hours a year than in Finland.
Finland: 1,497 hours (2023) · Switzerland: 1,529 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Switzerland went to school 0.97 year longer than in Finland.
Finland: 13 years (2023) · Switzerland: 13.9 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Switzerland welcomed 31% more tourists per resident than Finland (2019).
Finland: 0.8 (2024) · Switzerland: 1.04 (2022)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
97% of people in Switzerland are online, versus 94% in Finland.
Finland: 94% (2024) · Switzerland: 97% (2025)
Who has electricity at home?
Finland and Switzerland are practically level.
Finland: 100% (2024) · Switzerland: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
86% of people in Switzerland live in cities, versus 75% in Finland.
Finland: 75% (2025) · Switzerland: 86% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Switzerland has 129 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Finland 126.
Finland: 126 (2024) · Switzerland: 129 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Finland’s railway network is 44% longer than Switzerland’s.
Finland: 5,918 km (2021) · Switzerland: 4,122 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Switzerland fly 60% more passengers per resident than those from Finland.
Finland: 1.91 (2023) · Switzerland: 3.05 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 74% of Finland, but only 32% of Switzerland.
Finland: 73.7% (2023) · Switzerland: 32.4% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Finland emits 47% more CO₂ than someone in Switzerland.
Finland: 5.3 t (2024) · Switzerland: 3.6 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
68% of Switzerland’s electricity is renewable, versus 56% in Finland.
Finland: 56.5% (2025) · Switzerland: 67.8% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Switzerland carries 67% more fine dust than in Finland.
Finland: 5.4 µg/m³ (2024) · Switzerland: 9 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 64% more likely to be murdered in Finland than in Switzerland.
Finland: 1 per 100k (2023) · Switzerland: 0.6 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Finland are 75% deadlier than in Switzerland.
Finland: 4.2 per 100k (2021) · Switzerland: 2.4 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Switzerland is on average 3.0 °C warmer than Finland.
Finland: 3.6°C (2016–2025 avg) · Switzerland: 6.5°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Switzerland gets 2.1 times as much rain as Finland.
Finland: 758 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Switzerland: 1,616 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Finland bigger than Switzerland?
Finland is larger. Switzerland fits inside Finland 8.2 times.
Which has more people, Finland or Switzerland?
Switzerland has 61% more people than Finland (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Finland or Switzerland?
People in Switzerland live 2.1 years longer than in Finland. Life expectancy at birth is 82.3 years in Finland and 84.4 in Switzerland.
Are people taller in Finland or Switzerland?
Men in Finland are 1.8 cm taller than in Switzerland (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
