CountryDuel

Land

Size, shape and altitude

How big is it, really?

Switzerland fits inside Germany 8.7 times.

Germany: 357,680 km² (2023) · Switzerland: 41,291 km² (2023)

Drag it across the map

How much coast is there?

Germany: 2,389 km (2026 edition) · Switzerland: 0 km (2026 edition)

How high can you climb?

Switzerland’s highest peak towers 1,671 m above Germany’s.

Germany: 2,963 m (2026 edition) · Switzerland: 4,634 m (2026 edition)

How far apart are they?

People

Who lives there, and how closely

How many people live there?

Germany has 9.2 times as many people as Switzerland.

Germany: 83.5 million (2025) · Switzerland: 9.09 million (2025)

How crowded is it?

Germany is 4% more densely populated than Switzerland.

Germany: 239 per km² (2025) · Switzerland: 230 per km² (2025)

How tall are the men?

Men in Germany are 1.6 cm taller than in Switzerland.

Germany: 180.3 cm (2019) · Switzerland: 178.7 cm (2019)

How tall are the women?

Women in Germany are 1.8 cm taller than in Switzerland.

Germany: 166.2 cm (2019) · Switzerland: 164.3 cm (2019)

How old is the typical person?

The typical person in Germany is 2.8 years older than in Switzerland.

Germany: 45.1 years (2023) · Switzerland: 42.3 years (2023)

How many children per woman?

Women in Germany have 0.1 more children on average than in Switzerland.

Germany: 1.36 children per woman (2024) · Switzerland: 1.29 children per woman (2024)

How many people are 65 or older?

24% of people in Germany are 65 or older, versus 20% in Switzerland.

Germany: 23.7% (2025) · Switzerland: 20.4% (2025)

How many Nobel laureates were born there?

Switzerland has produced 20.9 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Germany 10.1.

Germany: 10.1 (2025) · Switzerland: 20.9 (2025)

How many official languages?

Switzerland has 4 official languages, Germany 1.

Germany: 1 (2026) · Switzerland: 4 (2026)

What shape is the population?

Money

What an economy looks like per person

How big is the economy?

Germany’s economy is 4.8 times the size of Switzerland’s.

Germany: $5.05 trillion (2025) · Switzerland: $1.04 trillion (2025)

How much is produced per person?

Switzerland produces 36% more per person than Germany.

Germany: Int$75,407 (2025) · Switzerland: Int$102,513 (2025)

How evenly is income shared?

Switzerland and Germany are practically level.

Germany: 33.7 (2022) · Switzerland: 33.8 (2022)

How many people are looking for work?

Unemployment is 4.9% in Switzerland, versus 3.7% in Germany.

Germany: 3.7% (2025) · Switzerland: 4.9% (2025)

How much goes to the military?

Germany spends 1.9% of its GDP on the military, Switzerland 0.7%.

Germany: 1.9% (2024) · Switzerland: 0.7% (2024)

How expensive is it?

Switzerland’s price level (US = 100) is 1.4× Germany’s.

Germany: 80% (2025) · Switzerland: 112% (2025)

Health

Long lives, small beginnings

How much is spent on health?

Switzerland spends 72% more on health per person than Germany.

Germany: $6,849 (2024) · Switzerland: $11,784 (2023)

How long do people live?

People in Switzerland live 3.6 years longer than in Germany.

Germany: 80.8 years (2024) · Switzerland: 84.4 years (2024)

How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?

A baby in Switzerland is 10% more likely to die before turning one than in Germany.

Germany: 3.1 per 1,000 (2024) · Switzerland: 3.4 per 1,000 (2024)

How many doctors are there?

Germany has 1% more doctors per person than Switzerland.

Germany: 4.5 per 1,000 (2022) · Switzerland: 4.5 per 1,000 (2022)

How common is obesity?

24% of adults in Germany are obese, versus 13% in Switzerland.

Germany: 24.5% (2024) · Switzerland: 12.9% (2024)

How many adults smoke?

23% of adults in Switzerland smoke, versus 22% in Germany.

Germany: 22% (2024) · Switzerland: 23.1% (2024)

Everyday life

Plates, glasses and happiness

How do people rate their lives?

People in Switzerland rate their lives 0.14 points higher than in Germany.

Germany: 6.88 (2025) · Switzerland: 7.02 (2025)

How much do people drink?

Adults in Germany drink 25% more alcohol than in Switzerland.

Germany: 10.9 litres (2023) · Switzerland: 8.8 litres (2023)

How much meat is on the menu?

Germany has 10% more meat per person than Switzerland.

Germany: 70.7 kg (2023) · Switzerland: 64 kg (2023)

How much food is there per day?

Germany has 132 kcal more food per person per day than Switzerland.

Germany: 3,535 kcal (2023) · Switzerland: 3,402 kcal (2023)

How long do people work?

Workers in Switzerland put in 194 more hours a year than in Germany.

Germany: 1,335 hours (2023) · Switzerland: 1,529 hours (2023)

How long do people go to school?

Adults in Germany went to school 0.35 years longer than in Switzerland.

Germany: 14.3 years (2023) · Switzerland: 13.9 years (2023)

How many tourists visit?

Switzerland welcomed 2.3 times as many tourists per resident as Germany (2019).

Germany: 0.45 (2024) · Switzerland: 1.04 (2022)

Connected

Online, electrified, urban

How many people are online?

97% of people in Switzerland are online, versus 94% in Germany.

Germany: 94% (2024) · Switzerland: 97% (2025)

Who has electricity at home?

Germany and Switzerland are practically level.

Germany: 100% (2024) · Switzerland: 100% (2024)

How many live in cities?

86% of people in Switzerland live in cities, versus 82% in Germany.

Germany: 82% (2025) · Switzerland: 86% (2025)

How many phones per person?

Switzerland and Germany are practically level.

Germany: 129 (2024) · Switzerland: 129 (2024)

How much railway is there?

Germany’s railway network is 8.1 times as long as Switzerland’s.

Germany: 33,401 km (2021) · Switzerland: 4,122 km (2021)

How much do they fly?

Airlines from Switzerland fly 3.2 times as many passengers per resident as those from Germany.

Germany: 0.96 (2023) · Switzerland: 3.05 (2023)

Planet

Air, forests and energy

How much of the land is forest?

Germany and Switzerland are practically level.

Germany: 32.7% (2023) · Switzerland: 32.4% (2023)

How much CO₂ does each person emit?

The average person in Germany emits 88% more CO₂ than someone in Switzerland.

Germany: 6.8 t (2024) · Switzerland: 3.6 t (2024)

How green is the power grid?

68% of Switzerland’s electricity is renewable, versus 59% in Germany.

Germany: 59.1% (2025) · Switzerland: 67.8% (2025)

How clean is the air?

The air in Germany carries 1% more fine dust than in Switzerland.

Germany: 9.1 µg/m³ (2024) · Switzerland: 9 µg/m³ (2024)

Where does the power come from?

Safety

Measured risk, not vibes

How common is murder?

You are 52% more likely to be murdered in Germany than in Switzerland.

Germany: 0.9 per 100k (2023) · Switzerland: 0.6 per 100k (2023)

How dangerous are the roads?

Roads in Germany are 38% deadlier than in Switzerland.

Germany: 3.3 per 100k (2021) · Switzerland: 2.4 per 100k (2021)

Climate

What the year feels like

How warm is it?

Germany is on average 3.7 °C warmer than Switzerland.

Germany: 10.3°C (2016–2025 avg) · Switzerland: 6.5°C (2016–2025 avg)

How much rain falls?

Switzerland gets 86% more rain than Germany.

Germany: 871 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Switzerland: 1,616 mm (2016–2025 avg)

What does the year feel like?
Time machine

Quick answers

Is Germany bigger than Switzerland?

Germany is larger. Switzerland fits inside Germany 8.7 times.

Which has more people, Germany or Switzerland?

Germany has 9.2 times as many people as Switzerland (2025 estimates).

Where do people live longer, Germany or Switzerland?

People in Switzerland live 3.6 years longer than in Germany. Life expectancy at birth is 80.8 years in Germany and 84.4 in Switzerland.

Are people taller in Germany or Switzerland?

Men in Germany are 1.6 cm taller than in Switzerland (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).

Keep duelling