Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Switzerland fits inside Portugal 2.2 times.
Portugal: 92,230 km² (2023) · Switzerland: 41,291 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Portugal: 1,793 km (2026 edition) · Switzerland: 0 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Switzerland’s highest peak towers 2,283 m above Portugal’s.
Portugal: 2,351 m (2026 edition) · Switzerland: 4,634 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Portugal has 19% more people than Switzerland.
Portugal: 10.8 million (2025) · Switzerland: 9.09 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Switzerland is 2 times as densely populated as Portugal.
Portugal: 118 per km² (2025) · Switzerland: 230 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Switzerland are 4.4 cm taller than in Portugal.
Portugal: 174.4 cm (2019) · Switzerland: 178.7 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Switzerland are 3.1 cm taller than in Portugal.
Portugal: 161.2 cm (2019) · Switzerland: 164.3 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Portugal is 3.9 years older than in Switzerland.
Portugal: 46.2 years (2023) · Switzerland: 42.3 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Portugal have 0.1 more children on average than in Switzerland.
Portugal: 1.41 children per woman (2024) · Switzerland: 1.29 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
25% of people in Portugal are 65 or older, versus 20% in Switzerland.
Portugal: 24.9% (2025) · Switzerland: 20.4% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Switzerland has produced 20.9 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Portugal 1.9.
Portugal: 1.9 (2025) · Switzerland: 20.9 (2025)
How many official languages?
Switzerland has 4 official languages, Portugal 1.
Portugal: 1 (2026) · Switzerland: 4 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Switzerland’s economy is 3 times the size of Portugal’s.
Portugal: $347 billion (2025) · Switzerland: $1.04 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Switzerland produces 93% more per person than Portugal.
Portugal: Int$53,146 (2025) · Switzerland: Int$102,513 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Portugal and Switzerland are practically level.
Portugal: 33.9 (2023) · Switzerland: 33.8 (2022)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 6.2% in Portugal, versus 4.9% in Switzerland.
Portugal: 6.2% (2025) · Switzerland: 4.9% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Portugal spends 1.5% of its GDP on the military, Switzerland 0.7%.
Portugal: 1.5% (2024) · Switzerland: 0.7% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Switzerland’s price level (US = 100) is 1.9× Portugal’s.
Portugal: 60% (2025) · Switzerland: 112% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Switzerland spends 4 times as much on health per person as Portugal.
Portugal: $2,971 (2024) · Switzerland: $11,784 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Switzerland live 2 years longer than in Portugal.
Portugal: 82.4 years (2024) · Switzerland: 84.4 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Switzerland is 26% more likely to die before turning one than in Portugal.
Portugal: 2.7 per 1,000 (2024) · Switzerland: 3.4 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Portugal has 31% more doctors per person than Switzerland.
Portugal: 5.9 per 1,000 (2022) · Switzerland: 4.5 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
23% of adults in Portugal are obese, versus 13% in Switzerland.
Portugal: 23% (2024) · Switzerland: 12.9% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
29% of adults in Portugal smoke, versus 23% in Switzerland.
Portugal: 28.6% (2024) · Switzerland: 23.1% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Switzerland rate their lives 0.99 points higher than in Portugal.
Portugal: 6.03 (2025) · Switzerland: 7.02 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Portugal drink 57% more alcohol than in Switzerland.
Portugal: 13.7 litres (2023) · Switzerland: 8.8 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Portugal has 55% more meat per person than Switzerland.
Portugal: 99.3 kg (2023) · Switzerland: 64 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Portugal has 151 kcal more food per person per day than Switzerland.
Portugal: 3,553 kcal (2023) · Switzerland: 3,402 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Portugal put in 206 more hours a year than in Switzerland.
Portugal: 1,735 hours (2023) · Switzerland: 1,529 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Switzerland went to school 4.2 years longer than in Portugal.
Portugal: 9.7 years (2023) · Switzerland: 13.9 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Portugal welcomed 2.6 times as many tourists per resident as Switzerland (2019).
Portugal: 2.71 (2024) · Switzerland: 1.04 (2022)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
97% of people in Switzerland are online, versus 88% in Portugal.
Portugal: 88% (2024) · Switzerland: 97% (2025)
Who has electricity at home?
Portugal and Switzerland are practically level.
Portugal: 100% (2024) · Switzerland: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
86% of people in Switzerland live in cities, versus 61% in Portugal.
Portugal: 61% (2025) · Switzerland: 86% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Switzerland has 129 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Portugal 124.
Portugal: 124 (2024) · Switzerland: 129 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Switzerland’s railway network is 63% longer than Portugal’s.
Portugal: 2,527 km (2021) · Switzerland: 4,122 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Switzerland fly 80% more passengers per resident than those from Portugal.
Portugal: 1.69 (2023) · Switzerland: 3.05 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 36% of Portugal, but only 32% of Switzerland.
Portugal: 36.2% (2023) · Switzerland: 32.4% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Switzerland emits 5% more CO₂ than someone in Portugal.
Portugal: 3.4 t (2024) · Switzerland: 3.6 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
81% of Portugal’s electricity is renewable, versus 68% in Switzerland.
Portugal: 81% (2025) · Switzerland: 67.8% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Portugal carries 17% more fine dust than in Switzerland.
Portugal: 10.5 µg/m³ (2024) · Switzerland: 9 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 21% more likely to be murdered in Portugal than in Switzerland.
Portugal: 0.7 per 100k (2022) · Switzerland: 0.6 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Portugal are 3 times as deadly as in Switzerland.
Portugal: 7.2 per 100k (2021) · Switzerland: 2.4 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Portugal is on average 9.3 °C warmer than Switzerland.
Portugal: 15.9°C (2016–2025 avg) · Switzerland: 6.5°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Switzerland gets 2.1 times as much rain as Portugal.
Portugal: 777 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Switzerland: 1,616 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Portugal bigger than Switzerland?
Portugal is larger. Switzerland fits inside Portugal 2.2 times.
Which has more people, Portugal or Switzerland?
Portugal has 19% more people than Switzerland (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Portugal or Switzerland?
People in Switzerland live 2 years longer than in Portugal. Life expectancy at birth is 82.4 years in Portugal and 84.4 in Switzerland.
Are people taller in Portugal or Switzerland?
Men in Switzerland are 4.4 cm taller than in Portugal (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
