Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Switzerland fits inside Russia 415 times.
Russia: 17,125,200 km² (2023) · Switzerland: 41,291 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Russia: 37,653 km (2026 edition) · Switzerland: 0 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Russia’s highest peak towers 1,008 m above Switzerland’s.
Russia: 5,642 m (2026 edition) · Switzerland: 4,634 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Russia has 16 times as many people as Switzerland.
Russia: 144 million (2025) · Switzerland: 9.09 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Switzerland is 26 times as densely populated as Russia.
Russia: 9 per km² (2025) · Switzerland: 230 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Switzerland are 2.1 cm taller than in Russia.
Russia: 176.7 cm (2019) · Switzerland: 178.7 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Russia and Switzerland are practically level.
Russia: 164.5 cm (2019) · Switzerland: 164.3 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Switzerland is 2.9 years older than in Russia.
Russia: 39.5 years (2023) · Switzerland: 42.3 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Russia have 0.1 more children on average than in Switzerland.
Russia: 1.42 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 18% in Russia.
Russia: 17.8% (2025) · Switzerland: 20.4% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Switzerland has produced 20.9 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Russia 2.0.
Russia: 2 (2025) · Switzerland: 20.9 (2025)
How many official languages?
Switzerland has 4 official languages, Russia 1.
Russia: 1 (2026) · Switzerland: 4 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Russia’s economy is 2.5 times the size of Switzerland’s.
Russia: $2.56 trillion (2025) · Switzerland: $1.04 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Switzerland produces 2.1 times as much per person as Russia.
Russia: Int$49,568 (2025) · Switzerland: Int$102,513 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Switzerland than in Russia (Gini 0.8 points higher).
Russia: 33 (2023) · Switzerland: 33.8 (2022)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 4.9% in Switzerland, versus 2.1% in Russia.
Russia: 2.1% (2025) · Switzerland: 4.9% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Russia spends 7.1% of its GDP on the military, Switzerland 0.7%.
Russia: 7.1% (2024) · Switzerland: 0.7% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Switzerland’s price level (US = 100) is 3.2× Russia’s.
Russia: 35% (2025) · Switzerland: 112% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Switzerland spends 12 times as much on health per person as Russia.
Russia: $1,003 (2023) · Switzerland: $11,784 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Switzerland live 11 years longer than in Russia.
Russia: 73.4 years (2024) · Switzerland: 84.4 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Russia is 21% more likely to die before turning one than in Switzerland.
Russia: 4.1 per 1,000 (2024) · Switzerland: 3.4 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Russia has 14% more doctors per person than Switzerland.
Russia: 5.1 per 1,000 (2022) · Switzerland: 4.5 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
21% of adults in Russia are obese, versus 13% in Switzerland.
Russia: 21.2% (2024) · Switzerland: 12.9% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
27% of adults in Russia smoke, versus 23% in Switzerland.
Russia: 27% (2024) · Switzerland: 23.1% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Switzerland rate their lives 1.18 points higher than in Russia.
Russia: 5.83 (2025) · Switzerland: 7.02 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Russia drink 19% more alcohol than in Switzerland.
Russia: 10.4 litres (2023) · Switzerland: 8.8 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Russia has 33% more meat per person than Switzerland.
Russia: 84.8 kg (2023) · Switzerland: 64 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Russia has 126 kcal more food per person per day than Switzerland.
Russia: 3,528 kcal (2023) · Switzerland: 3,402 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Russia put in 558 more hours a year than in Switzerland.
Russia: 2,087 hours (2023) · Switzerland: 1,529 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Switzerland went to school 1.5 years longer than in Russia.
Russia: 12.4 years (2023) · Switzerland: 13.9 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Russia: no data · Switzerland: 1.04 (2022)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
97% of people in Switzerland are online, versus 94% in Russia.
Russia: 94% (2024) · Switzerland: 97% (2025)
Who has electricity at home?
Russia and Switzerland are practically level.
Russia: 100% (2024) · Switzerland: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
86% of people in Switzerland live in cities, versus 75% in Russia.
Russia: 75% (2025) · Switzerland: 86% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Russia has 186 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Switzerland 129.
Russia: 186 (2024) · Switzerland: 129 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Russia’s railway network is 21 times as long as Switzerland’s.
Russia: 85,544 km (2021) · Switzerland: 4,122 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Switzerland fly 4.4 times as many passengers per resident as those from Russia.
Russia: 0.69 (2023) · Switzerland: 3.05 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 50% of Russia, but only 32% of Switzerland.
Russia: 49.8% (2023) · Switzerland: 32.4% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Russia emits 3.4 times as much CO₂ as someone in Switzerland.
Russia: 12.3 t (2024) · Switzerland: 3.6 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
68% of Switzerland’s electricity is renewable, versus 17% in Russia.
Russia: 17.4% (2025) · Switzerland: 67.8% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Russia carries 43% more fine dust than in Switzerland.
Russia: 12.9 µg/m³ (2024) · Switzerland: 9 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 13 times as likely to be murdered in Russia as in Switzerland.
Russia: 7.8 per 100k (2024) · Switzerland: 0.6 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Russia are 4.4 times as deadly as in Switzerland.
Russia: 10.6 per 100k (2021) · Switzerland: 2.4 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Switzerland is on average 9.1 °C warmer than Russia.
Russia: -2.6°C (2016–2025 avg) · Switzerland: 6.5°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Switzerland gets 2.8 times as much rain as Russia.
Russia: 586 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Switzerland: 1,616 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Russia bigger than Switzerland?
Russia is larger. Switzerland fits inside Russia 415 times.
Which has more people, Russia or Switzerland?
Russia has 16 times as many people as Switzerland (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Russia or Switzerland?
People in Switzerland live 11 years longer than in Russia. Life expectancy at birth is 73.4 years in Russia and 84.4 in Switzerland.
Are people taller in Russia or Switzerland?
Men in Switzerland are 2.1 cm taller than in Russia (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
