Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Switzerland fits inside South Korea 2.4 times.
South Korea: 100,450 km² (2023) · Switzerland: 41,291 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
South Korea: 2,413 km (2026 edition) · Switzerland: 0 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Switzerland’s highest peak towers 2,684 m above South Korea’s.
South Korea: 1,950 m (2026 edition) · Switzerland: 4,634 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
South Korea has 5.7 times as many people as Switzerland.
South Korea: 51.7 million (2025) · Switzerland: 9.09 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
South Korea is 2.3 times as densely populated as Switzerland.
South Korea: 530 per km² (2025) · Switzerland: 230 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Switzerland are 3.2 cm taller than in South Korea.
South Korea: 175.5 cm (2019) · Switzerland: 178.7 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Switzerland are 1.1 cm taller than in South Korea.
South Korea: 163.2 cm (2019) · Switzerland: 164.3 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in South Korea is 2.2 years older than in Switzerland.
South Korea: 44.5 years (2023) · Switzerland: 42.3 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Switzerland have 0.5 more children on average than in South Korea.
South Korea: 0.75 children per woman (2024) · Switzerland: 1.29 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
Switzerland and South Korea are practically level.
South Korea: 20.3% (2025) · Switzerland: 20.4% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Switzerland has produced 20.9 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, South Korea 0.6.
South Korea: 0.6 (2025) · Switzerland: 20.9 (2025)
How many official languages?
Switzerland has 4 official languages, South Korea 1.
South Korea: 1 (2026) · Switzerland: 4 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
South Korea’s economy is 79% larger than Switzerland’s.
South Korea: $1.87 trillion (2025) · Switzerland: $1.04 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Switzerland produces 62% more per person than South Korea.
South Korea: Int$63,125 (2025) · Switzerland: Int$102,513 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Switzerland than in South Korea (Gini 0.9 points higher).
South Korea: 32.9 (2021) · Switzerland: 33.8 (2022)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 4.9% in Switzerland, versus 2.7% in South Korea.
South Korea: 2.7% (2025) · Switzerland: 4.9% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
South Korea spends 2.6% of its GDP on the military, Switzerland 0.7%.
South Korea: 2.6% (2024) · Switzerland: 0.7% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Switzerland’s price level (US = 100) is 2× South Korea’s.
South Korea: 57% (2025) · Switzerland: 112% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Switzerland spends 3.8 times as much on health per person as South Korea.
South Korea: $3,137 (2024) · Switzerland: $11,784 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Switzerland live 0.78 years longer than in South Korea.
South Korea: 83.6 years (2024) · Switzerland: 84.4 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Switzerland is 48% more likely to die before turning one than in South Korea.
South Korea: 2.3 per 1,000 (2024) · Switzerland: 3.4 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Switzerland has 72% more doctors per person than South Korea.
South Korea: 2.6 per 1,000 (2022) · Switzerland: 4.5 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
13% of adults in Switzerland are obese, versus 7.5% in South Korea.
South Korea: 7.5% (2024) · Switzerland: 12.9% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
23% of adults in Switzerland smoke, versus 19% in South Korea.
South Korea: 18.6% (2024) · Switzerland: 23.1% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Switzerland rate their lives 0.98 points higher than in South Korea.
South Korea: 6.04 (2025) · Switzerland: 7.02 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Switzerland drink 6% more alcohol than in South Korea.
South Korea: 8.3 litres (2023) · Switzerland: 8.8 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
South Korea has 31% more meat per person than Switzerland.
South Korea: 84 kg (2023) · Switzerland: 64 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
South Korea has 28 kcal more food per person per day than Switzerland.
South Korea: 3,430 kcal (2023) · Switzerland: 3,402 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in South Korea put in 381 more hours a year than in Switzerland.
South Korea: 1,910 hours (2023) · Switzerland: 1,529 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Switzerland went to school 1.2 years longer than in South Korea.
South Korea: 12.7 years (2023) · Switzerland: 13.9 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Switzerland welcomed 3.3 times as many tourists per resident as South Korea (2019).
South Korea: 0.32 (2024) · Switzerland: 1.04 (2022)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
98% of people in South Korea are online, versus 97% in Switzerland.
South Korea: 98% (2024) · Switzerland: 97% (2025)
Who has electricity at home?
South Korea and Switzerland are practically level.
South Korea: 100% (2024) · Switzerland: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
86% of people in Switzerland live in cities, versus 81% in South Korea.
South Korea: 81% (2025) · Switzerland: 86% (2025)
How many phones per person?
South Korea has 173 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Switzerland 129.
South Korea: 173 (2024) · Switzerland: 129 (2024)
How much railway is there?
South Korea’s railway network is 5% longer than Switzerland’s.
South Korea: 4,309 km (2021) · Switzerland: 4,122 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Switzerland fly 2.1 times as many passengers per resident as those from South Korea.
South Korea: 1.48 (2023) · Switzerland: 3.05 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 64% of South Korea, but only 32% of Switzerland.
South Korea: 64.1% (2023) · Switzerland: 32.4% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in South Korea emits 3.1 times as much CO₂ as someone in Switzerland.
South Korea: 11.3 t (2024) · Switzerland: 3.6 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
68% of Switzerland’s electricity is renewable, versus 10% in South Korea.
South Korea: 10.4% (2025) · Switzerland: 67.8% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in South Korea carries 2.3 times as much fine dust as in Switzerland.
South Korea: 21 µg/m³ (2024) · Switzerland: 9 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 25% more likely to be murdered in Switzerland than in South Korea.
South Korea: 0.5 per 100k (2023) · Switzerland: 0.6 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in South Korea are 2.9 times as deadly as in Switzerland.
South Korea: 6.9 per 100k (2021) · Switzerland: 2.4 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
South Korea is on average 6.6 °C warmer than Switzerland.
South Korea: 13.2°C (2016–2025 avg) · Switzerland: 6.5°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Switzerland gets 28% more rain than South Korea.
South Korea: 1,265 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Switzerland: 1,616 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is South Korea bigger than Switzerland?
South Korea is larger. Switzerland fits inside South Korea 2.4 times.
Which has more people, South Korea or Switzerland?
South Korea has 5.7 times as many people as Switzerland (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, South Korea or Switzerland?
People in Switzerland live 0.78 years longer than in South Korea. Life expectancy at birth is 83.6 years in South Korea and 84.4 in Switzerland.
Are people taller in South Korea or Switzerland?
Men in Switzerland are 3.2 cm taller than in South Korea (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
