Germany vs Switzerland
Germany vs Switzerland: Government debt
Government debt in 2025: 62.7% of GDP in Germany and 40.1% of GDP in Switzerland, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Germany, by 22.6 percentage points, or 1.56 times that in Switzerland.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- Germany has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1991.
- In 2025, Germany ranked 51 and Switzerland ranked 106 of 149 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Germany at 75.6% of GDP and Switzerland at 35.9% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Germany | Switzerland |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 62.7 | 40.1 |
| 2024 | 61.4 | 40.4 |
| 2023 | 61.8 | 40.2 |
| 2022 | 64.1 | 39.2 |
| 2021 | 67.4 | 43.3 |
| 2020 | 67.5 | 45.3 |
| 2019 | 58.4 | 41 |
| 2018 | 60.5 | 41.1 |
| 2017 | 63.7 | 42 |
| 2016 | 68.1 | 42 |
| 2015 | 71 | 43.1 |
| 2014 | 74.4 | 42.9 |
| 2013 | 77.4 | 42.9 |
| 2012 | 79.8 | 43.6 |
| 2011 | 78.5 | 42.9 |
| 2010 | 81 | 42.6 |
| 2009 | 72.4 | 44.3 |
| 2008 | 65.2 | 46.2 |
| 2007 | 63.7 | 45.9 |
| 2006 | 66.4 | 47.9 |
| 2005 | 67.1 | 54.2 |
| 2004 | 65 | 57.2 |
| 2003 | 63.3 | 56.3 |
| 2002 | 59.8 | 57 |
| 2001 | 58.1 | 50.8 |
| 2000 | 59.2 | 51.9 |
| 1999 | 60.4 | 52 |
| 1998 | 59.4 | 55.4 |
| 1997 | 58.8 | 53.1 |
| 1996 | 57.7 | 50.7 |
| 1995 | 54.9 | 49.4 |
| 1994 | 47.5 | 46.5 |
| 1993 | 45.1 | 43.8 |
| 1992 | 41.4 | 39.1 |
| 1991 | 39 | 34.8 |
| 1990 | – | 33.1 |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Germany | Switzerland |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 64.6 | 38.3 |
| 2027 | 67 | 37.8 |
| 2028 | 69.3 | 37.1 |
| 2029 | 71.5 | 37 |
| 2030 | 73.6 | 36.2 |
| 2031 | 75.6 | 35.9 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the government owes, as a share of the economy’s yearly output.
- Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook, October 2026.
- The dashed line is the IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 149 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Germany vs Switzerland
Health
- Life expectancyGermany: 81.4 years in 2023Switzerland: 84 years in 2023
- Child mortalityGermany: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024Switzerland: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityGermany: 3 per 1,000 live births in 2023Switzerland: 3.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterGermany: 99.9% in 2022Switzerland: 96.7% in 2022
- DepressionGermany: 3.96% in 2017Switzerland: 3.71% in 2017
- Suicide rateGermany: 9.9 per 100,000 people in 2017Switzerland: 9.3 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationGermany: 84.6 million people in 2023Switzerland: 8.87 million people in 2023
- Population growthGermany: 0.35% a year in 2023Switzerland: 0.62% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateGermany: 1.44 births per woman in 2023Switzerland: 1.43 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationGermany: 82.1% in 2025Switzerland: 85.7% in 2025
- Median ageGermany: 45.2 years in 2023Switzerland: 42.3 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overGermany: 22.8% in 2023Switzerland: 19.6% in 2023
- Net migration rateGermany: 7.2 per 1,000 people in 2023Switzerland: 5.1 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingGermany: 2.27% of GDP in 2025Switzerland: 0.76% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsGermany: $107B in 2025Switzerland: $7.15B in 2025
- Military spending per personGermany: $1,346 in 2025Switzerland: $849 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingGermany: 4.5% of government spending in 2025Switzerland: 2.4% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelGermany: 183,000 people in 2020Switzerland: 20,000 people in 2020
- National powerGermany: 1.5% of world capability in 2022Switzerland: 0.12% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersGermany: 0.42% of the labour force in 2020Switzerland: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsGermany: 1.63 billion TIV in 2025Switzerland: 33 million TIV in 2023
- Arms exportsGermany: 1.7 billion TIV in 2025Switzerland: 129 million TIV in 2025