Switzerland vs United Kingdom
Switzerland vs United Kingdom: GDP growth
GDP growth in 2025: 1.6% a year in Switzerland and 1.2% a year in United Kingdom, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Switzerland, by 0.4 percentage points, or 1.33 times that in United Kingdom.
% a year · IMF
What the numbers say
- Switzerland has been higher since 2023, when it overtook United Kingdom.
- In 2025, Switzerland ranked 110 and United Kingdom ranked 117 of 143 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Switzerland at 1.2% a year and United Kingdom at 1.4% a year in 2031.
Every year
% a year · IMF
| Year | Switzerland | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1.6 | 1.2 |
| 2024 | 1.5 | 1.1 |
| 2023 | 1.1 | 0.4 |
| 2022 | 3.6 | 5 |
| 2021 | 6.2 | 8.5 |
| 2020 | -2.3 | -10.1 |
| 2019 | 1.1 | 1.4 |
| 2018 | 3.3 | 1.6 |
| 2017 | 1.5 | 3.3 |
| 2016 | 1.9 | 2.2 |
| 2015 | 1.4 | 2.2 |
| 2014 | 2.5 | 3.2 |
| 2013 | 1.9 | 1.9 |
| 2012 | 1.2 | 1.7 |
| 2011 | 1.5 | 1.1 |
| 2010 | 3.2 | 2.4 |
| 2009 | -2 | -4.5 |
| 2008 | 2.5 | 0 |
| 2007 | 4 | 3 |
| 2006 | 4.2 | 2.2 |
| 2005 | 3 | 2.7 |
| 2004 | 2.5 | 2.3 |
| 2003 | -0.3 | 3.2 |
| 2002 | 0.4 | 1.7 |
| 2001 | 1.6 | 2.4 |
| 2000 | 3.7 | 4.5 |
| 1999 | 1.6 | 2.9 |
| 1998 | 2.7 | 3.3 |
| 1997 | 2.1 | 4.9 |
| 1996 | 0.6 | 2.6 |
| 1995 | 0.5 | 2.4 |
| 1994 | 1.3 | 3.4 |
| 1993 | -0.1 | 2.3 |
| 1992 | -0.1 | 0.3 |
| 1991 | -0.9 | -1.4 |
| 1990 | 3.7 | 0.6 |
| 1989 | 4.4 | 2.4 |
| 1988 | 3.2 | 5.4 |
| 1987 | 1.6 | 5.5 |
| 1986 | 1.8 | 3.1 |
| 1985 | 3.8 | 4.1 |
| 1984 | 3 | 2.2 |
| 1983 | 0.6 | 4.2 |
| 1982 | -1.3 | 2 |
| 1981 | 1.7 | -0.6 |
| 1980 | 5.1 | -2.1 |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Switzerland | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1.9 | 1.3 |
| 2027 | 1.2 | 1.2 |
| 2028 | 1.9 | 1.6 |
| 2029 | 1.2 | 1.5 |
| 2030 | 1.8 | 1.4 |
| 2031 | 1.2 | 1.4 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- How much the economy grew or shrank in a year, after inflation.
- 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 143 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
Switzerland vs United Kingdom
Health
- Life expectancySwitzerland: 84 years in 2023United Kingdom: 81.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySwitzerland: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024United Kingdom: 0.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySwitzerland: 3.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023United Kingdom: 3.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterSwitzerland: 96.7% in 2022United Kingdom: 99.8% in 2022
- DepressionSwitzerland: 3.71% in 2017United Kingdom: 4.12% in 2017
- Suicide rateSwitzerland: 9.3 per 100,000 people in 2017United Kingdom: 7.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSwitzerland: 8.87 million people in 2023United Kingdom: 68.7 million people in 2023
- Population growthSwitzerland: 0.62% a year in 2023United Kingdom: 0.7% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSwitzerland: 1.43 births per woman in 2023United Kingdom: 1.56 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationSwitzerland: 85.7% in 2025United Kingdom: 83.3% in 2025
- Median ageSwitzerland: 42.3 years in 2023United Kingdom: 39.8 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSwitzerland: 19.6% in 2023United Kingdom: 19.2% in 2023
- Net migration rateSwitzerland: 5.1 per 1,000 people in 2023United Kingdom: 6.5 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingSwitzerland: 0.76% of GDP in 2025United Kingdom: 2.35% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsSwitzerland: $7.15B in 2025United Kingdom: $88B in 2025
- Military spending per personSwitzerland: $849 in 2025United Kingdom: $1,283 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingSwitzerland: 2.4% of government spending in 2025United Kingdom: 5.4% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelSwitzerland: 20,000 people in 2020United Kingdom: 153,000 people in 2020
- National powerSwitzerland: 0.12% of world capability in 2022United Kingdom: 1.25% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSwitzerland: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020United Kingdom: 0.45% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsSwitzerland: 33 million TIV in 2023United Kingdom: 609 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsSwitzerland: 129 million TIV in 2025United Kingdom: 702 million TIV in 2025