Switzerland vs United States
Switzerland vs United States: Government debt
Government debt in 2025: 40.1% of GDP in Switzerland and 124.4% of GDP in United States, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in United States, by 84.3 percentage points, or 3.11 times that in Switzerland.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- United States has been higher since 2003, when it overtook Switzerland.
- In 2025, Switzerland ranked 106 and United States ranked 6 of 149 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Switzerland at 35.9% of GDP and United States at 145% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Switzerland | United States |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 40.1 | 124.4 |
| 2024 | 40.4 | 122.3 |
| 2023 | 40.2 | 120 |
| 2022 | 39.2 | 119.2 |
| 2021 | 43.3 | 125 |
| 2020 | 45.3 | 132.6 |
| 2019 | 41 | 108.8 |
| 2018 | 41.1 | 107.7 |
| 2017 | 42 | 106.5 |
| 2016 | 42 | 107.5 |
| 2015 | 43.1 | 105.5 |
| 2014 | 42.9 | 105 |
| 2013 | 42.9 | 105 |
| 2012 | 43.6 | 103.7 |
| 2011 | 42.9 | 100 |
| 2010 | 42.6 | 95.7 |
| 2009 | 44.3 | 87.1 |
| 2008 | 46.2 | 73.9 |
| 2007 | 45.9 | 65 |
| 2006 | 47.9 | 64.6 |
| 2005 | 54.2 | 65.8 |
| 2004 | 57.2 | 66.4 |
| 2003 | 56.3 | 59 |
| 2002 | 57 | 55.9 |
| 2001 | 50.8 | 53.5 |
| 2000 | 51.9 | – |
| 1999 | 52 | – |
| 1998 | 55.4 | – |
| 1997 | 53.1 | – |
| 1996 | 50.7 | – |
| 1995 | 49.4 | – |
| 1994 | 46.5 | – |
| 1993 | 43.8 | – |
| 1992 | 39.1 | – |
| 1991 | 34.8 | – |
| 1990 | 33.1 | – |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Switzerland | United States |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 38.3 | 126.8 |
| 2027 | 37.8 | 128.7 |
| 2028 | 37.1 | 132.3 |
| 2029 | 37 | 136.4 |
| 2030 | 36.2 | 140.7 |
| 2031 | 35.9 | 145 |
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
Switzerland vs United States
Health
- Life expectancySwitzerland: 84 years in 2023United States: 79.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySwitzerland: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024United States: 0.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySwitzerland: 3.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023United States: 5.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterSwitzerland: 96.7% in 2022United States: 97.5% in 2022
- DepressionSwitzerland: 3.71% in 2017United States: 4.84% in 2017
- Suicide rateSwitzerland: 9.3 per 100,000 people in 2017United States: 12.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSwitzerland: 8.87 million people in 2023United States: 344 million people in 2023
- Population growthSwitzerland: 0.62% a year in 2023United States: 0.58% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSwitzerland: 1.43 births per woman in 2023United States: 1.62 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationSwitzerland: 85.7% in 2025United States: 80.2% in 2025
- Median ageSwitzerland: 42.3 years in 2023United States: 38 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSwitzerland: 19.6% in 2023United States: 17.4% in 2023
- Net migration rateSwitzerland: 5.1 per 1,000 people in 2023United States: 3.9 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingSwitzerland: 0.76% of GDP in 2025United States: 3.12% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsSwitzerland: $7.15B in 2025United States: $929B in 2025
- Military spending per personSwitzerland: $849 in 2025United States: $2,755 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingSwitzerland: 2.4% of government spending in 2025United States: 8.3% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelSwitzerland: 20,000 people in 2020United States: 1.4 million people in 2020
- National powerSwitzerland: 0.12% of world capability in 2022United States: 12.36% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSwitzerland: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020United States: 0.84% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsSwitzerland: 33 million TIV in 2023United States: 745 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsSwitzerland: 129 million TIV in 2025United States: 14 billion TIV in 2025