Germany vs Switzerland: Human Development Index
Germany
0.959
in 2023
Switzerland
0.97
in 2023
Germany rank
5th
Switzerland rank
2nd
Human Development Index over time
- Germany
- Switzerland
How they compare
Switzerland currently reports 0.97 against 0.959 in Germany, a difference of 0.011.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 34 shared years of data; in 1990 it was Switzerland ahead.
Germany ranks 5th and Switzerland ranks 2nd of 192 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Germany averaged higher in 1 and Switzerland in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Germany | Switzerland | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.8653 | 0.872 | 0.0067 | Switzerland |
| 2000s | 0.9194 | 0.9119 | 0.0075 | Germany |
| 2010s | 0.9473 | 0.9551 | 0.0078 | Switzerland |
| 2020s | 0.9567 | 0.9667 | 0.01 | Switzerland |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher human development index, Germany or Switzerland?
- Switzerland, at 0.97 against 0.959 in Germany as of 2023.
- What is the difference in human development index between Germany and Switzerland?
- 0.011, with Switzerland ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Germany and Switzerland?
- 34 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2023.
- How do Germany and Switzerland rank globally for human development index?
- Germany ranks 5th and Switzerland ranks 2nd of 192 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Human Development Index. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
The Human Development Index (HDI) is a summary measure of key dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, a good education, and a decent standard of living. Higher values indicate higher human development.