Australia and Switzerland Economies: A Side-by-Side Table Comparison

Australia and Switzerland present a fascinating contrast. Australia’s population is nearly three times larger, yet it covers an area 193 times bigger. Economically, Australia’s total GDP surpasses Switzerland’s by over double, but its GDP per capita lags behind. In military spending, Australia invests over five times more, while imports are significantly lower.

Basic Indicators

Indicator	Australia	Switzerland	Comparison
Population source (2022 data), updated 2024	26.01 million (54th)	8.78 million (98th)	Australia’s population is approximately 2.96 times larger than Switzerland’s.
Surface area (sq. km) source (2022 data), updated 2024	7.74 million sq. km (6th)	0.04 million sq. km (126th)	Australia is 193.5 times larger than Switzerland.
GDP source (2022 data), updated 2024	1,692.96B USD (12th)	818.43B USD (20th)	Australia’s total GDP is approximately 2.07 times larger than Switzerland’s.
GDP per capita source (2022 data), updated 2024	$65,100 (13th)	93,260 USD (7th)	Australia’s GDP per capita is roughly 30% lower than Switzerland’s, with Australians producing about $28,160 less per person annually.

Economic Indexes

Index	Australia	Switzerland	Comparison
HDI (Human Development Index) source (2022 data), updated 2024	0.946 (10th)	0.967 (1st)	Australia’s HDI is 0.946 (very high), while Switzerland’s is 0.967 (very high). Switzerland’s score is 0.021 higher, indicating slightly better human development overall.
Index of Economic Freedom source (2024 data)	76.2 (12th)	83 (2nd)	Australia’s Index of Economic Freedom is 8.8% lower than Switzerland’s, 6.8 points less.
GINI source (2022 data), updated 2024	34.3 (2018 est.)	33.1 (2018 est.)	With a 3.6% higher Gini coefficient, Australia has a higher degree of income inequality than Switzerland.

International trade _{source(2023 data), updated 2024}

Indicator	Australia	Switzerland
Total imports	363.57B USD	554.36B
Imports % of GDP	19.71%	63.23%
Main import partners	China 28%, US 10%, South Korea 6%, Japan 6%, Singapore 5%	Germany 21%, US 10%, Italy 8%, France 6%, China 5%
Main import items	refined petroleum, cars, garments, trucks, plastic products	gold, packaged medicine, vaccines, cars, garments
Total exports	447.51B USD	661.63B
Exports % of GDP	25.43%	76.94%
Main export Partners	China 29%, Japan 19%, South Korea 10%, India 7%, Taiwan 6%	US 15%, Germany 13%, China 11%, Italy 6%, France 5%
Main export items	coal, iron ore, natural gas, gold, wheat	gold, vaccines, packaged medicine, nitrogen compounds, base metal watches

Australia’s imports are 65% less than Switzerland’s, and Australia imports 38% less of its GDP compared to Switzerland. Australia’s exports are 447.51B USD, mainly coal and iron ore, while Switzerland’s 661.63B USD exports focus on advanced goods like vaccines.

Military Power _{source (2023 data), updated 2024}

Indicator	Australia	Switzerland
Military expenditure	32.3B USD	6.3B USD
Military expenditure (% of GDP)	1.90%	0.76%
Active military	59k	20k
Active military per 1,000 capita	3.8	26

Australia’s military expenditure is over five times larger than Switzerland’s at $32.34 billion compared to $6.29 billion, and Australia allocates a significantly higher percentage of its GDP to defense at 1.90% versus Switzerland’s 0.76%.