Switzerland vs France: A Comparative Perspective

Abstract

Having examined poverty among immigrant children in Switzerland and France in Chapters 4 to 6, in this chapter we present a comparative picture of the two countries. Both Switzerland and France are rich countries of Western Europe. According to Table 2.1 in Chapter 2, Switzerland ranks as the second richest country in Western Europe, and France the eighth. However, the gap between the two countries was much narrower in 2004 in terms of GDP per capita in PPP$ than the nominal dollar GDP per capita would suggest (see Table 7.1). The two countries are also similar with respect to such social indicators as infant mortality rates, adult literacy rates, public expenditures on education and health and annual population growth.