diff --git a/packages/eslint-plugin/src/rules/switch-exhaustiveness-check.ts b/packages/eslint-plugin/src/rules/switch-exhaustiveness-check.ts
index 64ab5ef6b2e2..c6ed86463ca0 100644
--- a/packages/eslint-plugin/src/rules/switch-exhaustiveness-check.ts
+++ b/packages/eslint-plugin/src/rules/switch-exhaustiveness-check.ts
@@ -17,12 +17,14 @@ interface SwitchMetadata {
   readonly missingBranchTypes: ts.Type[];
   readonly defaultCase: TSESTree.SwitchCase | undefined;
   readonly isUnion: boolean;
+  readonly containsNonLiteralType: boolean;
 }
 
 type Options = [
   {
     /**
-     * If `true`, allow `default` cases on switch statements with exhaustive cases.
+     * If `true`, allow `default` cases on switch statements with exhaustive
+     * cases.
      *
      * @default true
      */
@@ -104,12 +106,16 @@ export default createRule<Options, MessageIds>({
         | string
         | undefined;
 
+      const containsNonLiteralType =
+        doesTypeContainNonLiteralType(discriminantType);
+
       if (!discriminantType.isUnion()) {
         return {
           symbolName,
           missingBranchTypes: [],
           defaultCase,
           isUnion: false,
+          containsNonLiteralType,
         };
       }
 
@@ -138,9 +144,29 @@ export default createRule<Options, MessageIds>({
         missingBranchTypes,
         defaultCase,
         isUnion: true,
+        containsNonLiteralType,
       };
     }
 
+    /**
+     * For example:
+     *
+     * - `"foo" | "bar"` is a type with all literal types.
+     * - `"foo" | number` is a type that contains non-literal types.
+     *
+     * Default cases are never superfluous in switches with non-literal types.
+     */
+    function doesTypeContainNonLiteralType(type: ts.Type): boolean {
+      const types = tsutils.unionTypeParts(type);
+      return types.some(
+        type =>
+          !isFlagSet(
+            type.getFlags(),
+            ts.TypeFlags.Literal | ts.TypeFlags.Undefined | ts.TypeFlags.Null,
+          ),
+      );
+    }
+
     function checkSwitchExhaustive(
       node: TSESTree.SwitchStatement,
       switchMetadata: SwitchMetadata,
@@ -272,9 +298,14 @@ export default createRule<Options, MessageIds>({
         return;
       }
 
-      const { missingBranchTypes, defaultCase } = switchMetadata;
+      const { missingBranchTypes, defaultCase, containsNonLiteralType } =
+        switchMetadata;
 
-      if (missingBranchTypes.length === 0 && defaultCase !== undefined) {
+      if (
+        missingBranchTypes.length === 0 &&
+        defaultCase !== undefined &&
+        !containsNonLiteralType
+      ) {
         context.report({
           node: defaultCase,
           messageId: 'dangerousDefaultCase',
@@ -322,3 +353,7 @@ export default createRule<Options, MessageIds>({
     };
   },
 });
+
+function isFlagSet(flags: number, flag: number): boolean {
+  return (flags & flag) !== 0;
+}
diff --git a/packages/eslint-plugin/tests/rules/switch-exhaustiveness-check.test.ts b/packages/eslint-plugin/tests/rules/switch-exhaustiveness-check.test.ts
index 9a06ace1e0a9..5d58d0576052 100644
--- a/packages/eslint-plugin/tests/rules/switch-exhaustiveness-check.test.ts
+++ b/packages/eslint-plugin/tests/rules/switch-exhaustiveness-check.test.ts
@@ -229,6 +229,110 @@ switch (value) {
         },
       ],
     },
+    // switch with default clause on string type +
+    // "allowDefaultCaseForExhaustiveSwitch" option
+    {
+      code: `
+declare const value: string;
+switch (value) {
+  case 'foo':
+    return 0;
+  case 'bar':
+    return 1;
+  default:
+    return -1;
+}
+      `,
+      options: [
+        {
+          allowDefaultCaseForExhaustiveSwitch: false,
+          requireDefaultForNonUnion: false,
+        },
+      ],
+    },
+    // switch with default clause on number type +
+    // "allowDefaultCaseForExhaustiveSwitch" option
+    {
+      code: `
+declare const value: number;
+switch (value) {
+  case 0:
+    return 0;
+  case 1:
+    return 1;
+  default:
+    return -1;
+}
+      `,
+      options: [
+        {
+          allowDefaultCaseForExhaustiveSwitch: false,
+          requireDefaultForNonUnion: false,
+        },
+      ],
+    },
+    // switch with default clause on bigint type +
+    // "allowDefaultCaseForExhaustiveSwitch" option
+    {
+      code: `
+declare const value: bigint;
+switch (value) {
+  case 0:
+    return 0;
+  case 1:
+    return 1;
+  default:
+    return -1;
+}
+      `,
+      options: [
+        {
+          allowDefaultCaseForExhaustiveSwitch: false,
+          requireDefaultForNonUnion: false,
+        },
+      ],
+    },
+    // switch with default clause on symbol type +
+    // "allowDefaultCaseForExhaustiveSwitch" option
+    {
+      code: `
+declare const value: symbol;
+const foo = Symbol('foo');
+switch (value) {
+  case foo:
+    return 0;
+  default:
+    return -1;
+}
+      `,
+      options: [
+        {
+          allowDefaultCaseForExhaustiveSwitch: false,
+          requireDefaultForNonUnion: false,
+        },
+      ],
+    },
+    // switch with default clause on union with number +
+    // "allowDefaultCaseForExhaustiveSwitch" option
+    {
+      code: `
+declare const value: 0 | 1 | number;
+switch (value) {
+  case 0:
+    return 0;
+  case 1:
+    return 1;
+  default:
+    return -1;
+}
+      `,
+      options: [
+        {
+          allowDefaultCaseForExhaustiveSwitch: false,
+          requireDefaultForNonUnion: false,
+        },
+      ],
+    },
   ],
   invalid: [
     {
@@ -735,6 +839,7 @@ switch (value) {
       ],
     },
     {
+      // superfluous switch with a string-based union
       code: `
 type MyUnion = 'foo' | 'bar' | 'baz';
 
@@ -746,6 +851,186 @@ switch (myUnion) {
   case 'baz': {
     break;
   }
+  default: {
+    break;
+  }
+}
+      `,
+      options: [
+        {
+          allowDefaultCaseForExhaustiveSwitch: false,
+          requireDefaultForNonUnion: false,
+        },
+      ],
+      errors: [
+        {
+          messageId: 'dangerousDefaultCase',
+        },
+      ],
+    },
+    {
+      // superfluous switch with a string-based enum
+      code: `
+enum MyEnum {
+  Foo = 'Foo',
+  Bar = 'Bar',
+  Baz = 'Baz',
+}
+
+declare const myEnum: MyEnum;
+
+switch (myEnum) {
+  case MyEnum.Foo:
+  case MyEnum.Bar:
+  case MyEnum.Baz: {
+    break;
+  }
+  default: {
+    break;
+  }
+}
+      `,
+      options: [
+        {
+          allowDefaultCaseForExhaustiveSwitch: false,
+          requireDefaultForNonUnion: false,
+        },
+      ],
+      errors: [
+        {
+          messageId: 'dangerousDefaultCase',
+        },
+      ],
+    },
+    {
+      // superfluous switch with a number-based enum
+      code: `
+enum MyEnum {
+  Foo,
+  Bar,
+  Baz,
+}
+
+declare const myEnum: MyEnum;
+
+switch (myEnum) {
+  case MyEnum.Foo:
+  case MyEnum.Bar:
+  case MyEnum.Baz: {
+    break;
+  }
+  default: {
+    break;
+  }
+}
+      `,
+      options: [
+        {
+          allowDefaultCaseForExhaustiveSwitch: false,
+          requireDefaultForNonUnion: false,
+        },
+      ],
+      errors: [
+        {
+          messageId: 'dangerousDefaultCase',
+        },
+      ],
+    },
+    {
+      // superfluous switch with a boolean
+      code: `
+declare const myBoolean: boolean;
+
+switch (myBoolean) {
+  case true:
+  case false: {
+    break;
+  }
+  default: {
+    break;
+  }
+}
+      `,
+      options: [
+        {
+          allowDefaultCaseForExhaustiveSwitch: false,
+          requireDefaultForNonUnion: false,
+        },
+      ],
+      errors: [
+        {
+          messageId: 'dangerousDefaultCase',
+        },
+      ],
+    },
+    {
+      // superfluous switch with undefined
+      code: `
+declare const myValue: undefined;
+
+switch (myValue) {
+  case undefined: {
+    break;
+  }
+
+  default: {
+    break;
+  }
+}
+      `,
+      options: [
+        {
+          allowDefaultCaseForExhaustiveSwitch: false,
+          requireDefaultForNonUnion: false,
+        },
+      ],
+      errors: [
+        {
+          messageId: 'dangerousDefaultCase',
+        },
+      ],
+    },
+    {
+      // superfluous switch with null
+      code: `
+declare const myValue: null;
+
+switch (myValue) {
+  case null: {
+    break;
+  }
+
+  default: {
+    break;
+  }
+}
+      `,
+      options: [
+        {
+          allowDefaultCaseForExhaustiveSwitch: false,
+          requireDefaultForNonUnion: false,
+        },
+      ],
+      errors: [
+        {
+          messageId: 'dangerousDefaultCase',
+        },
+      ],
+    },
+    {
+      // superfluous switch with union of various types
+      code: `
+declare const myValue: 'foo' | boolean | undefined | null;
+
+switch (myValue) {
+  case 'foo':
+  case true:
+  case false:
+  case undefined:
+  case null: {
+    break;
+  }
+
   default: {
     break;
   }

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