Switzerland has 9 million inhabitants, as of June 2024. Its population quadrupled over the period 1800 to 1990 (average doubling time 95 years). Population growth was steepest in the period after World War II (1.4% per annum during 1950–1970, doubling time 50 years), it slowed during the 1970s and 1980s but has since increased to 1% during the 2000s (doubling time 70 years).
More than 75% of the population live in the central plain, which stretches between the Alps and the Jura Mountains and from Geneva in the southwest to the High Rhine and Lake Constance in the northeast.
As of 2023, 40% of the population has a migrant background and 31% are foreign residents.
Census
The Federal Population Census (, , , ) has been carried out every 10 years starting in 1850.with the exceptions of the censuses of 1888 and 1941. The census was initiated by Federal Councillor Stefano Franscini, who evaluated the data of the first census all by himself after Parliament failed to provide the necessary funds.History of the Federal Population Census, Swiss Federal Statistical Office, accessed October 2007 The census is now conducted by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office, which makes most results available on its website.
Collected data includes population data (citizenship, place of residence, place of birth, position in household, number of children, religion, languages, education, profession, place of work, etc.), household data (number of individuals living in the household, etc.), accommodation data (surface area, amount of rent paid, etc.) and building data (geocoordinates, time of construction, number of floors, etc.). Participation is compulsory and reached 99.87% of the population in 2000.Overview of the Federal Population Census , Swiss Federal Statistical Office, accessed October 2007
Since 2010, the population census has been carried out and analysed annually in a new format by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO). In order to ease the burden on the population, the information is primarily drawn from population registers and supplemented by sample surveys. Only a small proportion of the population (about 5%) are surveyed in writing or by telephone. The first reference day for the new census was 31 December 2010.
At the end of 2022, there were about four million private households in Switzerland, of which more than a third are inhabited by only one person. Since 1970, this number has more than tripled.
Population
Demographic statistics according to the World Population Review in 2019.
One birth every 6 minutes One death every 8 minutes One net migrant every 11 minutes Net gain of one person every 8 minutes
+Total of registered residents (numbers relate to 31 December)Die Bevölkerung der Schweiz 2015 BFS 348-1500, 22 November 2016.
Head-König, Anne-Lise in Year Total Male Female Swiss Foreign2023 8,962,258 4,451,532 (49.7%) 4,510,726 (50.3%) 6,544,970 (73.0%) 2,417,288 (27.0%)2022 8,815,385 4,379,953 (49.7%) 4,435,432 (50.3%) 6,519,362 (74.0%) 2,296,023 (26.0%)2021 8,738,791 4,338,203 (49.6%) 4,400,588 (50.4%) 6,494,610 (74.3%) 2,244,181 (25.7%)2020 8,670,300 4,302,599 (49.6%) 4,367,701 (50.4%) 6,459,512 (74.5%) 2,210,788 (25.5%)2019 8,606,033 4,268,863 (49.6%) 4,337,170 (50.4%) 6,430,658 (74.7%) 2,175,375 (25.3%)2018 8,544,527 4,237,121 (49.6%) 4,307,406 (50.4%) 6,396,252 (74.9%) 2,148,275 (25.1%)2017 8,484,130 4,206,434 (49.6%) 4,277,696 (50.4%) 6,357,738 (74.9%) 2,126,392 (25.1%)2016 8,419,550 4,173,437 (49.6%) 4,246,113 (50.4%) 6,318,404 (75.0%) 2,101,146 (25.0%)2015 8,327,126 4,121,471 (49.5%) 4,205,655 (50.5%) 6,278,459 (75.4%) 2,048,667 (24.6%)2014 8,236,666 4,073,880 (49.5%) 4,163,786 (50.5%) 6,239,207 (75.7%) 1,998,459 (24.3%)2013 8,139,631 4,022,091 (49.4%) 4,117,540 (50.6%) 6,202,184 (76.2%) 1,937,447 (23.8%)2012 8,039,060 3,968,524 (49.4%) 4,070,536 (50.6%) 6,169,091 (76.7%) 1,869,969 (23.3%)2011 7,954,662 3,922,253 (49.3%) 4,032,409 (50.7%) 6,138,668 (77.2%) 1,815,994 (22.8%)2010 7,870,134 3,877,426 (49.3%) 3,992,708 (50.7%) 6,103,857 (77.6%) 1,766,277 (22.4%)2009 7,785,800 3,830,600 (49.2%) 3,955,200 (50.8%) 6,071,800 (78.0%) 1,714,000 (22.0%)2008 7,701,900 3,786,700 (49.2%) 3,915,200 (50.8%) 6,032,100 (78.3%) 1,669,700 (21.7%)2007 7,593,500 3,727,000 (49.1%) 3,866,500 (50.9%) 5,991,400 (78.9%) 1,602,100 (21.1%)2006 7,508,700 3,679,400 (49.0%) 3,829,400 (51.0%) 5,954,200 (79.3%) 1,554,500 (20.7%)2005 7,459,100 3,652,500 (49.0%) 3,806,600 (51.0%) 5,917,200 (79.3%) 1,541,900 (20.7%)2004 7,415,100 3,628,700 (48.9%) 3,786,400 (51.1%) 5,890,400 (79.4%) 1,524,700 (20.6%)2003 7,364,100 3,601,500 (48.9%) 3,762,600 (51.1%) 5,863,200 (79.6%) 1,500,900 (20.4%)2002 7,313,900 3,575,000 (48.9%) 3,738,800 (51.1%) 5,836,900 (79.8%) 1,477,000 (20.2%)2001 7,255,700 3,544,300 (48.8%) 3,711,300 (51.2%) 5,808,100 (80.0%) 1,447,600 (20.0%)2000 7,204,100 3,519,700 (48.9%) 3,684,400 (51.1%) 5,779,700 (80.2%) 1,424,400 (19.8%)1990 6,750,700 3,298,300 (48.9%) 3,452,400 (51.1%) 5,623,600 (83.3%) 1,127,100 (16.7%)1980 6,335,200 3,082,000 (48.6%) 3,253,300 (51.4%) 5,421,700 (85.6%) 913,500 (14.4%)1970 6,193,100 3,025,300 (48.8%) 3,167,700 (51.1%) 5,191,200 (83.8%) 1,001,900 (16.2%)1960–1970 5,429,061 – – 4,500,692 (89.2%) 586,338 (10.8%)1950–1960 4,714,992 – – – (93.9%) – (6.1%)1941–1950 4,265,703 – – – (94.8%) – (5.2%)1930–1941 4,066,400 – – – (91.3%) – (8.7%)1920–1930 3,880,320 – – – (89.6%) – (10.4%)1910–1920 3,753,293 – – – (85.3%) – (14.7%)1900–1910 3,315,443 – – – (88.4%) – (11.6%)1888–1900 2,917,754 – – – (92.2%) – (7.8%)1880–1888 2,831,787 – – – (92.6%) – (7.4%)1870–1880 2,655,001 – – – (94.3%) – (5.7%)1860–1870 2,510,494 – – – (95.4%) – (4.6%)1850–1860 2,392,740 – – – (97.1%) – (2.9%)1837–1850 2,190,258 – – – –1798–1837 1,664,832 – – – –
Growth rate During the 19th and 20th centuries, population growth rate has been at 0.7% to 0.8%, with a doubling time of ca. 90 years. In the later 20th century, the growth rate has fallen below 0.7% (1980s: 0.64%; 1990s: 0.65%), and in the 2000s it has risen again slightly (2000–2006: 0.69%), mostly due to immigration. In 2007 the population grew at a much higher 1.1% rate, again mostly due to immigration. For 2008, the population grew 1.6%, a level not seen since the early 1960s.
Total fertility rate 1.46 children born/woman (total) 1.33 children born/Swiss woman 1.86 children born/non-Swiss woman
Fertility
The total fertility rate is the number of children born per woman. It is based on fairly good data for the entire period. Sources: Our World in Data and Gapminder Foundation.
+Total Fertility Rates in Switzerland Years 18501851185218531854185518561857185818591860Rate4.144.02 3.893.743.653.443.823.854.054.274.19 Years 1861186218631864186518661867186818691870Rate 4.144.18 4.324.324.264.334.164.044.143.99 Years 1871187218731874187518761877187818791880Rate 3.993.99 3.984.074.264.44.294.194.093.97 Years 1881188218831884188518861887188818891890Rate 3.993.87 3.823.793.713.733.743.713.73.56 Years 189118921893189418951896189718981899Rate 3.783.71 3.743.663.663.773.793.823.89
Age structure
+ Gender and nationality by age groups(2014)(thousands of individuals)Nos. in (brackets) are the numbers for each age group as a % of all age groups totalled.Age Total Males Females Swiss Foreign 0–10 902.7 (11.0%) 463.7 439.0 661.8 240.8 (26.7%) 11–20 854.4 (10.4%) 438.3 416.0 668.5 185.9 (21.8%) 21–30 1,071.5 (13.0%) 542.4 529.1 754.1 317.4 (29.6%) 31–40 1,149.1 (13.9%) 579.5 569.6 706.6 442.5 (38.5%) 41–50 1,282.3 (15.6%) 647.4 634.8 916.3 365.9 (28.5%) 51–60 1,146.2 (13.9%) 578.5 567.7 911.2 235.0 (20.5%) 61–70 876.4 (10.6%) 427.0 449.5 762.2 114.2 (13.0%) 71–80 593.8 (7.2%) 268.6 325.2 522.1 71.8 (12.1%) 81–90 308.0 (3.7%) 114.3 193.7 285.7 22.3 (7.2%) 91+ 53.3 (0.6%) 14.1 39.2 50.7 2.6 (4.8%) Data: Swiss Federal Statistics Office
As population growth slows, the percentage of elderly people increases. In July 2015, the Swiss Federal Office of Statistics published projections indicating that by 2045, the proportion of residents over the retirement age of 65 would climb to 48.1 per 100 residents between 20 and 64 years old, and possibly as high as 50.0 in the highest case scenario. In 2015 that ratio was only 29.1 per 100 residents.
+ Projected age structureNo. of individuals in millions YearScenario0–20 Percent 21–64 Percent 65+ Percent 2015 1.67 20.0% 5.17 61.9% 1.5 18.0% 2030 1.88 19.7% 5.49 57.5% 2.17 22.8% 2045 (low) 1.66 17.7% 5.13 54.9% 2.56 27.4% 2045 (middle) 1.90 18.6% 5.59 54.9% 2.69 26.4% 2045 (high) 2.16 19.6% 6.06 55.0% 2.81 25.5% Data: Swiss Federal Statistics Office
Sex ratio Age Males(thousands) Females(thousands) Ratio(male/female)At birth 38.1 36.2 1.050–15 651.8 615.6 1.0616–64 2,551.0 2,530.0 1.0165+ 524.3 720.9 0.73total 3,727.0 3,866.5 0.96 Data: Swiss Federal Statistics Office 2007
Life expectancy
According to statistics released by the federal government in 2019, life expectancy at birth stands at 81.9 years for men and 85.6 years for women, with an overall average of 83.8 years for the population as a whole.
Sources: Our World in Data
1876–1950
+Life expectancy at birth in Switzerland (e0)Years18761877187818791880e040.140.040.541.842.8Years1881188218831884188518861887188818891890e041.943.045.045.043.944.745.446.045.145.0Years1891189218931894189518961897189818991900e044.747.246.145.846.948.949.148.249.347.5Years1901190219031904190519061907190819091910e048.950.450.149.249.750.751.252.351.652.9Years1911191219131914191519161917191819191920e051.754.454.255.155.956.555.846.354.954.3Years1921192219231924192519261927192819291930e057.858.560.059.559.960.660.160.460.261.4Years1931193219331934193519361937193819391940e061.261.262.462.962.163.263.563.864.063.5Years1941194219431944194519461947194819491950e065.065.665.864.865.466.066.267.367.968.9
1950–2015
+Life expectancy at birth in SwitzerlandPeriodPeriod1950–195569.31985–199077.21955–196070.71990–199577.91960–196571.61995–200079.21965–197072.62000–200580.51970–197573.72005–201081.81975–198075.22010–201582.71980–198576.1 Source: UN World Population Prospects
Vital statistics
Data according to Federal Statistical Office, United Nations, Our World in Data and Gapminder Foundation.
Notable events in Swiss demographics:
1816-1818 – Famine caused by the Year Without a Summer 1854-1855 - Cholera pandemic 1870-1874 - Smallpox pandemic 1914-1918 – First World War 1918 - Spanish flu 2020-2022 - Covid-19