The population of Switzerland is one of the easiest to predict and any anomalies are small ones. As such, numbers here are likely to reach 8.6 million by 2020, but we will have to wait for the next official census for this to be confirmed.
The overall population of Switzerland has enjoyed steady and relatively consistent growth throughout the country’s history. Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries it is claimed that the growth levels did not vary from figures of 0.7 to 0.8% but over the decades, that led to a doubling of the population as a whole.
There have been some anomalies in those figures such as a 1.1% rise in numbers in 2007 and the reasons for these are put firmly at the door of increased immigration.
That growth level continues to this day at a point where the Switzerland population of 2014 stands at around the eight million figure.
The population change in Switzerland has been declining since 1995 and that is expected to continue. It is predicted that the rate of growth will reach a temporary high in 2020 at 0.835 before slowly decreasing towards stagnation. The annual growth rate is expected to get as low as 0.28% by 2050. During this same period, projections say that the population of Switzerland will be 8.670.535 in 2020, 9,203,908 by 2030, 9,586,938 by 2040, and 9,879,901 by 2050. The population change in Switzerland has been declining since 1995 and that is expected to continue. It is predicted that the rate of growth will reach a temporary high in 2020 at 0.835 before slowly decreasing towards stagnation. The annual growth rate is expected to get as low as 0.28% by 2050. During this same time projections say that the population of Switzerland will be 8.670.535 in 2020, 9,203,908 by 2030, 9,586,938 by 2040, and 9,879,901 by 2050.
| Switzerland Population (as of 11/19/2024) | 8,940,571 |
| Last UN Estimate (July 1, 2024) | 8,921,980 |
| Births per Day | 227 |
| Deaths per Day | 206 |
| Migrations per Day | 110 |
| Net Change per Day | 131 |
| Population Change Since Jan. 1 | 42,444 |
Net increase of 1 person every 11 minutes
Population estimates based on interpolation of data from World Population Prospects
| One birth every 6.35 minutes | |
| One death every 6.98 minutes | |
| One immigrant every 13.08 minutes | |
| Net gain of one person every 11 minutes |
City | 2024 Pop. |
|---|---|
| Zurich | 341,730 |
| Geneve | 183,981 |
| Basel | 164,488 |
| Bern | 121,631 |
| Lausanne | 116,751 |
| Winterthur | 91,908 |
| Sankt Gallen | 70,572 |
| Lugano | 63,000 |
| Luzern | 57,066 |
| Zuerich (Kreis 11) | 54,260 |
Switzerland is small in size but it is relatively densely populated by comparison. The overall surface area here is 41,285 square kilometers: a figure which can be converted to 15,940 square miles, making this the 135th largest country in terms of landmass alone. For every square mile of Swiss territory, there is an average of 206 people per square kilometer. This makes Switzerland the 67th most densely populated country on the planet as of 2018.
Nearly three-quarters of the people in Switzerland live in or around an urban center, but the country is made up more of many small cities than a few large ones. Most Swiss cities are found close to ski resorts, or in places of natural beauty. The largest city in Switzerland is the banking center of Zurich, with a population close to 1.5 million, and nearly 2 million in the greater metro area. The second metro area in Switzerland is the French-speaking country of Geneva with nearly 200,000 residents. The capital city of Bern is only the fourth largest city, with 133,000 residents (Basel comes in third with 171,000). The fifth and last, city in Switzerland with a population over 100,000 is Lausanne with a population of 130,000.
Year | Population | Change | Density (/km²) | Population Rank | Density Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 8,921,980 | 0.79% | 226 | 101 | 67 |
| 2023 | 8,870,560 | 0.82% | 224 | 101 | 66 |
| 2020 | 8,640,580 | 0.73% | 219 | 101 | 67 |
| 2019 | 8,577,520 | 0.72% | 217 | 100 | 66 |
| 2018 | 8,516,340 | 0.74% | 216 | 99 | 66 |
| 2017 | 8,453,630 | 0.94% | 214 | 99 | 67 |
| 2015 | 8,283,930 | 1.15% | 210 | 99 | 64 |
| 2010 | 7,825,750 | 1.04% | 198 | 95 | 61 |
| 2005 | 7,431,820 | 0.68% | 188 | 97 | 61 |
| 2000 | 7,184,010 | 0.4% | 182 | 94 | 59 |
| 1995 | 7,040,480 | 0.96% | 178 | 92 | 57 |
| 1990 | 6,713,170 | 0.74% | 170 | 91 | 58 |
| 1985 | 6,470,960 | 0.47% | 164 | 86 | 57 |
| 1980 | 6,319,850 | -0.06% | 160 | 79 | 54 |
| 1975 | 6,338,600 | 0.51% | 160 | 76 | 47 |
| 1970 | 6,180,920 | 1.08% | 156 | 73 | 47 |
| 1965 | 5,856,420 | 1.91% | 148 | 69 | 43 |
| 1960 | 5,327,780 | 1.27% | 135 | 70 | 42 |
| 1955 | 5,002,110 | 1.29% | 127 | 69 | 41 |
Year | Population | Change | Density (/km²) | Population Rank | Density Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 8,921,980 | 0.79% | 226 | 101 | 67 |
| 2025 | 8,967,410 | 0.74% | 227 | 101 | 67 |
| 2030 | 9,130,290 | 0.36% | 231 | 100 | 65 |
| 2035 | 9,224,220 | 0.21% | 233 | 100 | 65 |
| 2040 | 9,276,180 | 0.11% | 235 | 98 | 65 |
| 2045 | 9,315,500 | 0.08% | 236 | 101 | 65 |
| 2050 | 9,342,590 | 0.06% | 236 | 104 | 64 |
| 2055 | 9,326,970 | -0.03% | 236 | 105 | 66 |
| 2060 | 9,287,260 | -0.08% | 235 | 106 | 69 |
| 2065 | 9,233,900 | -0.11% | 234 | 104 | 67 |
| 2070 | 9,187,370 | -0.1% | 232 | 107 | 68 |
| 2075 | 9,142,530 | -0.1% | 231 | 107 | 68 |
| 2080 | 9,110,190 | -0.07% | 231 | 107 | 68 |
| 2085 | 9,083,850 | -0.06% | 230 | 106 | 68 |
| 2090 | 9,080,420 | -0.01% | 230 | 106 | 69 |
| 2095 | 9,096,330 | 0.03% | 230 | 107 | 67 |
42.7
Total
41.7
Male
43.7
Female
There are people over age 18 in Switzerland.
Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 2021 |
| 2010 | 31 December 2010 |
| 2000 | 5 December 2000 |
| 1990 | 4 December 1990 |
The landlocked country of Switzerland is a diverse mix of people with different languages spoken right across the nation. The general perception is that Switzerland is a relatively small territory so how do its population figures compare with the rest of the world? The nationwide census of 2000 revealed that there were 7,452,075 people living here and a subsequent estimate in 2011 suggested that the population of Switzerland had increased to 7,952,600, making it the 95th most populous country in the world.
Switzerland’s numerous borders with other countries mean that there is a wide range of exterior influences at play here. These boundaries include Italy (698 km of border), France (525 km of border), Germany (348 km of border), Austria (158 km of border), and Liechtenstein (41 km of border). The country has four official languages (including Swiss German, French, Italian, and Romansch) and it is claimed that 22% of the population is comprised of foreign workers and temporary outside residents.
A significant proportion of that figure of 22% comes from Italy whilst there is also a strong German community in Switzerland itself.
Switzerland is a predominantly Christian nation, with 68% of the population practicing some form of the religion, the majority of which are divided into the Roman Catholic and Reformed confessions. There is no official state religion, however certain Old Catholic churches and Jewish congregations are financed through taxation. A fairly significant 25.6% of the population is unaffiliated with any religion, and the remaining citizens are wither Muslim (5.1%), Hindu (0.6%), Buddhist (0.5%) or Jewish (0.2%).
As far as life expectancy is concerned, figures released by the Swiss Federal Statistics Office in 2008 claimed that the overall figure was one of the highest in the world at 82.1 – split between 79.7 years for men and 84.4 years for women. This has since risen to 82.6, with a split of 80.3 for males and 85.1 for females as of 2017.
As of 2018, Switzerland is the 5th happiest country in the world, according to the World Happiness Report. The residents gave their home a score of 7.487 out of 10 for overall happiness in their life. This report includes a variety of factors, particularly GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, and more.
The borders of Switzerland, and its accompanied neutrality and independence where created in the wake of the Napoleonic Wars at the congress of Vienna in 1815, which were further reaffirmed by the treaty of Versailles in 1920. The population of Switzerland has never wavered much in any direction, which is probably largely due to the country's political policies.