Switzerland Flag

Switzerland

Capital:
Bern
Continent:
Europe
Region(s):
Western Europe
Largest Cities:
Zurich, Geneve, Basel
Abbreviation:
CHE

9M
Total Population
101
Population Rank
226.93
Density (km²)
45.4K 0.74%
Annual Population Growth

Population of Switzerland

Switzerland's population structure shows a nearly equal male to female ratio of 0.99 to 1, with a median male age of 42.67 years old and a median female age of 44.66 years old. The highest concentration of adults under 75 years old is in the 59 and 58 year-old age groups, while the lowest concentration is in the 74 and 73 year-old age groups.

Switzerland Population

Data after 2022 is projected based on recent change

Switzerland Population Clock

Switzerland Population*
8,951,152
Births per Day
224
Deaths per Day
208
Immigrations per Day
102
Net Change per Day
118
2025 Population Change*
5,074

* As of 2/12/2025

1 birth

Every 6.4 minutes

1 death

Every 6.9 minutes

1 immigrant

Every 14.1 minutes

1 person

Every 12.2 minutes

Population by City

City
2025 Pop.
Zurich341,730
Geneve183,981
Basel164,488
Bern121,631
Lausanne116,751

Switzerland Overview

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 Demographics

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 Religion, Economy and Politics

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.

Switzerland Population History

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.