Switzerland Demographics

Population of Switzerland (2026)

View live population, charts & trends: Population of Switzerland

Switzerland Population
9,007,798
see live
Yearly Change
+0.45%
Global Share
0.11%
Global Rank
100

Median Age

The median age in Switzerland is 43.2 years (2026).

Fertility in Switzerland

A Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 2.1 represents the Replacement-Level Fertility : the average number of children per woman needed for each generation to exactly replace itself without needing international immigration. A value below 2.1 will cause the native population to decline


Total Fertility Rate (TFR)
1.45
(Live Births per Woman, 2026)

Life Expectancy in Switzerland

See also: Countries in the world ranked by Life Expectancy

Both Sexes
84.4
(life expectancy at birth, both sexes combined)
Females
86.2
(life expectancy at birth, females)
Males
82.5
(life expectancy at birth, males)


Infant Mortality Rate and Deaths of Children under 5 Years Old in Switzerland


Infant Mortality
3.0
(infant deaths per 1,000 live births)
Deaths under age 5
3.5
(per 1,000 live births)


Switzerland Urban Population

Currently, 86.0% of the population of Switzerland is urban (7,745,128 people in 2026)


Population Density

The 2026 population density in Switzerland is 225 people per km² (583 people per mi2), calculated on a total land area of 39,997 km² (15,443 sq. miles).

Largest Cities in Switzerland

The 30 largest of 190 cities, ranked by population estimates for December 31, 2025 (by Swiss Federal Statistical Office).

RankCityPopulation
1Zurich440,471
2Geneva211,030
3Basel180,075
4Lausanne145,521
5Bern138,489
6Winterthur120,715
7Luzern86,687
8St. Gallen79,462
9Lugano63,688
10Biel57,434
11Bellinzona45,823
12Neuchâtel45,456
13Thun44,158
14Köniz43,915
15Chur39,740
16Fribourg39,584
17Schaffhausen39,224
18Vernier38,746
19La Chaux-de-Fonds37,845
20Sion37,831
21Lancy37,515
22Uster37,025
23Dübendorf33,204
24Emmen32,770
25Zug32,155
26Kriens30,680
27Yverdon-les-Bains30,582
28Rapperswil-Jona28,834
29Dietikon28,317
30Meyrin27,367
See all 190 cities in Switzerland

See also

Sources

Definitions

Population Pyramid

A Population pyramid (also called "Age-Sex Pyramid") is a graphical representation of the age and sex of a population.

Types:

  • Expansive - pyramid with a wide base (larger percentage of people in younger age groups, indicating high birth rates and high fertility rates) and narrow top (high death rate and lower life expectancies). It suggests a growing population. Example: Nigeria Population Pyramid
  • Constrictive - pyramid with a narrow base (lower percentage of younger people, indicating declining birth rates with each succeeding age group getting smaller than the previous one). Example: United States
  • Stationary - with a somewhat equal proportion of the population in each age group. The population is stable, neither increasing nor decreasing.

Stages:

Population pyramid stages

Dependency Ratio

There are three types of age dependency ratio: Youth, Elderly, and Total. All three ratios are commonly multiplied by 100.

Youth Dependency Ratio

Definition: population ages 0-15 divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 0-15] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Elderly dependency ratio

Definition: population ages 65-plus divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 65-plus] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Total dependency ratio

Definition: sum of the youth and old-age ratios.

Formula: (([Population ages 0-15] + [Population ages 65-plus]) ÷ [Population ages 16-64] ) × 100

NOTE: Dependency Ratio does not take into account labor force participation rates by age group. Some portion of the population counted as "working age" may actually be unemployed or not in the labor force whereas some portion of the "dependent" population may be employed and not necessarily economically dependent.