Population of Switzerland

As of May 2025, the population of Switzerland is 8.9 million. The number of inhabitants has increased by 52 thousand in the last year, representing a growth of 0.60%. The median age of the population has increased in recent years, rising from 41.2 years in 2015 to 42.9 years in 2025. Currently, life expectancy at birth is 84.6 years and population density is 222.7 inhabitants per square kilometer.

Population Growth

The population growth rate of Switzerland peaked in 1961, reaching around 2.73% annually, but has since declined to approximately 0.59% in 2025. The annual increase in the number of people has also decreased from a peak of around 148.36 thousand in 1961 to nearly 52.32 thousand in 2025.

Life Expectancy

In Switzerland, life expectancy at birth has been increasing, with the indicator rising from 81.2 years in 2005 to 84.6 years in 2025, representing an increase of more than 3 years over the past 2 decades.

Most populous cities in Switzerland

The cities of Switzerland are mostly small, but 5 stand out with more than 100 thousand inhabitants. The most populous city is Zürich, Zurich, with approximately 341.7 thousand inhabitants. It is followed by Genève, Geneva with 184 thousand and Basel, Basel-City with 164.5 thousand.

These are the 20 most populous cities in Switzerland: