Population aged 65 years or older (thousands) in Switzerland
Switzerland: Population aged 65 years or older (thousands) was 1,808 thousands in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
1,808 thousands
Change on year
up 2.5%
World rank
56th
of 233 countries
All-time high
1,808 thousands
in 2025
All-time low
692.79 thousands
in 1970
Years of data
56
1970–2025
Population aged 65 years or older in Switzerland, 1970–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in thousands.
Analysis
In 2025, population aged 65 years or older in Switzerland stood at 1,808 thousands. That is the highest value across all 56 years on record.
The figure is up 2.5% on the previous year and up 23.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population aged 65 years or older in Switzerland peaked at 1,808 thousands in 2025 and was at its lowest, 692.79 thousands, in 1970.
That places Switzerland 56th out of 233 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 56 years of available data.
Population aged 65 years or older (thousands) in Switzerland, year by year
| Year | thousands | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 692.79 thousands | — |
| 1971 | 710.75 thousands | +2.6% |
| 1972 | 728.52 thousands | +2.5% |
| 1973 | 747.67 thousands | +2.6% |
| 1974 | 768.02 thousands | +2.7% |
| 1975 | 787.53 thousands | +2.5% |
| 1976 | 806.51 thousands | +2.4% |
| 1977 | 822.3 thousands | +2.0% |
| 1978 | 840.69 thousands | +2.2% |
| 1979 | 855.94 thousands | +1.8% |
| 1980 | 871.36 thousands | +1.8% |
| 1981 | 879.35 thousands | +0.9% |
| 1982 | 885.87 thousands | +0.7% |
| 1983 | 891.31 thousands | +0.6% |
| 1984 | 895.77 thousands | +0.5% |
| 1985 | 903.53 thousands | +0.9% |
| 1986 | 918.45 thousands | +1.7% |
| 1987 | 933.73 thousands | +1.7% |
| 1988 | 947.47 thousands | +1.5% |
| 1989 | 960.75 thousands | +1.4% |
| 1990 | 973.37 thousands | +1.3% |
| 1991 | 984.25 thousands | +1.1% |
| 1992 | 996.42 thousands | +1.2% |
| 1993 | 1,007 thousands | +1.1% |
| 1994 | 1,019 thousands | +1.2% |
| 1995 | 1,031 thousands | +1.2% |
| 1996 | 1,044 thousands | +1.2% |
| 1997 | 1,055 thousands | +1.1% |
| 1998 | 1,067 thousands | +1.1% |
| 1999 | 1,080 thousands | +1.2% |
| 2000 | 1,094 thousands | +1.3% |
| 2001 | 1,109 thousands | +1.3% |
| 2002 | 1,125 thousands | +1.4% |
| 2003 | 1,137 thousands | +1.1% |
| 2004 | 1,151 thousands | +1.3% |
| 2005 | 1,169 thousands | +1.5% |
| 2006 | 1,187 thousands | +1.6% |
| 2007 | 1,211 thousands | +2.0% |
| 2008 | 1,239 thousands | +2.3% |
| 2009 | 1,271 thousands | +2.5% |
| 2010 | 1,302 thousands | +2.5% |
| 2011 | 1,332 thousands | +2.3% |
| 2012 | 1,367 thousands | +2.7% |
| 2013 | 1,401 thousands | +2.5% |
| 2014 | 1,434 thousands | +2.4% |
| 2015 | 1,467 thousands | +2.3% |
| 2016 | 1,497 thousands | +2.0% |
| 2017 | 1,525 thousands | +1.9% |
| 2018 | 1,552 thousands | +1.8% |
| 2019 | 1,579 thousands | +1.7% |
| 2020 | 1,608 thousands | +1.8% |
| 2021 | 1,632 thousands | +1.5% |
| 2022 | 1,664 thousands | +1.9% |
| 2023 | 1,716 thousands | +3.1% |
| 2024 | 1,764 thousands | +2.8% |
| 2025 | 1,808 thousands | +2.5% |
Switzerland compared with similar countries
- Switzerland's 1,808 thousands is above the median for high income countries, which is 291.46 thousands, 6.2× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Switzerland's 1,808 thousands is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 974.42 thousands, 1.9× the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 776.07 thousands | 692.79 thousands | 855.94 thousands | 10 |
| 1980s | 908.76 thousands | 871.36 thousands | 960.75 thousands | 10 |
| 1990s | 1,026 thousands | 973.37 thousands | 1,080 thousands | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,169 thousands | 1,094 thousands | 1,271 thousands | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,446 thousands | 1,302 thousands | 1,579 thousands | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,699 thousands | 1,608 thousands | 1,808 thousands | 6 |
Countries ranked near Switzerland
More population data for Switzerland
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.0652 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -0.0595 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.0652 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.2093 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 9,754 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.4828 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.1371 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth 0.0% (2100)
- Population density 230.99 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 392,499 people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population aged 65 years or older in Switzerland?
- Population aged 65 years or older in Switzerland was 1,808 thousands in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest population aged 65 years or older recorded in Switzerland?
- The highest recorded value was 1,808 thousands in 2025.
- What is the lowest population aged 65 years or older recorded in Switzerland?
- The lowest recorded value was 692.79 thousands in 1970.
- How does Switzerland rank for population aged 65 years or older?
- Switzerland ranks 56th out of 233 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population aged 65 years or older rising or falling in Switzerland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 23.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Switzerland data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Population aged 65 years or older (thousands). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 56 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release