Population growth (annual %) (UNESCO Institute) in Switzerland
Switzerland: Population growth (annual %) (UNESCO Institute) was 1.6% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Population growth in Switzerland, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in annual %.
Analysis
Switzerland recorded 1.6% for population growth in 2024. That is the highest value across all 55 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 29.6% on the previous year and up 33.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population growth in Switzerland peaked at 1.6% in 2024 and was at its lowest, -0.6%, in 1976.
That places Switzerland 71st out of 215 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Population growth (annual %) (UNESCO Institute) in Switzerland, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 0.7% | — |
| 1971 | 0.5% | -27.4% |
| 1972 | 0.8% | +45.3% |
| 1973 | 0.7% | -3.2% |
| 1974 | 0.5% | -27.1% |
| 1975 | -0.0% | -108.1% |
| 1976 | -0.6% | +1206.8% |
| 1977 | -0.3% | -40.7% |
| 1978 | 0.0% | -102.6% |
| 1979 | 0.2% | +2136.2% |
| 1980 | 0.4% | +97.7% |
| 1981 | 0.5% | +37.8% |
| 1982 | 0.6% | +6.8% |
| 1983 | 0.4% | -26.6% |
| 1984 | 0.4% | -16.3% |
| 1985 | 0.4% | +22.9% |
| 1986 | 0.5% | +17.9% |
| 1987 | 0.6% | +20.7% |
| 1988 | 0.7% | +17.0% |
| 1989 | 0.8% | +10.0% |
| 1990 | 1.0% | +27.0% |
| 1991 | 1.2% | +21.7% |
| 1992 | 1.1% | -11.8% |
| 1993 | 0.9% | -17.4% |
| 1994 | 0.8% | -12.5% |
| 1995 | 0.7% | -16.2% |
| 1996 | 0.4% | -33.9% |
| 1997 | 0.2% | -45.5% |
| 1998 | 0.3% | +23.4% |
| 1999 | 0.5% | +60.5% |
| 2000 | 0.6% | +17.8% |
| 2001 | 0.6% | +12.6% |
| 2002 | 0.8% | +19.5% |
| 2003 | 0.7% | -1.9% |
| 2004 | 0.7% | -7.3% |
| 2005 | 0.6% | -6.8% |
| 2006 | 0.6% | -2.0% |
| 2007 | 0.9% | +42.4% |
| 2008 | 1.3% | +42.2% |
| 2009 | 1.2% | -1.7% |
| 2010 | 1.0% | -16.6% |
| 2011 | 1.1% | +6.8% |
| 2012 | 1.1% | -4.5% |
| 2013 | 1.1% | +8.3% |
| 2014 | 1.2% | +6.1% |
| 2015 | 1.1% | -6.7% |
| 2016 | 1.1% | -4.1% |
| 2017 | 0.9% | -14.5% |
| 2018 | 0.7% | -21.1% |
| 2019 | 0.7% | -3.2% |
| 2020 | 0.7% | +2.4% |
| 2021 | 0.8% | +4.8% |
| 2022 | 0.8% | +8.4% |
| 2023 | 1.3% | +51.4% |
| 2024 | 1.6% | +29.6% |
Switzerland compared with similar countries
- Switzerland's 1.6% is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.5%, 3.2× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Switzerland's 1.6% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.3%, 4.8× the median. (56 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Population growth (annual %) (UNESCO Institute) in Switzerland changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | +2136.2% | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| 1976 | -1206.8% | -0.0% | -0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.3% | -0.6% | 0.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.7% | 0.2% | 1.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.8% | 0.6% | 1.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.0% | 0.7% | 1.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.0% | 0.7% | 1.6% | 5 |
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)
- Population growth rate 0.046 (2100)
- Population density 230.99 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 392,499 (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population growth in Switzerland?
- Population growth in Switzerland was 1.6% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest population growth recorded in Switzerland?
- The highest recorded value was 1.6% in 2024.
- What is the lowest population growth recorded in Switzerland?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.6% in 1976.
- How does Switzerland rank for population growth?
- Switzerland ranks 71st out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is population growth rising or falling in Switzerland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 33.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Switzerland data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release