Share of population living in the capital city in Switzerland

Switzerland: Share of population living in the capital city was 2.27 in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
2.27
World rank
160th
of 170 countries
All-time high
3.09
in 1990
All-time low
2.27
in 2020
Years of data
15
1950–2020

Share of population living in the capital city in Switzerland, 1950–2020

01231950198520201950: 2.91955: 2.91960: 2.81965: 2.91970: 31975: 2.91980: 2.91985: 31990: 3.11995: 2.82000: 2.72005: 2.62010: 2.52015: 2.42020: 2.3

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2020, share of population living in the capital city in Switzerland stood at 2.27. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.

That represents a change of down 8.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of population living in the capital city in Switzerland peaked at 3.09 in 1990 and was at its lowest, 2.27, in 2020.

Switzerland ranks 160th of 170 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.

Share of population living in the capital city in Switzerland, year by year

Annual values for Share of population living in the capital city in Switzerland, 1950 to 2020.
Year Value Change
1950 2.89 —
1955 2.85 -1.1%
1960 2.82 -1.1%
1965 2.87 +1.7%
1970 2.96 +3.0%
1975 2.95 -0.4%
1980 2.87 -2.5%
1985 2.98 +3.6%
1990 3.09 +3.6%
1995 2.85 -7.6%
2000 2.65 -6.9%
2005 2.57 -3.0%
2010 2.48 -3.7%
2015 2.36 -4.8%
2020 2.27 -3.6%

Switzerland compared with similar countries

  • Switzerland's 2.27 is below the median for high income countries, which is 17.95, 13% of the median. (57 countries reporting)
  • Switzerland's 2.27 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 15.59, 15% of the median. (48 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 2.87 2.85 2.89 2
1960s 2.85 2.82 2.87 2
1970s 2.95 2.95 2.96 2
1980s 2.93 2.87 2.98 2
1990s 2.97 2.85 3.09 2
2000s 2.61 2.57 2.65 2
2010s 2.42 2.36 2.48 2
2020s 2.27 2.27 2.27 1

Countries ranked near Switzerland

  1. 157 New Zealand 2.9 compare
  2. 158 South Africa 2.83 compare
  3. 159 Laos 2.52 compare
  4. 161 India 2.07 compare
  5. 162 Pakistan 1.92 compare
  6. 163 Canada 1.54 compare

See the full ranking of 170 places →

More population data for Switzerland

All data for Switzerland →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of population living in the capital city in Switzerland?
Share of population living in the capital city in Switzerland was 2.27 in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of population living in the capital city recorded in Switzerland?
The highest recorded value was 3.09 in 1990.
What is the lowest share of population living in the capital city recorded in Switzerland?
The lowest recorded value was 2.27 in 2020.
How does Switzerland rank for share of population living in the capital city?
Switzerland ranks 160th out of 170 countries with data for 2020.
Is share of population living in the capital city rising or falling in Switzerland?
Over the last ten years it is down 8.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Switzerland data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in the capital city. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of population living in the capital city in Switzerland. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 12 November 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-population-living-in-the-capital-city/switzerland/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of population living in the capital city
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
170 places, 2,330 data points, 1950–2020
Last refreshed