Share of the population living in cities in Switzerland

Switzerland: Share of the population living in cities was 31.66 in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
31.66
World rank
133rd
of 229 countries
All-time high
31.66
in 2020
All-time low
16.17
in 1950
Years of data
15
1950–2020

Share of the population living in cities in Switzerland, 1950–2020

01020301950198520201950: 16.21955: 17.41960: 17.71965: 18.41970: 21.81975: 22.81980: 22.51985: 23.51990: 26.41995: 26.92000: 26.82005: 28.42010: 28.32015: 29.52020: 31.7

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2020, share of the population living in cities in Switzerland stood at 31.66. That is the highest value across all 15 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 12.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of the population living in cities in Switzerland peaked at 31.66 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 16.17, in 1950.

Switzerland ranks 133rd of 229 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

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

Share of the population living in cities in Switzerland, year by year

Annual values for Share of the population living in cities in Switzerland, 1950 to 2020.
Year Value Change
1950 16.17
1955 17.44 +7.9%
1960 17.67 +1.3%
1965 18.36 +3.9%
1970 21.78 +18.6%
1975 22.82 +4.8%
1980 22.46 -1.6%
1985 23.46 +4.5%
1990 26.43 +12.6%
1995 26.92 +1.8%
2000 26.78 -0.5%
2005 28.39 +6.0%
2010 28.26 -0.5%
2015 29.52 +4.5%
2020 31.66 +7.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 16.8 16.17 17.44 2
1960s 18.02 17.67 18.36 2
1970s 22.3 21.78 22.82 2
1980s 22.96 22.46 23.46 2
1990s 26.67 26.43 26.92 2
2000s 27.59 26.78 28.39 2
2010s 28.89 28.26 29.52 2
2020s 31.66 31.66 31.66 1

Countries ranked near Switzerland

  1. 130 Sweden 31.97 compare
  2. 131 French Polynesia 31.88 compare
  3. 132 South Sudan 31.77 compare
  4. 134 Turkmenistan 31.38 compare
  5. 135 Guatemala 31.06 compare
  6. 136 Bulgaria 31.02 compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More population data for Switzerland

All data for Switzerland →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of the population living in cities in Switzerland?
Share of the population living in cities in Switzerland was 31.66 in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of the population living in cities recorded in Switzerland?
The highest recorded value was 31.66 in 2020.
What is the lowest share of the population living in cities recorded in Switzerland?
The lowest recorded value was 16.17 in 1950.
How does Switzerland rank for share of the population living in cities?
Switzerland ranks 133rd out of 229 countries with data for 2020.
Is share of the population living in cities rising or falling in Switzerland?
Over the last ten years it is up 12.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Switzerland data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Share of the population living in cities. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of the population living in cities in Switzerland. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 28 August 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-the-population-living-in-cities/switzerland/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of the population living in cities
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
236 places, 3,540 data points, 1950–2020
Last refreshed