2020 Edition

Background

The Principality of Liechtenstein was established within the Holy Roman Empire in 1719. Occupied by both French and Russian troops during the Napoleonic Wars, it became a sovereign state in 1806 and joined the German Confederation in 1815. Liechtenstein became fully independent in 1866 when the Confederation dissolved. Until the end of World War I, it was closely tied to Austria, but the economic devastation caused by that conflict forced Liechtenstein to enter into a customs and monetary union with Switzerland. Since World War II (in which Liechtenstein remained neutral), the country's low taxes have spurred outstanding economic growth. In 2000, shortcomings in banking regulatory oversight resulted in concerns about the use of financial institutions for money laundering. However, Liechtenstein implemented anti-money laundering legislation and a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty with the US that went into effect in 2003.

Area

land

160 sq km

total

160 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

about 0.9 times the size of Washington, D.C.

Climate

continental; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow or rain; cool to moderately warm, cloudy, humid summers

Coastline

0 km (doubly landlocked)

Elevation

highest point

Vorder-Grauspitz 2,599 m

lowest point

Ruggeller Riet 430 m

Geographic coordinates

47 16 N, 9 32 E

Geography - note

along with Uzbekistan, one of only two doubly landlocked countries in the world; variety of microclimatic variations based on elevation

Irrigated land

0 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

border countries

Austria 34 km; Switzerland 41 km

total

75 km

Land use

agricultural land

32.3% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 10.8% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0% (2022 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 21.5% (2023 est.)

forest

36.3% (2023 est.)

other

31.4% (2023 est.)

Location

Central Europe, between Austria and Switzerland

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage

Rhine-Maas (198,735 sq km)

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

avalanches, landslides

Natural resources

hydroelectric potential, arable land

Population distribution

most of the population is found in the western half of the country along the Rhine River

Terrain

mostly mountainous (Alps) with Rhine Valley in western third

Age structure

0-14 years

15.3% (male 3,412/female 2,732)

15-64 years

63.9% (male 12,814/female 12,921)

65 years and over

20.8% (2024 est.) (male 3,846/female 4,547)

Birth rate

10.31 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

64.7% (2020 est.)

Death rate

8.24 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

33.6 (2025 est.)

potential support ratio

3 (2025 est.)

total dependency ratio

57.6 (2025 est.)

youth dependency ratio

23.9 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: total

total: 100% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure

2.6% of GDP (2011 est.)

Ethnic groups

Liechtensteiner 65.6%, Swiss 9.6%, Austrian 5.8%, German 4.5%, Italian 3.1%, other 11.4% (2021 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.75 (2025 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

3.5 deaths/1,000 live births

male

4.3 deaths/1,000 live births

total

3.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Languages

Languages

German 91.5% (official, Alemannic is the main dialect), Italian 1.5%, Turkish 1.3%, Portuguese 1.1%, other 4.6% (2015 est.)

major-language sample(s)

Das World Factbook, die unverzichtbare Quelle für grundlegende Informationen. (German) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

female

85.8 years

male

80.7 years

total population

83 years (2024 est.)

Major urban areas - population

5,000 VADUZ (capital) (2018)

Median age

female

46.1 years

male

42.4 years

total

44.4 years (2025 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

31.3 years (2017)

Nationality

adjective

Liechtenstein

noun

Liechtensteiner(s)

Net migration rate

4.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Physician density

1.3 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

Population

female

20,332

male

20,215

total

40,547 (2025 est.)

Population growth rate

0.68% (2025 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic (official) 73.4%, Protestant Reformed 6.3%, Muslim 5.9%, Christian Orthodox 1.3%, Lutheran 1.2%, other Protestant 0.7%, other Christian 0.3%, other 0.8%, none 7%, unspecified 3.3% (2015 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: total

total: 100% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: NA

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

14 years (2021 est.)

male

16 years (2021 est.)

total

15 years (2021 est.)

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.25 male(s)/female

15-64 years

0.99 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.85 male(s)/female

at birth

1.26 male(s)/female

total population

0.99 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.69 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

1.15% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

14.6% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

11 communes (Gemeinden, singular - Gemeinde); Balzers, Eschen, Gamprin, Mauren, Planken, Ruggell, Schaan, Schellenberg, Triesen, Triesenberg, Vaduz

Capital

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

etymology

may be a conflation from the Latin vallis (valley) and the Old German dutsch (German) to produce Valdutsch ("German valley"), which was simplified over time to Vaduz

geographic coordinates

47 08 N, 9 31 E

name

Vaduz

time difference

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

the father must be a citizen of Liechtenstein; in the case of a child born out of wedlock, the mother must be a citizen

dual citizenship recognized

no

residency requirement for naturalization

5 years

Constitution

amendment process

proposed by Parliament, by the reigning prince (in the form of "Government" proposals), by petition of at least 1,500 qualified voters, or by at least four communes; passage requires unanimous approval of Parliament members in one sitting or three-quarters majority vote in two successive sittings; referendum required only if petitioned by at least 1,500 voters or by at least four communes; passage by referendum requires absolute majority of votes cast

history

previous 1862; latest adopted 5 October 1921

Country name

conventional long form

Principality of Liechtenstein

conventional short form

Liechtenstein

etymology

named after the Liechtenstein family that purchased and united the counties of Schellenburg and Vaduz in 1719; the family name was taken from its Austrian castle of the same name, which in German means "light stone"

local long form

Fuerstentum Liechtenstein

local short form

Liechtenstein

Diplomatic representation from the US

embassy

the US does not have an embassy in Liechtenstein; the US Ambassador to Switzerland is accredited to Liechtenstein

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2900 K Street NW, Suite 602B, Washington, DC 20007

chief of mission

Ambassador Georg SPARBER (since 1 December 2021)

email address and website

washington@llv.li https://www.liechtensteinusa.org/

FAX

[1] (202) 331-3221

telephone

[1] (202) 331-0590

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet elected by the Parliament, confirmed by the monarch

chief of state

Prince HANS-ADAM II (since 13 November 1989, assumed executive powers on 26 August 1984)

election/appointment process

the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the monarch usually appoints the leader of the majority party in Parliament as the head of government, and also appoints the leader of the largest minority party in Parliament as the deputy head of government if there is a coalition government

head of government

Prime Minister Brigitte HAAS (since 10 April 2025)

Flag

description: two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red, with a gold crown on the left side of the blue band history: the colors may derive from the blue-and-red livery used in the principality's household in the 18th century; the prince's crown was added in 1937 to distinguish it from Haiti's flag

Government type

constitutional monarchy

Independence

23 January 1719 (Principality of Liechtenstein established); 12 July 1806 (independence from the Holy Roman Empire); 24 August 1866 (independence from the German Confederation)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

CD, CE, EBRD, EFTA, IAEA, ICCt, ICRM, IFRCS, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WIPO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Supreme Court or Supreme Court or Fürstlicher Oberster Gerichtshof (consists of 5 judges and 5 substitutes); Constitutional Court or Staatsgerichtshof (consists of 5 judges, and 5 alternates)

judge selection and term of office

judges of both courts elected by the Landtag and appointed by the monarch; Supreme Court judges serve 4-year renewable terms; Constitutional Court judges appointed for renewable 5-year terms

subordinate courts

Court of Appeal (second instance), Regional Court (first instance), Administrative Court, Tribunal Court, district courts

Legal system

civil law system influenced by Swiss, Austrian, and German law

Legislative branch

electoral system

proportional representation

expected date of next election

February 2029

legislative structure

unicameral

legislature name

Diet (Landtag)

most recent election date

2/9/2025

number of seats

25 (all directly elected)

parties elected and seats per party

Patriotic Union (VU) (10); Progressive Citizens' Party (FBP) (7); Democrats for Liechtenstein (DpL) (6); Free List (FL) (2)

percentage of women in chamber

32%

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

4 years

National anthem(s)

history

adopted 1850, revised 1963; uses the tune of the United Kingdom's anthem, "God Save the King"

lyrics/music

Jakob Joseph JAUCH/Josef FROMMELT

title

"Oben am jungen Rhein" (High Above the Young Rhine)

National coat of arms

the six motifs on the coat of arms provide a history of the royal House of Liechtenstein since 1719, when the country was founded; the small shield at the center is the royal family’s gold-and-red coat of arms, the gold-crowned eagle signifies the Silesia family, the diamond wreath represents the Kuenringer family, the red-and-silver shield is the Duchy of Troppau, the black eagle comes from the coat of arms of a family that married into the royal line, and the golden hunting horn represents the Duchy of Jägerndorf

National color(s)

blue, red

National holiday

National Day, 15 August (1940)

National symbol(s)

princely hat (crown)

Political parties

Democrats for Liechtenstein (Demokraten pro Liechtenstein) or DpL  Fatherland Union (Vaterlaendische Union) or VU  Progressive Citizens' Party (Fortschrittliche Buergerpartei) or FBP  The Free List (Die Freie Liste) or FL  The Independents (Die Unabhaengigen) or DU 

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

wheat, barley, corn, potatoes; livestock, dairy products

Economic overview

high-income European economy; Schengen Area participant; key European financial leader; integrated with Swiss economy and franc currency user; one of the highest GDP per capita countries; relies on US and Eurozone markets for exports

Exchange rates

Currency

Swiss francs (CHF) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2020

0.939 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

0.914 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

0.955 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

0.898 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2024

0.88 (2024 est.)

Exports

Exports 2014

$3.774 billion (2014 est.)

Exports 2015

$3.217 billion (2015 est.)

Exports - commodities

small specialty machinery, connectors for audio and video, parts for motor vehicles, dental products, hardware

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

0.2% (2022 est.)

industry

40.6% (2022 est.)

services

55.6% (2022 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$8.395 billion (2024 est.)

Imports - commodities

agricultural products, raw materials, energy products, machinery, metal goods, textiles, foodstuffs, motor vehicles

Industries

electronics, metal manufacturing, dental products, ceramics, pharmaceuticals, food products, precision instruments, tourism, optical instruments

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020

-0.7% (2020 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

0.6% (2021 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

2.8% (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$6.885 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$7.031 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$7.172 billion (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2022

$187,700 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$201,200 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2024

$210,600 (2024 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

50 (2023 est.)

total

20,000 (2023 est.)

Broadcast media

relies on foreign terrestrial and satellite broadcasters for most broadcast media services; first Liechtenstein-based TV station established in 2008; Radio Liechtenstein operates multiple radio stations; a Swiss-based broadcaster operates one radio station

Internet country code

.li

Internet users

percent of population

97% (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

26 (2023 est.)

total subscriptions

10,000 (2023 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

129 (2024 est.)

total subscriptions

51,400 (2024 est.)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

HB

Heliports

2 (2025)

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 14, general cargo 1, other 2 (includes Switzerland)

total

17 (2023)

Railways

standard gauge

9 km (2018) 1.435-m gauge (electrified)

total

9 km (2018)

Military and security forces

no regular military forces; National Police of the Principality of Liechtenstein (Landespolizei des Fürstentums Liechtenstein)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees

875 (2024 est.)

Environmental issues

some air pollution generated locally, some carried over from surrounding countries

International environmental agreements

party to

Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Law of the Sea

Total water withdrawal

municipal

10 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

32,400 tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

64.6% (2015 est.)