2020 Edition

Background

The Swiss Confederation was founded in 1291 as a defensive alliance among three cantons. In succeeding years, other localities joined the original three. The Swiss Confederation secured its independence from the Holy Roman Empire in 1499. A constitution of 1848, which was modified in 1874 to allow voters to introduce referenda on proposed laws, replaced the confederation with a centralized federal government. The major European powers have long honored Switzerland's sovereignty and neutrality, and the country was not involved in either World War. The political and economic integration of Europe over the past half-century, as well as Switzerland's role in many UN and international organizations, has strengthened Switzerland's ties with its neighbors. However, the country did not officially become a UN member until 2002. Switzerland remains active in many UN and international organizations but retains a strong commitment to neutrality.  

Area

land

39,997 sq km

total

41,277 sq km

water

1,280 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey

Climate

temperate, but varies with altitude; cold, cloudy, rainy/snowy winters; cool to warm, cloudy, humid summers with occasional showers

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation

highest point

Dufourspitze on Monte Rosa 4,634 m

lowest point

Lake Maggiore 195 m

mean elevation

1,350 m

Geographic coordinates

47 00 N, 8 00 E

Geography - note

landlocked; crossroads of northern and southern Europe; along with southeastern France, northern Italy, and southwestern Austria, has the highest elevations in the Alps

Irrigated land

494 sq km (2020)

Land boundaries

border countries

Austria 158 km; France 525 km; Italy 698 km; Liechtenstein 41 km; Germany 348 km

total

1,770 km

Land use

agricultural land

37.8% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 10% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.6% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 27.1% (2023 est.)

forest

32% (2023 est.)

other

32.6% (2023 est.)

Location

Central Europe, east of France, north of Italy

Major lakes (area sq km)

fresh water lake(s)

Lake Constance (shared with Germany and Austria) - 540 sq km; Lake Geneva (shared with France) - 580 sq km

Major rivers (by length in km)

Rhein (Rhine) river source (shared with Germany, France, and Netherlands [m]) - 1,233 km note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage

Rhine-Maas (198,735 sq km), (Black Sea) Danube (795,656 sq km), (Adriatic Sea) Po (76,997 sq km), (Mediterranean Sea) Rhone (100,543 sq km)

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

avalanches, landslides; flash floods

Natural resources

hydropower potential, timber, salt

Population distribution

population distribution corresponds to elevation, with the northern and western areas far more heavily populated; the higher Alps of the south limit settlement

Terrain

mostly mountains (Alps in south, Jura in northwest) with a central plateau of rolling hills, plains, and large lakes

Age structure

0-14 years

15.1% (male 685,221/female 650,802)

15-64 years

64.6% (male 2,887,767/female 2,834,842)

65 years and over

20.3% (2024 est.) (male 830,117/female 971,825)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

3.17 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0.12 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

1.76 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

9.41 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

4.35 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

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

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

57.5% (2022 est.)

Death rate

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

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

32.3 (2025 est.)

potential support ratio

3.1 (2025 est.)

total dependency ratio

55.8 (2025 est.)

youth dependency ratio

23.5 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 100% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP)

4.9% of GDP (2022 est.)

Education expenditure (% national budget)

15.4% national budget (2022 est.)

Ethnic groups

Swiss 69.2%, German 4.2%, Italian 3.2%, Portuguese 2.5%, French 2.1%, Kosovan 1.1%, Turkish 1%, other 16.7% (2020 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.78 (2025 est.)

Health expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

11.8% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

12.4% of national budget (2022 est.)

Hospital bed density

4.4 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

2.5 deaths/1,000 live births

male

3.4 deaths/1,000 live births

total

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

Languages

Languages

German (or Swiss German) (official) 62.1%, French (official) 22.8%, Italian (official) 8%, English 5.7%, Portuguese 3.5%, Albanian 3.3%, Serbo-Croatian 2.3%, Spanish 2.3%, Romansh (official) 0.5%, other 7.9% (2019 est.)

major-language sample(s)

Das World Factbook, die unverzichtbare Quelle für grundlegende Informationen. (German) The World Factbook, une source indispensable d'informations de base. (French) L'Almanacco dei fatti del mondo, l'indispensabile fonte per le informazioni di base. (Italian) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

female

85.8 years

male

82 years

total population

83.9 years (2024 est.)

Major urban areas - population

1.432 million Zurich, 441,000 BERN (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

5 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Median age

female

44.9 years

male

43.5 years

total

44.4 years (2025 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

31.1 years (2020 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Swiss

noun

Swiss (singular and plural)

Net migration rate

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

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

19.5% (2016)

Physician density

4.48 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

Population

female

4,488,883

male

4,436,858

total

8,925,741 (2025 est.)

Population growth rate

0.72% (2025 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 34.4%, Protestant 22.5%, other Christian 5.7%, Muslim 5.4%, other 1.5%, none 29.4%, unspecified 1.1% (2020 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 100% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

17 years (2023 est.)

male

17 years (2023 est.)

total

17 years (2023 est.)

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1.02 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.85 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

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

Tobacco use

female

20.1% (2025 est.)

male

25.5% (2025 est.)

total

22.8% (2025 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.59 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.79% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

74.2% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

26 cantons (cantons, singular - canton in French; cantoni, singular - cantone in Italian; Kantone, singular - Kanton in German); Aargau, Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Appenzell Innerrhoden, Basel-Landschaft, Basel-Stadt, Berne/Bern, Fribourg/Freiburg, Genève (Geneva), Glarus, Graubuenden/Grigioni/Grischun, Jura, Luzern (Lucerne), Neuchatel, Nidwalden, Obwalden, Sankt Gallen, Schaffhausen, Schwyz, Solothurn, Thurgau, Ticino, Uri, Valais/Wallis, Vaud, Zug, Zuerich

Capital

daylight saving time

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

etymology

the origin of the name is uncertain; it is sometimes associated with the German word Baer (bear), but a more likely origin is an Indo-European root word ber, meaning "marshy place"

geographic coordinates

46 55 N, 7 28 E

name

Bern

time difference

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

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

at least one parent must be a citizen of Switzerland

dual citizenship recognized

yes

residency requirement for naturalization

12 years including at least 3 of the last 5 years prior to application

Constitution

amendment process

proposed by the two houses of the Federal Assembly or by petition of at least one hundred thousand voters (called the "federal popular initiative"); passage of proposals requires majority vote in a referendum; following drafting of an amendment by the Assembly, its passage requires approval by majority vote in a referendum and approval by the majority of cantons

history

previous 1848, 1874; latest adopted by referendum 18 April 1999, effective 1 January 2000

Country name

abbreviation

CH

conventional long form

Swiss Confederation

conventional short form

Switzerland

etymology

name derives from the canton of Schwyz, one of the founding cantons of the Swiss Confederacy formed in the late 13th century

local long form

Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft (German)/ Confederation Suisse (French)/ Confederazione Svizzera (Italian)/ Confederaziun Svizra (Romansh)

local short form

Schweiz (German)/ Suisse (French)/ Svizzera (Italian)/ Svizra (Romansh)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Callista GINGRICH (since 23 October 2025) note - also accredited to Liechtenstein

email address and website

https://ch.usembassy.gov/

embassy

Sulgeneckstrasse 19, CH-3007 Bern

FAX

[41] (031) 357-73-20

mailing address

5110 Bern Place, Washington DC 20521-5110

telephone

[41] (031) 357-70-11

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2900 Cathedral Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Ralph HECKNER (since 18 September 2024)

consulate(s)

Boston

consulate(s) general

Atlanta, Chicago, New York, San Francisco

email address and website

washington@eda.admin.ch https://www.eda.admin.ch/washington

FAX

[1] (202) 387-2564

telephone

[1] (202) 745-7900

Executive branch

cabinet

Federal Council or Bundesrat (in German), Conseil Federal (in French), Consiglio Federale (in Italian) indirectly elected by the Federal Assembly for a 4-year term

chief of state

President of the Swiss Confederation Guy PARMELIN (since 1 January 2026)

election results

2024: Karin KELLER-SUTTER elected president for 2025; Federal Assembly vote - Karin KELLER-SUTTER (FDP.The Liberals) 168 of 203; Guy PARLEMIN (SVP) elected vice president for 2025; Federal Assembly vote - 196 of 219 2023:  Viola AMHERD elected president for 2024; Federal Assembly vote - Viola AMHERD (The Center) 158 of 204; Karin KELLER-SUTTER (FDP.The Liberals) elected vice president for 2024; Federal Assembly vote - 138 of 196 2022:  Alain BERSET elected president for 2023; Federal Assembly vote - Alain BERSET (SP) 140 OF 181; Viola AMHERD elected vice president; Federal assembly vote - 207 of 223

election/appointment process

president and vice president elected by the Federal Assembly from among members of the Federal Council for a 1-year, non-consecutive term

expected date of next election

December 2025

head of government

President of the Swiss Confederation Guy PARMELIN (since 1 January 2026)

most recent election date

11 December 2024

Flag

description: red square with an equal-armed white cross in the center that does not extend to the edges of the flag history: the origin of the flag is unclear, but a white cross was used to identify Swiss Confederation troops at the Battle of Laupen (1339)

Government type

federal republic (formally a confederation)

Independence

1 August 1291 (founding of the Swiss Confederation)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Australia Group, BIS, CD, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EFTA, EITI (implementing country), ESA, FAO, FATF, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAIA (observer), MIGA, MONUSCO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, PFP, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMISS, UNMOGIP, UNOOSA, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Federal Supreme Court (consists of 38 justices and 19 deputy justices organized into 7 divisions)

judge selection and term of office

judges elected by the Federal Assembly for 6-year terms; judges are affiliated with political parties and are elected according to linguistic and regional criteria in approximate proportion to party representation in the Federal Assembly

subordinate courts

Federal Criminal Court (established in 2004); Federal Administrative Court (established in 2007)

Legal system

civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts, except federal decrees of a general obligatory character

Legislative branch

legislative structure

bicameral

legislature name

Federal Assembly (Bundesversammlung - Assemblée fédérale - Assemblea federale)

Legislative branch - lower chamber

chamber name

National Council (Nationalrat - Conseil national - Consiglio nazionale)

electoral system

proportional representation

expected date of next election

October 2027

most recent election date

10/22/2023

number of seats

200 (all directly elected)

parties elected and seats per party

Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC) (62); Socialist Party (SP/PS) (41); Centre Party (29); FDP/The Liberals (FDP/PLR) (28); Green Party (GPS/PES) (23); Liberal Green Party (GLP/PVL) (10); Other (7)

percentage of women in chamber

39.5%

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

4 years

Legislative branch - upper chamber

chamber name

Council of States (Ständerat - Conseil des Etats - Consiglio degli Stati)

electoral system

other systems

expected date of next election

October 2027

most recent election date

10/22/2023

number of seats

46 (all directly elected)

parties elected and seats per party

Centre Party (15); FDP/The Liberals (FDP/PLR) (11); Socialist Party (SP/PS) (9); Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC) (6); Green Party (GPS/PES) (3); Other (2)

percentage of women in chamber

33.3%

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

4 years

National anthem(s)

history

adopted 1981; all four of the versions (German, French, Italian, Romansch) are considered official

lyrics/music

Leonhard WIDMER [German], Charles CHATELANAT [French], Camillo VALSANGIACOMO [Italian], and Flurin CAMATHIAS [Romansch]/Alberik ZWYSSIG

title

the Swiss anthem has four names: "Schweizerpsalm" [German] "Cantique Suisse" [French] "Salmo svizzero," [Italian] "Psalm svizzer" [Romansch] (Swiss Psalm)

National color(s)

red, white

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Old City of Berne (c); Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch (n); Monte San Giorgio (n); Abbey of St Gall (c); Three Castles, Defensive Wall, and Ramparts of the Market-Town of Bellinzona (c); Rhaetian Railway in the Albula/Bernina Landscapes (c); La Chaux-de-Fonds/Le Locle, Watchmaking Town Planning (c); Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps (c); Benedictine Convent of St John at Müstair (c); Lavaux, Vineyard Terraces (c)

total World Heritage Sites

13 (9 cultural, 4 natural)

National holiday

Founding of the Swiss Confederation in 1291

National symbol(s)

Swiss cross (white cross on red field)

Political parties

The Center (Die Mitte, Alleanza del Centro, Le Centre, Allianza dal Center) (merger of the Christian Democratic People's Party and the Conservative Democratic Party) Evangelical Peoples' Party or EVP/PEV  Federal Democrats or EDU  Geneva Citizens Movement or MCR/MCG  Green Liberal Party (Gruenliberale Partei or GLP, Parti vert liberale or PVL, Partito Verde-Liberale or PVL, Partida Verde Liberale or PVL)  Green Party (Gruene Partei der Schweiz or Gruene, Parti Ecologiste Suisse or Les Verts, Partito Ecologista Svizzero or I Verdi, Partida Ecologica Svizra or La Verda) The Liberals or FDP.The Liberals (FDP.Die Liberalen, PLR.Les Liberaux-Radicaux, PLR.I Liberali, Ils Liberals) Social Democratic Party (Sozialdemokratische Partei der Schweiz or SP, Parti Socialiste Suisse or PSS, Partito Socialista Svizzero or PSS, Partida Socialdemocratica de la Svizra or PSS)  Swiss People's Party (Schweizerische Volkspartei or SVP, Union Democratique du Centre or UDC, Unione Democratica di Centro or UDC, Uniun Democratica dal Center or UDC) 

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

milk, sugar beets, wheat, potatoes, pork, apples, barley, beef, maize, grapes (2023)

Average household expenditures

on alcohol and tobacco

3.5% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

on food

9% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$152.488 billion (2023 est.)

revenues

$153.795 billion (2023 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2022

$72.325 billion (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

$47.455 billion (2023 est.)

Current account balance 2024

$47.162 billion (2024 est.)

Economic overview

high-income, non-EU European economy; top ten in GDP per capita; renowned banking and financial hub; low unemployment and inflation; slowed GDP growth post-pandemic; highly skilled but aging workforce; key pharmaceutical and precision manufacturing exporter; leader in innovation and competitiveness indices

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 2022

$628.737 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$654.175 billion (2023 est.)

Exports 2024

$675.059 billion (2024 est.)

Exports - commodities

gold, packaged medicine, vaccines, nitrogen compounds, base metal watches (2023)

Exports - partners

Germany 14%, China 12%, USA 11%, Italy 5%, Turkey 5% (2023)

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

73.3% (2023 est.)

government consumption

11.3% (2023 est.)

household consumption

51.1% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services

-62% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital

25.8% (2023 est.)

investment in inventories

0.2% (2023 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

0.6% (2024 est.)

industry

24.7% (2024 est.)

services

72% (2024 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$936.564 billion (2024 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2021

33.8 (2021 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

26.6% (2021 est.)

lowest 10%

3% (2021 est.)

Imports

Imports 2022

$518.002 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$556.351 billion (2023 est.)

Imports 2024

$582.554 billion (2024 est.)

Imports - commodities

gold, packaged medicine, vaccines, cars, jewelry (2023)

Imports - partners

Germany 17%, USA 9%, Italy 8%, France 6%, China 5% (2023)

Industrial production growth rate

1.7% (2024 est.)

Industries

machinery, chemicals, watches, textiles, precision instruments, tourism, banking, insurance, pharmaceuticals

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

2.8% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

2.1% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

1.1% (2024 est.)

Labor force

5.153 million (2024 est.)

Population below poverty line

15.8% (2021 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2023

19.9% of GDP (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$726.544 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$731.508 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$741.035 billion (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2022

3% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

0.7% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2024

1.3% (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2022

$82,800 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$82,300 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2024

$82,000 (2024 est.)

Remittances

Remittances 2022

0.4% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

0.4% of GDP (2023 est.)

Remittances 2024

0.4% of GDP (2024 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$923.628 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$863.892 billion (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024

$909.366 billion (2024 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

9% (of GDP) (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2022

4.2% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

4.1% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2024

4.2% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

7.5% (2024 est.)

male

8.3% (2024 est.)

total

7.9% (2024 est.)

Coal

consumption

126,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

exports

300 metric tons (2023 est.)

imports

156,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

Electricity

consumption

55.643 billion kWh (2023 est.)

exports

33.856 billion kWh (2023 est.)

imports

27.462 billion kWh (2023 est.)

installed generating capacity

26.502 million kW (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

4.81 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

4.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

fossil fuels

0.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

hydroelectricity

53% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

nuclear

34.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

solar

6.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

wind

0.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

99.578 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

2.915 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

imports

2.869 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

Nuclear energy

Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors

2.97GW (2025 est.)

Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down

2 (2025)

Number of operational nuclear reactors

4 (2025)

Percent of total electricity production

32.4% (2023 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption

194,000 bbl/day (2024 est.)

total petroleum production

300 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

49 (2023 est.)

total

4.33 million (2023 est.)

Broadcast media

publicly owned Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRG/SSR) has 8 national TV networks, 3 broadcasting in German, 3 in French, and 2 in Italian; private commercial TV stations broadcast regionally and locally; German, Italian, and French TV broadcasts widely available via multi-channel cable and satellite TV; SRG/SSR has 17 radio stations (2019)

Internet country code

.ch

Internet users

percent of population

97% (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

34 (2023 est.)

total subscriptions

3.003 million (2023 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

129 (2024 est.)

total subscriptions

11.6 million (2024 est.)

Airports

66 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

HB

Heliports

52 (2025)

Merchant marine

by type

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

total

17 (2023)

Railways

total

5,296 km (2020) 5,296 km electrified; Switzerland remains the only country with a fully electrified network

Military - note

the Swiss military is responsible for territorial defense, limited support to international disaster response and peacekeeping, and providing support to civil authorities when their resources are not sufficient to ward off threats to internal security or provide sufficient relief during disasters; Switzerland has long maintained a policy of military neutrality but does periodically participate in EU, NATO, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and UN military and peacekeeping operations; however, Swiss units will only participate in operations under the mandate of the UN or OSCE; Switzerland joined NATO’s Partnership for Peace program in 1996; it has contributed to the NATO-led force in Kosovo (KFOR) since 1999 (2025)

Military and security forces

Swiss Armed Forces (aka Swiss Army or Schweizer Armee); Army (aka Land Forces), Swiss Air Force (2025)

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 145,000 Swiss Armed Forces (2024)

Military deployments

200 Kosovo (NATO/KFOR) (2025)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the military's inventory includes a mix of domestically produced and imported European and US weapons systems; the Swiss defense industry produces a range of military land vehicles (2025)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2020

0.7% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

0.7% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

0.7% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

0.7% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military Expenditures 2024

0.7% of GDP (2024 est.)

Military service age and obligation

every Swiss man 18-30 is obligated to serve in the military or the alternative civilian service; women can serve on a voluntary basis; required military service is 245 days, including 18-21 weeks of basic training generally between the ages of 19-25, followed by six three-week recalls for refresher training over the following nine years; the system offers opportunities for conscripts to train as non-commissioned and commissioned officers in the militia with longer service commitments (2026)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

97 (2024 est.)

refugees

213,177 (2024 est.)

stateless persons

1,267 (2024 est.)

Terrorist group(s)

Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

195,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from consumed natural gas

5.583 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

27.528 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

total emissions

33.306 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Environmental issues

air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from agricultural fertilizers; soil pollution from chemical contaminants; soil erosion; loss of biodiversity

International environmental agreements

party to

Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Particulate matter emissions

9 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Total renewable water resources

53.5 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

160.1 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

industrial

642.7 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

municipal

930 million cubic meters (2022)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

6.08 million tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

30.1% (2022 est.)