2024 Edition Primary

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 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

327 sq km (2016)

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

38.7% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 10.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.6% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 27.9% (2018 est.)

forest

31.5% (2018 est.)

other

29.8% (2018 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 kmnote – [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

10.1 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

71.6% (2017)

Current health expenditure

11.8% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

57.5% (2023 est.)

Death rate

8.5 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

28.7

potential support ratio

3.5 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

51.6

youth dependency ratio

22.8

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 100% of population

improved: total

total: 100% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 0% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

Education expenditures

5.2% of GDP (2020 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.)

note

note: data represent permanent and non-permanent resident population by country of birth

Gross reproduction rate

0.77 (2024 est.)

Hospital bed density

4.6 beds/1,000 population (2018)

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 (2024 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.

note

note: shares sum to more than 100% because respondents could indicate more than one main language

Life expectancy at birth

female

85.8 years

male

82 years

total population

83.9 years (2024 est.)

Literacy

female

NA

male

NA

total population

NA

Major urban areas - population

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

Maternal mortality ratio

7 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Median age

female

44.9 years

male

43.5 years

total

44.2 years (2024 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

31.1 years (2020 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Swiss

noun

Swiss (singular and plural)

Net migration rate

5.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

19.5% (2016)

Physician density

4.38 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

Population

female

4,457,469 (2024 est.)

male

4,403,105

total

8,860,574

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

Population growth rate

0.75% (2024 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

improved: total

total: 100% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 0% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

17 years (2020)

male

17 years

total

17 years

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

22.9% (2020 est.)

male

28.1% (2020 est.)

total

25.5% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.59 children born/woman (2024 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, Geneve (Geneva), Glarus, Graubuenden/Grigioni/Grischun, Jura, Luzern (Lucerne), Neuchatel, Nidwalden, Obwalden, Sankt Gallen, Schaffhausen, Schwyz, Solothurn, Thurgau, Ticino, Uri, Valais/Wallis, Vaud, Zug, Zuerich

note

note: the canton names are in the official language(s) of the canton with the exception of Geneve and Luzern, where the conventional names (Geneva and Lucerne) have been added in parentheses; 6 of the cantons - Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Appenzell Innerrhoden, Basel-Landschaft, Basel-Stadt, Nidwalden, Obwalden - are referred to as half cantons because they elect only one member (instead of two) to the Council of States and, in popular referendums where a majority of popular votes and a majority of cantonal votes are required, these 6 cantons only have a half vote

Capital

daylight saving time

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

etymology

origin of the name is uncertain but may derive from a 2nd century B.C. Celtic place name, possibly "berna" meaning "cleft," that was subsequently adopted by a Roman settlement

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

amendments

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; amended many times, last in 2018

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 that 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 Scott C. MILLER (since 11 January 2022) 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.chhttps://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 Viola AMHERD (since 1 January 2024)

election results

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 1962022:  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

elections/appointments

president and vice president elected by the Federal Assembly from among members of the Federal Council for a 1-year, non-consecutive term; election last held on 13 December 2023 (next to be held in December 2024)

head of government

President of the Swiss Confederation Viola AMHERD (since 1 January 2024)

note

note: the Federal Council, comprised of 7 federal councillors, constitutes the federal government of Switzerland; council members rotate the 1-year term of federal president

Flag description

red square with a bold, equilateral white cross in the center that does not extend to the edges of the flag; various medieval legends purport to describe the origin of the flag; a white cross used as identification for troops of the Swiss Confederation is first attested at the Battle of Laupen (1339)

note

note: in 1863, a newly formed international relief organization convening in Geneva, Switzerland sought to come up with an identifying flag or logo; they chose the inverse of the Swiss flag - a red cross on a white field - as their symbol; today that organization is known throughout the world as the International Red Cross

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; note - judges are affiliated with political parties and are elected according to linguistic and regional criteria in approximate proportion to the level of party representation in the Federal Assembly

subordinate courts

Federal Criminal Court (established in 2004); Federal Administrative Court (established in 2007); note - each of Switzerland's 26 cantons has its own courts

Legal system

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

Legislative branch

description

bicameral Federal Assembly or Bundesversammlung (in German), Assemblée Fédérale (in French), Assemblea Federale (in Italian) consists of:Council of States or Ständerat (in German), Conseil des États (in French), Consiglio degli Stati (in Italian) (46 seats; members in two-seat constituencies representing cantons and single-seat constituencies representing half cantons directly elected by simple majority vote except Jura and Neuchatel cantons, which use list proportional representation vote; member term governed by cantonal law)National Council or Nationalrat (in German), Conseil National (in French), Consiglio Nazionale (in Italian) (200 seats; 194 members in cantons directly elected by proportional representation vote and 6 in half cantons directly elected by simple majority vote; members serve 4-year terms)

election results

Council of States - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - The Center 13, FDP.The Liberals 12, SP 9, SVP 6, Green Party 5, other 1; composition - men 30, women 16, percentage women 34.8%National Council - percent of vote by party - SVP 28.6%, SP 18%, The Center 14.6%, FDP.The Liberals 14.4%, Green Party 9.4%, GLP 7.2%, EDU 1.2, EDV/PEV 1.9%, MCR/MCG .5%, other 4%; seats by party - SVP 62, SP 41, The Center 29, FDP.The Liberals 28, Green Party 23, GLP 10, EDU 2, EDV/PEV 2, MCR/MCG 2, other 1; composition - men 123, women 77, percentage women 38.5%; note - total Federal Assembly percentage women 37.8%

elections

Council of States - last held in most cantons on 22 October 2023 (each canton determines when the next election will be held)National Council - last held on 22 October 2023 (next to be held on 31 October 2027)

National anthem

lyrics/music

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

name

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

note

note: unofficially adopted 1961, officially 1981; the anthem has been popular in a number of Swiss cantons since its composition (in German) in 1841; translated into the other three official languages of the country (French, Italian, and Romansch), it is official in each of those languages

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; note - since 1 August 1891 celebrated as Swiss National Day

National symbol(s)

Swiss cross (white cross on red field, arms equal length); national colors: red, white

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, grapes, maize (2022)

note

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Average household expenditures

on alcohol and tobacco

3.5% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

on food

9.3% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$136.348 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenses converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

revenues

$143.411 billion (2022 est.)

Credit ratings

Fitch rating

AAA (2000)

Moody's rating

Aaa (1982)

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Standard & Poors rating

AAA (1988)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2021

$56.091 billion (2021 est.)

Current account balance 2022

$77.245 billion (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

$67.821 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

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 2019

0.994 (2019 est.)

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.)

Exports

Exports 2021

$579.011 billion (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$627.788 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$661.628 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

gold, vaccines, packaged medicine, nitrogen compounds, base metal watches (2022)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

US 15%, Germany 13%, China 11%, Italy 6%, France 5% (2022)

note

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

75.3% (2023 est.)

government consumption

11.4% (2023 est.)

household consumption

51.6% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services

-62.9% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital

25.9% (2023 est.)

investment in inventories

-1.4% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

0.6% (2023 est.)

industry

24.9% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

services

71.9% (2023 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$884.94 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2020

33.7 (2020 est.)

note

note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

26.4% (2020 est.)

lowest 10%

2.9% (2020 est.)

note

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Imports

Imports 2021

$481.27 billion (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$516.517 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$554.358 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

gold, packaged medicine, vaccines, cars, garments (2022)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

Germany 21%, US 10%, Italy 8%, France 6%, China 5% (2022)

note

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

-1.66% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

0.58% (2021 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

2.84% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

2.14% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Labor force

4.991 million (2023 est.)

note

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Population below poverty line

14.7% (2020 est.)

note

note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Public debt

note

note: central government debt as a % of GDP

Public debt 2022

17.8% of GDP (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$710.319 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$728.562 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$733.779 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

note

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2021

5.39% (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

2.57% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

0.72% (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2021

$81,600 (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$83,000 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$82,900 (2023 est.)

Remittances

note

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Remittances 2021

0.39% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

0.38% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

0.28% of GDP (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

note

note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021

$1.11 trillion (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$923.628 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$863.892 billion (2023 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

9.1% (of GDP) (2022 est.)

note

note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Unemployment rate

note

note: % of labor force seeking employment

Unemployment rate 2021

5.1% (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

4.3% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

4.05% (2023 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

7.7% (2023 est.)

male

8.3% (2023 est.)

note

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

total

8% (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

268,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from consumed natural gas

6.009 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

27.331 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

total emissions

33.609 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Coal

consumption

161,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

exports

3.3 metric tons (2022 est.)

imports

184,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

Electricity

consumption

57.187 billion kWh (2022 est.)

exports

29.881 billion kWh (2022 est.)

imports

33.02 billion kWh (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity

24.014 million kW (2022 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

4.678 billion kWh (2022 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

5% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

fossil fuels

0.9% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

hydroelectricity

48% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

nuclear

39.4% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

solar

6.5% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

wind

0.3% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2022

101.938 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

3.138 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

imports

3.099 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Nuclear energy

Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors

2.97GW (2023 est.)

Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down

2 (2023)

Number of operational nuclear reactors

4 (2023)

Percent of total electricity production

32.4% (2023 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption

193,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

total petroleum production

300 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

47 (2020 est.)

total

4,028,238 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

the publicly owned radio and TV broadcaster, Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRG/SSR), operates 8 national TV networks, 3 broadcasting in German, 3 in French, and 2 in Italian; private commercial TV stations broadcast regionally and locally; TV broadcasts from stations in Germany, Italy, and France are widely available via multi-channel cable and satellite TV services; SRG/SSR operates 17 radio stations that, along with private broadcasters, provide national to local coverage ) (2019)

Internet country code

.ch

Internet users

percent of population

96% (2021 est.)

total

8.352 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line is 33 per 100 and mobile-cellular subscribership is 120 per 100 persons (2022)

general assessment

Switzerland has one of the highest broadband penetration rates within Europe, with a focus on services of at least 1Gb/s; this has been supported by sympathetic regulatory measures as well as by cooperative agreements between the main telcos, and with local utilities; fast fiber is complemented by 5G services reaching about 97% of the population by early 2021; together, these networks will soon enable the telcos to provide ultra-fast broadband services nationally, ahead of most other countries in the region; the competitive mobile market is served by three network operators and a small number of MVNOs; 5G services offered by the MNOs offer data rates of up to 2Gb/s, and although various cantons have called a halt to extensions of 5G, citing health concerns, the regulator and environment ministry have put in place measures aimed at ensuring that network roll outs can continue without disruption; with the migration of subscribers to LTE and 5G networks, the MNOs have been able to begin closing down their GSM networks and repurpose physical assets and spectrum; although not a member of the EU, the country’s economic integration has meant that its telecom market deregulation has followed the EU’s liberalization framework, including the recent regulations on international voice roaming; this report presents an analysis of Switzerland’s fixed-line telecom market, including an assessment of network infrastructure (2021)

international

country code - 41; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

33 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

2.919 million (2022 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

120 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

10.45 million (2022 est.)

Airports

62 (2024)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

HB

Heliports

51 (2024)

Merchant marine

by type

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

total

17 (2023)

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

1,841,310,000 (2018) mt-km

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

28,857,994 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

179

number of registered air carriers

6 (2020)

Pipelines

1,800 km gas, 94 km oil (of which 60 are inactive), 17 km refined products (2017)

Railways

total

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

Roadways

total

83,131 km (2022)

Waterways

1,292 km (2010) (there are 1,227 km of waterways on lakes and rivers for public transport and 65 km on the Rhine River between Basel-Rheinfelden and Schaffhausen-Bodensee for commercial goods transport)

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 1999the military is comprised of conscripts, militia, and a small professional component; it is led by the Chief of the Armed Forces with an Armed Forces Staff and consists of a Joint Operations Command (JOC), an Armed Forces Logistics Organization, an Armed Forces Command Support Organization, and a Training and Education Command; the JOC controls, among other subordinate commands, the Air Force, the Land Forces, four territorial divisions, the Military Police Command, and the Special Forces Command (2024)

Military and security forces

Swiss Armed Forces (aka Swiss Army or Schweizer Armee); Army (Heer; aka Land Forces), Swiss Air Force (Schweizer Luftwaffe) (2024)

note

note: the federal police maintain internal security and report to the Federal Department of Justice and Police, while the Armed Forces report to the Federal Department of Defense, Civil Protection, and Sport

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 100,000, including cadre/professionals, conscripts, and militia; the Swiss Armed Forces consist of a small core of cadre/professional personnel along with a mix of militia and up to 20,000 conscripts brought in each year for training (2024)

Military deployments

175 Kosovo (NATO/KFOR) (2024)

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 (2024)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2019

0.7% of GDP (2019)

Military Expenditures 2020

0.7% of GDP (2020)

Military Expenditures 2021

0.7% of GDP (2021)

Military Expenditures 2022

0.7% of GDP (2022)

Military Expenditures 2023

0.7% of GDP (2023)

Military service age and obligation

18-30 years of age for compulsory military service for men; 18 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; every Swiss male has to serve at least 245 days in the armed forces; conscripts receive 18 weeks of mandatory training, followed by six 19-day intermittent recalls for training during the next 10 years (2024)

note

note: conscientious objectors can choose 390 days of community service instead of military service; as of 2023, women comprised about 1% of the active Swiss military

Illicit drugs

major source of precursor chemicals used in the production of illicit narcotics; a significant importer and exporter of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine;

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin)

14,726 (Eritrea), 11,441 (Afghanistan), 8,039 (Syria), (mid-year 2022); 65,615 (Ukraine) (as of 5 March 2024)

stateless persons

891 (2022)

Terrorist group(s)

Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)

note

note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

34.48 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

4.98 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

8.97 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Climate

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

Environment - current issues

air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from agricultural fertilizers; chemical contaminants and erosion damage the soil and limit productivity; loss of biodiversity

Environment - international 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

Land use

agricultural land

38.7% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 10.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.6% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 27.9% (2018 est.)

forest

31.5% (2018 est.)

other

29.8% (2018 est.)

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 kmnote – [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)

Revenue from coal

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0.01% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

53.5 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

160 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

640 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

970 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

74.2% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

6.056 million tons (2016 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually

1.938 million tons (2015 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

32% (2015 est.)