Swiss families are getting smaller and smaller
Keystone-SDA
Select your language
Generated with artificial intelligence.
Listening: Swiss families are getting smaller and smaller
Women in Switzerland are having fewer and fewer children. The size of the average family in Switzerland is therefore steadily decreasing. This is underpinned by the final figures for 2024.
The Federal Statistical Office (FSO) reported on Thursday that third births (-3.6%) and second births (-2.8%) fell particularly sharply last year.
First births, on the other hand, fell by 1.5% and thus less significantly. The birth rates, which have been falling for years, are therefore less of an obstacle to the formation of families than to their expansion.
Number of children per woman at record low
After the first figures were published in April, the FSO announced that the average number of children per woman had fallen again in 2024, reaching the lowest level ever recorded. The FSO has now corrected the figure from 1.28 to 1.29 children per woman.
More
More
Demographics
Fertility rates plummet in Switzerland – and beyond
This content was published on
Faced with a historic dip in birth rates, some countries are turning to family-friendly policies and campaigns. Can such action have anything more than a marginal impact?
The annual population statistics, officially known as “natural population movement” statistics, also show that fewer marriages took place in 2024 (36,800) and there were more divorces (16,100) than in 2023.
The number of marriages fell by 2.6%. Apart from the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021, this is the lowest figure since 1981. The number of divorces rose by 3.6% and the average length of marriage at divorce increased to 15.8 years.
What is your opinion? Join the debate:
External Content
Translated from German by DeepL/jdp
We select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools to translate them into English. A journalist then reviews the translation for clarity and accuracy before publication.
Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles. The news stories we select have been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team from news agencies such as Bloomberg or Keystone.
If you have any questions about how we work, write to us at english@swissinfo.ch
Working on Sundays is detrimental to well-being, says Swiss study
This content was published on
A study by the University of Bern shows that working on Sundays is detrimental to well-being and particularly affects women.
Safra Sarasin private bank and former asset manager sentenced
This content was published on
The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland has fined private bank J. Safra Sarasin CHF3.5 million for aggravated money laundering. A former bank employee received a six-month suspended prison sentence.
JPMorgan to pay CHF270 million to settle 1MDB claims
This content was published on
JPMorgan Chase has agreed to pay CHF270 million to the Malaysian government to settle all issues related to its role in the 1MDB financial scandal.
Famine confirmed in Gaza for first time, says UN-backed report
This content was published on
Famine has been declared in a northern part of the Gaza Strip, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) system.
Zurich Airport ground handling staff to strike on Friday
This content was published on
Ground handling staff at Zurich Airport have announced a strike for Friday afternoon. According to a union, 200 jobs are at risk.
This content was published on
Philippe Lazzarini will step down as head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) at the end of his term in March, he announced on Thursday.
Swiss government predicts CHF845 million budget deficit in 2026
This content was published on
The Federal Council published its 2026 budget proposal on Thursday: a projected deficit of CHF845 million francs ($1 billion).
This content was published on
The Gösgen nuclear power plant in northwestern Switzerland will be out of service for six months. It has not been connected to the grid since late May.
Swiss authorities and firms agree to cut sugar in cereals, yoghurts and drinks
This content was published on
Cereals, yoghurts and drinks in Switzerland will contain less sugar by 2028. The Swiss government and 21 companies renewed the so-called Milan Declaration in Bern on Thursday.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.