Switzerland's population grew last year at its fastest rate in 60 years, pushed by record immigration including thousands of people from war-torn Ukraine.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Reuters
Русский
ru
Темпы увеличения численности населения Швейцарии рекордны
The permanent population rose by 145,400 to more than 8,960,800 by the end of 2023, an increase of 1.6%, preliminary figures from the Federal Statistical Office showed on Thursday. Without Ukrainians, the rise would have been 1%.
The increase meant population growth was greater than it has been since the beginning of the 1960s, the office said.
A spokesperson for the office said the growth rate was last higher in 1963. In 2022, the population climbed by 0.9%.
Net migration to Switzerland more than doubled to 142,300 last year, the highest number on record, the office said. Of these people, about 52,000 were Ukrainians who were not included in the permanent population until 2023, the spokesperson said. Nearly 264,000 people came to Switzerland and 121,600 left the country, the figures showed.
Nearly 63,000 Ukrainians fled to Switzerland following Russia’s invasion in 2022.
Immigration has long been politically contentious in Switzerland, where the biggest group in parliament, the right-wing Swiss People’s Party, has launched an initiative to stop the population exceeding ten million before 2050.
More
More
Swiss right-wing party hands in initiative to limit immigration
This content was published on
The new attempt to limit immigration into Switzerland could lead to the termination of the agreement on the free movement of persons.
That has made containing immigration an important issue for the Swiss government in negotiations with Brussels to update economic ties with the European Union, which began in March.
The figures also showed the extent to which Switzerland relies on migrants, with births well below the so-called replacement rate of 2.1 required to keep the population stable.
In 2023, the fertility rate was 1.33 children per woman, the lowest on record. All told, some 27% of the resident population – or 2.416 million people – did not have Swiss citizenship, the office said.
This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate it into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles.
If you want to know more about how we work, have a look here, and if you have feedback on this news story please write to english@swissinfo.ch.
External Content
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Almost finished… We need to confirm your email address. To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you.
As a Swiss Abroad, how do you feel about the emergence of more conservative family policies in some US states?
In recent years several US states have adopted more conservative policies on family issues, abortion and education. As a Swiss citizen living there, how do you view this development?
Geneva and Switzerland must remain “faithful” to multilateralism
This content was published on
France's ambassador to the UN calls on International Geneva to stick to its principles as the US turns its back on multilateralism.
Five years after Covid lockdown, former Swiss health advisor looks back on crisis
This content was published on
Daniel Koch, former head of communicable diseases at the Federal Office of Public Health, recalls the key role played by the Swiss government during the Covid-19 crisis.
Credit Suisse turned down takeover bids one year before collapse
This content was published on
The management of Credit Suisse turned down takeover bids just over a year before the bank collapsed, says American investment banker Bob Diamond.
Geneva human rights film fest rewards 12 ‘impactful’ productions
This content was published on
The Geneva Grand Prix of the 2025 International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights (FIFDH) has been awarded to the Egyptian documentary, Les Filles du Nil.
Top Swiss commerce official to meet with Trump administration
This content was published on
The head of the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, Helene Budliger Artieda, will travel to Washington next week.
Former US general advises Switzerland to prepare for war
This content was published on
According to former United States general Ben Hodges, the withdrawal of US troops from Europe is only a matter of time. In an interview with SonntagsBlick, he advises Switzerland to prepare for war.
This content was published on
The author of the bestseller Swiss Watching and former member of SWI swissinfo.ch's Public Council, Diccon Bewes, died on March 11 after a battle with cancer.
Anti-separatists in Bernese Jura mark 50th anniversary of crucial vote
This content was published on
Anti-separatist circles celebrated in Tramelan (BE) on Saturday the 50th anniversary of the vote of 16 March 1975 in which the population of the Bernese Jura chose to remain part of the Bernese Confederation. The theme of the jubilee was the identity of the Bernese Jura after Moutier's departure.
Nearly one in two bicycles sold in Switzerland is an e-bike
This content was published on
In 2024, almost every second bicycle sold in Switzerland was an e-bike. Overall, around 14% fewer bikes were sold than in the previous year.
Over 200 Swiss firms sign up to CO2 reduction targets
This content was published on
To date, 237 companies from Switzerland have joined the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), committing to CO2 reduction targets in line with the Paris Accord.
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.