Bern grows despite lowest birth rate for 20 years

The city of Bern is growing despite its lowest birth rate since 2006 Keystone-SDA

The population of the city of Bern, the Swiss capital, grew by 257 people to 147,124 in the first half of 2026. This was due to a positive net migration figure and a birth surplus, even though the number of births reached a long-term low.

The number of births reached 649, the lowest figure for the first half of the year since 2006, the City of Bern’s Statistics Office said on Tuesday. In contrast, there were 571 deaths – the third-lowest figure for the same period – resulting in a birth surplus of 78 people.

According to the statement, the so-called net migration figure of 179 people was around three times higher than the average for the last five years. While there was a net outflow of 203 Swiss nationals, there was a net inflow of 382 people from abroad. The proportion of foreign nationals thus rose slightly to 25.3%.

The largest net inflow was from people from Ukraine (+107), followed by German (+93) and Afghan nationals (+64). When broken down by age, only the 20–39 age group recorded a positive net migration figure, with 365 people.

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Translated from German, reviewed by an English Department journalist.