Swiss population tops 9.1 million as ageing accelerates
Thursday 20th August 2026 on 20:45 in
Switzerland
Switzerland’s permanent resident population exceeded 9.1 million at the end of 2025, while growth slowed and the number of people aged 65 or over surpassed the number under 20 for the first time, SRF reports, citing the Federal Statistical Office.
The population grew by 76,100 people, or 0.8 percent, compared with the previous year. Growth stood at 1.7 percent in 2023 and 1.0 percent in 2024. The share of permanent foreign residents rose to 27.7 percent.
According to the Federal Statistical Office, immigration accounted for around 92 percent of the increase. The remaining 8 percent came from the excess of births over deaths. Almost 204,300 people moved to Switzerland in 2025. Germans formed the largest group, with 26,400 arrivals, followed by 23,000 Swiss citizens returning to the country.
About 133,800 people left Switzerland, including 29,400 Swiss citizens. Immigration fell by 3.9 percent overall, while emigration rose by 3.1 percent.
Population growth varied between the cantons. Schaffhausen recorded the strongest increase, rising by 1.6 percent, or 1,420 people, compared with the national average of 0.8 percent. Glarus and Ticino recorded the weakest growth, at 0.2 percent each.
At the end of 2025, 1,810,600 people in Switzerland were aged 65 or over, compared with 1,804,500 people under 20. The number of older people increased by 2.3 percent from the previous year.
The ageing trend is also reflected in the ratio of young and older people to those of working age, defined as people aged 20 to 64. Business associations say more people are leaving the labour market because of age than young people are entering it. This is creating labour shortages and putting pressure on the financing of old-age provision.
Immigration provides some relief because most newcomers are of working age. The age profile of foreign nationals is notably broader between the ages of 25 and 64, while the largest age groups among Swiss citizens are between 55 and 69.
The Federal Statistical Office expects Switzerland’s population to continue growing, driven mainly by immigration. Under its reference scenario, the permanent resident population is expected to pass 10 million between 2040 and 2045.