Brief Review

Demographics

The population of Switzerland is around 7,5 million people, with the median age being 40,4 years, nearly perfectly divided between men and women.

Ageing workforce | The population is growing at a rate of 0,329 percent annually. This small increase is due largely to immigration, as the average birth-rate is only 1,44 children per woman. Due to low fertility rates and longer life expectancy, the country is ageing at a rapid rate. It is expected by 2050 that up to 28 percent of the population will be 65 and older, in contrast to the 0-19 age range, which is expected to diminish from 22 to 17 percent, according to the Swiss Statistics.

Immigration and multiculturalism | Switzerland has one of the highest proportions of foreigners in Europe, at 21,9 percent. There are an estimated 1,5 million foreigners residing in Switzerland. The greatest number of these come from other European countries, mainly Italy, Portugal and Germany. There is also a considerable population of immigrants from Serbia and Montenegro. More information can be found on the Swiss Confederation web site.