Migration and ageing: How Switzerland's population is changing
The number of people living in Switzerland is growing while the population is increasingly getting older, according to new official figures.
A lot is said about Switzerland's population as it nears the 9-million mark.
On the one hand, many people - including businesses and other employers - want to see the Swiss population boosted through immigration to help fill job vacancies.
But others - including politicians leaning to the right of centre - have spoken of their fears that Switzerland's population is growing too fast and piling pressure on infrastructure.
READ ALSO: How immigration is impacting Switzerland
So here's what we've learned from official figures about the development of the population in the Alpine country released by the Federal Statistical Office on Thursday.
Is the population actually growing?
Yes - slightly. At the end of 2022, more than 8.8 million people lived in Switzerland - a 0.9-percent increase compared to 2021, the figures show.
Compared to EU countries, Switzerland recorded a similar growth rate to Denmark and Liechtenstein (+1.0 percent each). At the top of the table were Malta, Iceland and the Czech Republic (with growth rates of around +3 percent). Bringing up the rear was Greece with negative growth of -0.6 percent.
People stand at the station in Grindelwald, Switzerland, in January 2023. Photo by Luke Tanis on Unsplash
The stats show that the population growth in Switzerland is growing at a slower pace than before 2017, ranging between +0.7 percent and +0.8 percent over the last five years. In 2022, it was slightly above the values of the previous years at +0.9 percent.
READ MORE: OPINION: Switzerland can be thankful to 'foreigners' as population nears 9 million mark
How many foreign nationals live in Switzerland?
Of the total 8,815,400 inhabitants, 6,519,400 were Swiss nationals (74 percent) and 2,296,000 were foreign nationals (26 percent).
The number of Swiss nationals increased by 24,800 (+0.4 percent compared to 2021), while the number of permanent foreign residents increased by 51,800 (+2.3 percent compared to 2021).
The population in the canton of Schaffhausen saw the strongest increase, with a rise of 1.5 percent compared to the previous year.
The Swiss resident population grew most in 2022 in the canton of Fribourg (+0.8 percent), while the foreign resident population grew most in the canton of Nidwalden (+6.7 percent or 456 people).
READ ALSO:
How is migration and emigration impacting growth?
Migration is the main factor fuelling Switzerland's population growth, the Federal Statistical Office said.
In 2022, Switzerland registered 190,900 people coming to live in the country. Of these, 21,800 were Swiss nationals and 169,100 were foreign.
Around 122,100 people moved abroad from Switzerland, including 31,300 Swiss nationals and 90,900 foreign nationals. That means that both immigration and emigration increased compared to 2021 (+15.2 percent and +4.6 percent respectively). However, it should be noted that it was more difficult to move between countries during the Covid pandemic, which was still having an impact in 2021.
In 2022, German nationals were the largest group of people to move to Switzerland, accounting for 24,200 immigrations. The number of Swiss nationals moving to Switzerland stood at 21,800.
Among the foreign people who immigrated or emigrated, German, Italian, French, Portuguese and Spanish nationals were the most strongly represented. Together they accounted for 46 percent of immigrations and 51 percent of emigrations of foreigners.
The international migration balance, i.e. the difference between people moving into Switzerland from abroad and those moving away, increased by 19,900 to 68,800 people. In the cantons of Basel-City, Basel-Country and Appenzell Ausserrhoden, the percentage change in international net migration compared to 2021 was the greatest. Glarus is the only canton that recorded a decrease in net migration compared to 2021.
How is demographic ageing changing the population make-up?
Switzerland's population continues to get older as people live longer - a trend being seen in many other countries, including neighbouring Germany.
The number of people aged 65 and over went up from over 1.6 million to over 1.69 million (+1.8 percent) between 2021 and 2022. It increased in all cantons compared to the previous year but was strongest in central Switzerland (+2.5 percent), especially in the cantons of Schwyz and Obwalden (+3.0 percent each).
People walk in Bern's main station. Photo: Timon Studler/Unsplash
In 2022, the permanent resident population of Switzerland comprised 485,600 people aged 80 and over, compared to 472,000 in 2021 (+2.9 percent). With the exception of Appenzell Innerrhoden, where one person less was counted in this age group than in the previous year, all cantons recorded an increase. The strongest rise was registered in the canton of Nidwalden with 5.1 percent or 121 more people.
The number of people aged 100 and over also increased. In 2022, 1,948 people in this age group were living in Switzerland, compared to 1,888 in 2021 (+3.2 percent - an increase of 60 people).
Between 2021 and 2022, the growth of those over 100 was greatest in the canton of Thurgau. In the three cantons of Nidwalden, Appenzell Ausserrhoden and Zug, the numbers remained unchanged and in 11 cantons they declined (Graubünden, Schaffhausen, Uri, Glarus, Appenzell-Innerrhoden, Zurich, St. Gallen, Lucerne, Schwyz, Bern and Valais).
Women outnumber men in the ageing population in Switzerland. Every fifth woman (928,600 or 20.9 percent) and every sixth man (763 000; 17.4 percent) is older than 64. The proportion of women in the population increases with age. Among people aged 80 and over, 294,500 were women (6.6 percent) and 191,200 men (4.4 percent). Meanwhile, among the 'centenarians and older' category, there are four times as many women as men (1,601 and 347 respectively).
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A lot is said about Switzerland's population as it nears the 9-million mark.
On the one hand, many people - including businesses and other employers - want to see the Swiss population boosted through immigration to help fill job vacancies.
But others - including politicians leaning to the right of centre - have spoken of their fears that Switzerland's population is growing too fast and piling pressure on infrastructure.
READ ALSO: How immigration is impacting Switzerland
So here's what we've learned from official figures about the development of the population in the Alpine country released by the Federal Statistical Office on Thursday.
Is the population actually growing?
Yes - slightly. At the end of 2022, more than 8.8 million people lived in Switzerland - a 0.9-percent increase compared to 2021, the figures show.
Compared to EU countries, Switzerland recorded a similar growth rate to Denmark and Liechtenstein (+1.0 percent each). At the top of the table were Malta, Iceland and the Czech Republic (with growth rates of around +3 percent). Bringing up the rear was Greece with negative growth of -0.6 percent.
The stats show that the population growth in Switzerland is growing at a slower pace than before 2017, ranging between +0.7 percent and +0.8 percent over the last five years. In 2022, it was slightly above the values of the previous years at +0.9 percent.
READ MORE: OPINION: Switzerland can be thankful to 'foreigners' as population nears 9 million mark
How many foreign nationals live in Switzerland?
Of the total 8,815,400 inhabitants, 6,519,400 were Swiss nationals (74 percent) and 2,296,000 were foreign nationals (26 percent).
The number of Swiss nationals increased by 24,800 (+0.4 percent compared to 2021), while the number of permanent foreign residents increased by 51,800 (+2.3 percent compared to 2021).
The population in the canton of Schaffhausen saw the strongest increase, with a rise of 1.5 percent compared to the previous year.
The Swiss resident population grew most in 2022 in the canton of Fribourg (+0.8 percent), while the foreign resident population grew most in the canton of Nidwalden (+6.7 percent or 456 people).
READ ALSO:
How is migration and emigration impacting growth?
Migration is the main factor fuelling Switzerland's population growth, the Federal Statistical Office said.
In 2022, Switzerland registered 190,900 people coming to live in the country. Of these, 21,800 were Swiss nationals and 169,100 were foreign.
Around 122,100 people moved abroad from Switzerland, including 31,300 Swiss nationals and 90,900 foreign nationals. That means that both immigration and emigration increased compared to 2021 (+15.2 percent and +4.6 percent respectively). However, it should be noted that it was more difficult to move between countries during the Covid pandemic, which was still having an impact in 2021.
In 2022, German nationals were the largest group of people to move to Switzerland, accounting for 24,200 immigrations. The number of Swiss nationals moving to Switzerland stood at 21,800.
Among the foreign people who immigrated or emigrated, German, Italian, French, Portuguese and Spanish nationals were the most strongly represented. Together they accounted for 46 percent of immigrations and 51 percent of emigrations of foreigners.
The international migration balance, i.e. the difference between people moving into Switzerland from abroad and those moving away, increased by 19,900 to 68,800 people. In the cantons of Basel-City, Basel-Country and Appenzell Ausserrhoden, the percentage change in international net migration compared to 2021 was the greatest. Glarus is the only canton that recorded a decrease in net migration compared to 2021.
How is demographic ageing changing the population make-up?
Switzerland's population continues to get older as people live longer - a trend being seen in many other countries, including neighbouring Germany.
The number of people aged 65 and over went up from over 1.6 million to over 1.69 million (+1.8 percent) between 2021 and 2022. It increased in all cantons compared to the previous year but was strongest in central Switzerland (+2.5 percent), especially in the cantons of Schwyz and Obwalden (+3.0 percent each).
In 2022, the permanent resident population of Switzerland comprised 485,600 people aged 80 and over, compared to 472,000 in 2021 (+2.9 percent). With the exception of Appenzell Innerrhoden, where one person less was counted in this age group than in the previous year, all cantons recorded an increase. The strongest rise was registered in the canton of Nidwalden with 5.1 percent or 121 more people.
The number of people aged 100 and over also increased. In 2022, 1,948 people in this age group were living in Switzerland, compared to 1,888 in 2021 (+3.2 percent - an increase of 60 people).
Between 2021 and 2022, the growth of those over 100 was greatest in the canton of Thurgau. In the three cantons of Nidwalden, Appenzell Ausserrhoden and Zug, the numbers remained unchanged and in 11 cantons they declined (Graubünden, Schaffhausen, Uri, Glarus, Appenzell-Innerrhoden, Zurich, St. Gallen, Lucerne, Schwyz, Bern and Valais).
Women outnumber men in the ageing population in Switzerland. Every fifth woman (928,600 or 20.9 percent) and every sixth man (763 000; 17.4 percent) is older than 64. The proportion of women in the population increases with age. Among people aged 80 and over, 294,500 were women (6.6 percent) and 191,200 men (4.4 percent). Meanwhile, among the 'centenarians and older' category, there are four times as many women as men (1,601 and 347 respectively).
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