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Europe
Page last updated: July 24, 2024
The Swiss Confederation was founded in 1291 as a defensive alliance among three cantons. In succeeding years, other localities joined the original three. The Swiss Confederation secured its independence from the Holy Roman Empire in 1499. A constitution of 1848, which was modified in 1874 to allow voters to introduce referenda on proposed laws, replaced the confederation with a centralized federal government. The major European powers have long honored Switzerland's sovereignty and neutrality, and the country was not involved in either World War. The political and economic integration of Europe over the past half-century, as well as Switzerland's role in many UN and international organizations, has strengthened Switzerland's ties with its neighbors. However, the country did not officially become a UN member until 2002. Switzerland remains active in many UN and international organizations but retains a strong commitment to neutrality.
Central Europe, east of France, north of Italy
47°00' N, 08°00' E
Europe
Total : 41,277 km²
Land: 39,997 km²
Water: 1,280 km²
Slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey
Area comparison map:
Total: 1,770 km
Border countries (5): Austria 158 km; France 525 km; Italy 698 km; Liechtenstein 41 km; Germany 348 km
0 km (landlocked)
None (landlocked)
Temperate, but varies with altitude; cold, cloudy, rainy/snowy winters; cool to warm, cloudy, humid summers with occasional showers
Mostly mountains (Alps in south, Jura in northwest) with a central plateau of rolling hills, plains, and large lakes
Highest point: Dufourspitze 4,634 m
Lowest point: Lake Maggiore 195 m
Mean elevation: 1,350 m
Hydropower potential, timber, salt
Agricultural land: 38.7% (2018 est.)
Arable land: 10.2% (2018 est.)
Permanent crops: 0.6% (2018 est.)
Permanent pasture: 27.9% (2018 est.)
Forest: 31.5% (2018 est.)
Other: 29.8% (2018 est.)
327 km² (2016)
Fresh water lake(s): Lake Constance (shared with Germany and Austria) - 540 km²; Lake Geneva (shared with France) - 580 km²
Rhein (Rhine) river source (shared with Germany, France, and Netherlands [m]) - 1,233 km
Note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Atlantic Ocean drainage: Rhine-Maas (198,735 km²), (Black Sea) Danube (795,656 km²), (Adriatic Sea) Po (76,997 km²), (Mediterranean Sea) Rhone (100,543 km²)
Population distribution corresponds to elevation with the northern and western areas far more heavily populated; the higher Alps of the south limit settlement
Avalanches, landslides; flash floods
Landlocked; crossroads of northern and southern Europe; along with southeastern France, northern Italy, and southwestern Austria, has the highest elevations in the Alps
Total: 8,860,574
Male: 4,403,105
Female: 4,457,469 (2024 est.)
Comparison rankings: female 101; male 100; total 102
Noun: Swiss (singular and plural)
Adjective: Swiss
Swiss 69.2%, German 4.2%, Italian 3.2%, Portuguese 2.5%, French 2.1%, Kosovan 1.1%, Turkish 1%, other 16.7% (2020 est.)
Note: data represent permanent and non-permanent resident population by country of birth
German (or Swiss German) (official) 62.1%, French (official) 22.8%, Italian (official) 8%, English 5.7%, Portuguese 3.5%, Albanian 3.3%, Serbo-Croatian 2.3%, Spanish 2.3%, Romansh (official) 0.5%, other 7.9%; note - German, French, Italian, and Romansh are all national and official languages; shares sum to more than 100% because respondents could indicate more than one main language (2019 est.)
Major-language sample(s):
Das World Factbook, die unverzichtbare Quelle fĂĽr grundlegende Informationen. (German)
The World Factbook, une source indispensable d'informations de base. (French)
L'Almanacco dei fatti del mondo, l'indispensabile fonte per le informazioni di base. (Italian)
The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Roman Catholic 34.4%, Protestant 22.5%, other Christian 5.7%, Muslim 5.4%, other 1.5%, none 29.4%, unspecified 1.1% (2020 est.)
0-14 years: 15.1% (male 685,221/female 650,802)
15-64 years: 64.6% (male 2,887,767/female 2,834,842)
65 years and over: 20.3% (2024 est.) (male 830,117/female 971,825)
2023 population pyramid:
Total dependency ratio: 51.6
Youth dependency ratio: 22.8
Elderly dependency ratio: 28.7
Potential support ratio: 3.5 (2021 est.)
Total: 44.2 years (2024 est.)
Male: 43.5 years
Female: 44.9 years
0.75% (2024 est.)
10.1 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)
8.5 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)
5.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Population distribution corresponds to elevation with the northern and western areas far more heavily populated; the higher Alps of the south limit settlement
Urban population: 74.2% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 0.79% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030
1.432 million Zurich, 441,000 BERN (capital) (2023)
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
31.1 years (2020 est.)
7 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)
Total: 3 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 3.4 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 2.5 deaths/1,000 live births
Total population: 83.9 years (2024 est.)
Male: 82 years
Female: 85.8 years
1.59 children born/woman (2024 est.)
0.77 (2024 est.)
71.6% (2017)
Improved: urban: 100% of population
Rural: 100% of population
Total: 100% of population
Unimproved: urban: 0% of population
Rural: 0% of population
Total: 0% of population (2020 est.)
11.8% of GDP (2020)
4.38 physicians/1,000 population (2020)
4.6 beds/1,000 population (2018)
Improved: urban: 100% of population
Rural: 100% of population
Total: 100% of population
Unimproved: urban: 0% of population
Rural: 0% of population
Total: 0% of population (2020 est.)
19.5% (2016)
Total: 9.41 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Beer: 3.17 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Wine: 4.35 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Spirits: 1.76 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Other alcohols: 0.12 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Total: 25.5% (2020 est.)
Male: 28.1% (2020 est.)
Female: 22.9% (2020 est.)
NA
57.5% (2023 est.)
5.2% of GDP (2020 est.)
Total population: NA
Male: NA
Female: NA
Total: 17 years
Male: 17 years
Female: 17 years (2020)
Air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from agricultural fertilizers; chemical contaminants and erosion damage the soil and limit productivity; loss of biodiversity
Party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling
Signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Temperate, but varies with altitude; cold, cloudy, rainy/snowy winters; cool to warm, cloudy, humid summers with occasional showers
Agricultural land: 38.7% (2018 est.)
Arable land: 10.2% (2018 est.)
Permanent crops: 0.6% (2018 est.)
Permanent pasture: 27.9% (2018 est.)
Forest: 31.5% (2018 est.)
Other: 29.8% (2018 est.)
Urban population: 74.2% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 0.79% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030
0.01% of GDP (2018 est.)
0% of GDP (2018 est.)
Particulate matter emissions: 8.97 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 34.48 megatons (2016 est.)
Methane emissions: 4.98 megatons (2020 est.)
Municipal solid waste generated annually: 6.056 million tons (2016 est.)
Municipal solid waste recycled annually: 1.938 million tons (2015 est.)
Percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 32% (2015 est.)
Fresh water lake(s): Lake Constance (shared with Germany and Austria) - 540 km²; Lake Geneva (shared with France) - 580 km²
Rhein (Rhine) river source (shared with Germany, France, and Netherlands [m]) - 1,233 km
Note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Atlantic Ocean drainage: Rhine-Maas (198,735 km²), (Black Sea) Danube (795,656 km²), (Adriatic Sea) Po (76,997 km²), (Mediterranean Sea) Rhone (100,543 km²)
Municipal: 970 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Industrial: 640 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Agricultural: 160 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
53.5 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Conventional long form: Swiss Confederation
Conventional short form: Switzerland
Local long form: Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft (German)/ Confederation Suisse (French)/ Confederazione Svizzera (Italian)/ Confederaziun Svizra (Romansh)
Local short form: Schweiz (German)/ Suisse (French)/ Svizzera (Italian)/ Svizra (Romansh)
Abbreviation: CH
Etymology: name derives from the canton of Schwyz, one of the founding cantons of the Swiss Confederacy that formed in the late 13th century
Federal republic (formally a confederation)
Name: Bern
Geographic coordinates: 46 55 N, 7 28 E
Time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Etymology: origin of the name is uncertain but may derive from a 2nd century B.C. Celtic place name, possibly "berna" meaning "cleft," that was subsequently adopted by a Roman settlement
26 cantons (cantons, singular - canton in French; cantoni, singular - cantone in Italian; Kantone, singular - Kanton in German); Aargau, Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Appenzell Innerrhoden, Basel-Landschaft, Basel-Stadt, Berne/Bern, Fribourg/Freiburg, Geneve (Geneva), Glarus, Graubuenden/Grigioni/Grischun, Jura, Luzern (Lucerne), Neuchatel, Nidwalden, Obwalden, Sankt Gallen, Schaffhausen, Schwyz, Solothurn, Thurgau, Ticino, Uri, Valais/Wallis, Vaud, Zug, Zuerich
Note: the canton names are in the official language(s) of the canton with the exception of Geneve and Luzern, where the conventional names (Geneva and Lucerne) have been added in parentheses; 6 of the cantons - Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Appenzell Innerrhoden, Basel-Landschaft, Basel-Stadt, Nidwalden, Obwalden - are referred to as half cantons because they elect only one member (instead of two) to the Council of States and, in popular referendums where a majority of popular votes and a majority of cantonal votes are required, these 6 cantons only have a half vote
1 August 1291 (founding of the Swiss Confederation)
Founding of the Swiss Confederation in 1291; note - since 1 August 1891 celebrated as Swiss National Day
History: previous 1848, 1874; latest adopted by referendum 18 April 1999, effective 1 January 2000
Amendments: proposed by the two houses of the Federal Assembly or by petition of at least one hundred thousand voters (called the "federal popular initiative"); passage of proposals requires majority vote in a referendum; following drafting of an amendment by the Assembly, its passage requires approval by majority vote in a referendum and approval by the majority of cantons; amended many times, last in 2018
Civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts, except for federal decrees of a general obligatory character
Accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Switzerland
Dual citizenship recognized: yes
Residency requirement for naturalization: 12 years including at least 3 of the last 5 years prior to application
18 years of age; universal
Chief of state: President of the Swiss Confederation Viola AMHERD (since 1 January 2024)
Head of government: President of the Swiss Confederation Viola AMHERD (since 1 January 2024)
Cabinet: Federal Council or Bundesrat (in German), Conseil Federal (in French), Consiglio Federale (in Italian) indirectly elected by the Federal Assembly for a 4-year term
Elections/appointments: president and vice president elected by the Federal Assembly from among members of the Federal Council for a 1-year, non-consecutive term; election last held on 13 December 2023 (next to be held in December 2024)
Election results:
2023: Viola AMHERD elected president for 2024; Federal Assembly vote - Viola AMHERD (The Center) 158 of 204; Karin Keller-Sutter (FDP.The Liberals) elected vice president for 2024; Federal Assembly vote - 138 of 196
2022: Alain BERSET elected president for 2023; Federal Assembly vote - Alain BERSET (SP) 140 OF 181; Viola AMHERD elected vice president; Federal assembly vote - 207 of 223
Note: the Federal Council, comprised of 7 federal councillors, constitutes the federal government of Switzerland; council members rotate the 1-year term of federal president
Description: bicameral Federal Assembly or Bundesversammlung (in German), Assemblée Fédérale (in French), Assemblea Federale (in Italian) consists of:
Council of States or Ständerat (in German), Conseil des États (in French), Consiglio degli Stati (in Italian) (46 seats; members in two-seat constituencies representing cantons and single-seat constituencies representing half cantons directly elected by simple majority vote except Jura and Neuchatel cantons, which use list proportional representation vote; member term governed by cantonal law)
National Council or Nationalrat (in German), Conseil National (in French), Consiglio Nazionale (in Italian) (200 seats; 194 members in cantons directly elected by proportional representation vote and 6 in half cantons directly elected by simple majority vote; members serve 4-year terms)
Elections: Council of States - last held in most cantons on 22 October 2023 (each canton determines when the next election will be held)
National Council - last held on 22 October 2023 (next to be held on 31 October 2027)
Election results: Council of States - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - The Center 13, FDP.The Liberals 12, SP 9, SVP 6, Green Party 5, other 1; composition - men 30, women 16, percentage women 34.8%
National Council - percent of vote by party - SVP 28.6%, SP 18%, The Center 14.6%, FDP.The Liberals 14.4%, Green Party 9.4%, GLP 7.2%, EDU 1.2, EDV/PEV 1.9%, MCR/MCG .5%, other 4%; seats by party - SVP 62, SP 41, The Center 29, FDP.The Liberals 28, Green Party 23, GLP 10, EDU 2, EDV/PEV 2, MCR/MCG 2, other 1; composition - men 123, women 77, percentage women 38.5%; note - total Federal Assembly percentage women 37.8%
Highest court(s): Federal Supreme Court (consists of 38 justices and 19 deputy justices organized into 7 divisions)
Judge selection and term of office: judges elected by the Federal Assembly for 6-year terms; note - judges are affiliated with political parties and are elected according to linguistic and regional criteria in approximate proportion to the level of party representation in the Federal Assembly
Subordinate courts: Federal Criminal Court (established in 2004); Federal Administrative Court (established in 2007); note - each of Switzerland's 26 cantons has its own courts
The Center (Die Mitte, Alleanza del Centro, Le Centre, Allianza dal Center) [Gerhard PFISTER] (merger of the Christian Democratic People's Party and the Conservative Democratic Party)
Evangelical Peoples' Party or EVP/PEV [Lilian STUDER]
Federal Democrats or EDU [Daniel FRISCHKNECH]
Geneva Citizens Movement or MCR/MCG [Ana ROCH]
Green Liberal Party (Gruenliberale Partei or GLP, Parti vert liberale or PVL, Partito Verde-Liberale or PVL, Partida Verde Liberale or PVL) [Jurg GROSSEN]
Green Party (Gruene Partei der Schweiz or Gruene, Parti Ecologiste Suisse or Les Verts, Partito Ecologista Svizzero or I Verdi, Partida Ecologica Svizra or La Verda) [Balthasar GLATTLI]
The Liberals or FDP.The Liberals (FDP.Die Liberalen, PLR.Les Liberaux-Radicaux, PLR.I Liberali, Ils Liberals) [Thierry BURKART]
Social Democratic Party (Sozialdemokratische Partei der Schweiz or SP, Parti Socialiste Suisse or PSS, Partito Socialista Svizzero or PSS, Partida Socialdemocratica de la Svizra or PSS) [Cedric WERMUTH and Mattea MEYER]
Swiss People's Party (Schweizerische Volkspartei or SVP, Union Democratique du Centre or UDC, Unione Democratica di Centro or UDC, Uniun Democratica dal Center or UDC) [Marcel DETTLING]
ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Australia Group, BIS, CD, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EFTA, EITI (implementing country), ESA, FAO, FATF, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAIA (observer), MIGA, MONUSCO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, PFP, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMISS, UNMOGIP, UNOOSA, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Red square with a bold, equilateral white cross in the center that does not extend to the edges of the flag; various medieval legends purport to describe the origin of the flag; a white cross used as identification for troops of the Swiss Confederation is first attested at the Battle of Laupen (1339)
Note: in 1863, a newly formed international relief organization convening in Geneva, Switzerland sought to come up with an identifying flag or logo; they chose the inverse of the Swiss flag - a red cross on a white field - as their symbol; today that organization is known throughout the world as the International Red Cross
Swiss cross (white cross on red field, arms equal length); national colors: red, white
Name: the Swiss anthem has four names: "Schweizerpsalm" [German] "Cantique Suisse" [French] "Salmo svizzero," [Italian] "Psalm svizzer" [Romansch] (Swiss Psalm)
Lyrics/music: Leonhard WIDMER [German], Charles CHATELANAT [French], Camillo VALSANGIACOMO [Italian], and Flurin CAMATHIAS [Romansch]/Alberik ZWYSSIG
Note: unofficially adopted 1961, officially 1981; the anthem has been popular in a number of Swiss cantons since its composition (in German) in 1841; translated into the other three official languages of the country (French, Italian, and Romansch), it is official in each of those languages
Total World Heritage Sites: 13 (9 cultural, 4 natural)
Selected World Heritage Site locales: Old City of Berne (c); Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch (n); Monte San Giorgio (n); Abbey of St Gall (c); Three Castles, Defensive Wall, and Ramparts of the Market-Town of Bellinzona (c); Rhaetian Railway in the Albula/Bernina Landscapes (c); La Chaux-de-Fonds/Le Locle, Watchmaking Town Planning (c); Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps (c); Benedictine Convent of St John at MĂĽstair (c); Lavaux, Vineyard Terraces (c)
High-income, non-EU European economy; top ten in GDP per capita; renowned banking and financial hub; low unemployment and inflation; slowed GDP growth post-pandemic; highly skilled but aging workforce; key pharmaceutical and precision manufacturing exporter; leader in innovation and competitiveness indices
$733.779 billion (2023 est.)
$728.562 billion (2022 est.)
$710.319 billion (2021 est.)
Note: data in 2021 dollars
0.72% (2023 est.)
2.57% (2022 est.)
5.39% (2021 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
$82,900 (2023 est.)
$83,000 (2022 est.)
$81,600 (2021 est.)
Note: data in 2021 dollars
$884.94 billion (2023 est.)
Note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate
2.14% (2023 est.)
2.84% (2022 est.)
0.58% (2021 est.)
Note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Fitch rating: AAA (2000)
Moody's rating: Aaa (1982)
Standard & Poors rating: AAA (1988)
Note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
Agriculture: 0.7% (2017 est.)
Industry: 25.6% (2017 est.)
Services: 73.7% (2017 est.)
Comparison rankings: services 54; industry 108; agriculture 206
Household consumption: 53.7% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 12% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 24.5% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: -1.4% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 65.1% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -54% (2017 est.)
Milk, sugar beets, wheat, potatoes, pork, apples, barley, beef, grapes, maize (2022)
Note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
Machinery, chemicals, watches, textiles, precision instruments, tourism, banking, insurance, pharmaceuticals
-1.66% (2023 est.)
Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
4.991 million (2023 est.)
Note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work
4.05% (2023 est.)
4.3% (2022 est.)
5.1% (2021 est.)
Note: % of labor force seeking employment
Total: 9.1% (2021 est.)
Male: 9.4%
Female: 8.8%
14.7% (2020 est.)
Note: % of population with income below national poverty line
33.7 (2020 est.)
Note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
On food: 9.9% of household expenditures (2021 est.)
On alcohol and tobacco: 3.5% of household expenditures (2021 est.)
Lowest 10%: 2.9% (2020 est.)
Highest 10%: 26.4% (2020 est.)
Note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
0.28% of GDP (2023 est.)
0.38% of GDP (2022 est.)
0.39% of GDP (2021 est.)
Note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Revenues: $239.767 billion (2018 est.)
Expenditures: $230.383 billion (2018 est.)
Note: includes federal, cantonal, and municipal budgets
1.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
17.8% of GDP (2022 est.)
19.99% of GDP (2021 est.)
20.85% of GDP (2020 est.)
Note: central government debt as a % of GDP
9.1% (of GDP) (2022 est.)
Note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP
$67.821 billion (2023 est.)
$77.245 billion (2022 est.)
$56.091 billion (2021 est.)
Note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
$661.628 billion (2023 est.)
$627.788 billion (2022 est.)
$579.011 billion (2021 est.)
Note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
US 15%, Germany 13%, China 11%, Italy 6%, France 5% (2022)
Note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Gold, vaccines, packaged medicine, nitrogen compounds, base metal watches (2022)
Note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
$554.358 billion (2023 est.)
$516.517 billion (2022 est.)
$481.27 billion (2021 est.)
Note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Germany 21%, US 10%, Italy 8%, France 6%, China 5% (2022)
Note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Gold, packaged medicine, vaccines, cars, garments (2022)
Note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
$863.892 billion (2023 est.)
$923.628 billion (2022 est.)
$1.11 trillion (2021 est.)
Note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
$1.909 trillion (2019 est.)
$1.931 trillion (2018 est.)
Swiss francs (CHF) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
0.898 (2023 est.)
0.955 (2022 est.)
0.914 (2021 est.)
0.939 (2020 est.)
0.994 (2019 est.)
Electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)
Installed generating capacity: 24.014 million kW (2022 est.)
Consumption: 57.187 billion kWh (2022 est.)
Exports: 29.881 billion kWh (2022 est.)
Imports: 33.02 billion kWh (2022 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 4.678 billion kWh (2022 est.)
Comparison rankings: transmission/distribution losses 160; imports 6; exports 7; consumption 48; installed generating capacity 42
Fossil fuels: 0.9% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Nuclear: 39.4% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Solar: 6.5% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Wind: 0.3% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Hydroelectricity: 48% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Biomass and waste: 5% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Number of operational nuclear reactors: 4 (2023)
Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors: 2.97GW (2023 est.)
Percent of total electricity production: 32.4% (2023 est.)
Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down: 2 (2023)
Consumption: 161,000 metric tons (2022 est.)
Exports: 3.3 metric tons (2022 est.)
Imports: 184,000 metric tons (2022 est.)
Total petroleum production: 300 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 193,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Consumption: 3.138 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Imports: 3.099 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
33.609 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 268,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 27.331 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 6.009 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
101.938 million Btu/person (2022 est.)
Total subscriptions: 2.919 million (2022 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 33 (2022 est.)
Total subscriptions: 10.45 million (2022 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 120 (2022 est.)
General assessment: Switzerland has one of the highest broadband penetration rates within Europe, with a focus on services of at least 1Gb/s; this has been supported by sympathetic regulatory measures as well as by cooperative agreements between the main telcos, and with local utilities; fast fiber is complemented by 5G services reaching about 97% of the population by early 2021; together, these networks will soon enable the telcos to provide ultra-fast broadband services nationally, ahead of most other countries in the region; the competitive mobile market is served by three network operators and a small number of MVNOs; 5G services offered by the MNOs offer data rates of up to 2Gb/s, and although various cantons have called a halt to extensions of 5G, citing health concerns, the regulator and environment ministry have put in place measures aimed at ensuring that network roll outs can continue without disruption; with the migration of subscribers to LTE and 5G networks, the MNOs have been able to begin closing down their GSM networks and repurpose physical assets and spectrum; although not a member of the EU, the country’s economic integration has meant that its telecom market deregulation has followed the EU’s liberalization framework, including the recent regulations on international voice roaming; this report presents an analysis of Switzerland’s fixed-line telecom market, including an assessment of network infrastructure (2021)
Domestic: fixed-line is 33 per 100 and mobile-cellular subscribership is 120 per 100 persons (2022)
International: country code - 41; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean)
The publicly owned radio and TV broadcaster, Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRG/SSR), operates 8 national TV networks, 3 broadcasting in German, 3 in French, and 2 in Italian; private commercial TV stations broadcast regionally and locally; TV broadcasts from stations in Germany, Italy, and France are widely available via multi-channel cable and satellite TV services; SRG/SSR operates 17 radio stations that, along with private broadcasters, provide national to local coverage )
(2019)
.ch
Total: 8.352 million (2021 est.)
Percent of population: 96% (2021 est.)
Total: 4,028,238 (2020 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 47 (2020 est.)
Number of registered air carriers: 6 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 179
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 28,857,994 (2018)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 1,841,310,000 (2018) mt-km
HB
62 (2024)
51 (2024)
1,800 km gas, 94 km oil (of which 60 are inactive), 17 km refined products (2017)
Total: 5,296 km (2020) 5,296 km electrified; Switzerland remains the only country with a fully electrified network
Total: 83,131 km (2022)
1,292 km (2010) (there are 1,227 km of waterways on lakes and rivers for public transport and 65 km on the Rhine River between Basel-Rheinfelden and Schaffhausen-Bodensee for commercial goods transport)
Total: 17 (2023)
By type: bulk carrier 14, general cargo 1, other 2 (includes Liechtenstein)
Swiss Armed Forces (aka Swiss Army or Schweizer Armee); Army (Heer; aka Land Forces), Swiss Air Force (Schweizer Luftwaffe) (2024)
Note: the federal police maintain internal security and report to the Federal Department of Justice and Police, while the Armed Forces report to the Federal Department of Defense, Civil Protection, and Sport
0.7% of GDP (2023)
0.7% of GDP (2022)
0.7% of GDP (2021)
0.7% of GDP (2020)
0.7% of GDP (2019)
Approximately 100,000, including cadre/professionals, conscripts, and militia; the Swiss Armed Forces consist of a small core of cadre/professional personnel along with a mix of militia and 18-20,000 conscripts brought in each year for training (2023)
The military's inventory includes a mix of domestically produced and imported weapons systems; in recent years, the US has been the leading supplier of military armaments to Switzerland; the Swiss defense industry produces a range of military land vehicles (2023)
18-30 years of age for compulsory military service for men; 18 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; every Swiss male has to serve at least 245 days in the armed forces; conscripts receive 18 weeks of mandatory training, followed by six 19-day intermittent recalls for training during the next 10 years (2024)
Note: conscientious objectors can choose 390 days of community service instead of military service; as of 2023, women comprised about 1% of the active Swiss military
175 Kosovo (NATO/KFOR) (2024)
The Swiss military is responsible for territorial defense, limited support to international disaster response and peacekeeping, and providing support to civil authorities when their resources are not sufficient to ward off threats to internal security or provide sufficient relief during disasters; Switzerland has long maintained a policy of military neutrality but does periodically participate in EU, NATO, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and UN military and peacekeeping operations; however, Swiss units will only participate in operations under the mandate of the UN or OSCE; Switzerland joined NATO’s Partnership for Peace program in 1996; it has contributed to the NATO-led force in Kosovo (KFOR) since 1999
The military is comprised of conscripts, militia, and a small professional component; it is led by the Chief of the Armed Forces with an Armed Forces Staff and consists of a Joint Operations Command (JOC), an Armed Forces Logistics Organization, an Armed Forces Command Support Organization, and a Training and Education Command; the JOC controls, among other subordinate commands, the Air Force, the Land Forces, four territorial divisions, the Military Police Command, and the Special Forces Command (2024)
Terrorist group(s): Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)
Note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide
Refugees (country of origin): 14,726 (Eritrea), 11,441 (Afghanistan), 8,039 (Syria), (mid-year 2022); 65,615 (Ukraine) (as of 5 March 2024)
Stateless persons: 891 (2022)
Major source of precursor chemicals used in the production of illicit narcotics; a significant importer and exporter of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine;