Switzerland population pyramid 2026
9,007,798 people in 2026 (projected). Immigration has widened Switzerland’s pyramid at ages 30–44: people born around 1990 are a third to a half more numerous now than when they were children.
- 2026 population
- 9Mrank 100 of 237
- Median age
- 43.2 yearsoldest rank 38
- Fertility rate
- 1.45births per woman · below replacement
- Structure
- Older20.9% age 65+
Switzerland population pyramid
2026 · Share of total by five-year age group and sex
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The UN series provides historical estimates through 2023. Figures from 2024 onward—including 2026—are medium-scenario projections, not counts or predictions guaranteed to occur.
Switzerland age distribution in 2026
Children under 15 account for 14.8% of the population, while 20.9% are aged 65 or older. The remaining 64.3% are in the conventional working-age range of 15–64. On these shares, the site classifies Switzerland’s age structure as older; the guide to constrictive population pyramids explains what that shape implies.
The total age dependency ratio is 55.5: about 56 people under 15 or 65+ for every 100 people aged 15–64 (23.0 children and 32.5 older people). This is an age-balance indicator, not a literal count of economic dependants per worker.
What shapes Switzerland’s population pyramid
Neutral, but not unmarked
Switzerland stayed out of both world wars, yet its 1950 pyramid has two clear notches. The 30–34 band, born about 1916–20, is narrower than its neighbours, coinciding with the fall in births across Europe during the First World War and the 1918 influenza pandemic. The 10–14 band, born in the late 1930s, reflects the low fertility of the Depression years. Births then rose, with fertility at about 2.4 children per woman in 1950–60, and the cohorts born in the early 1960s formed the widest part of the 2000 pyramid, at ages 30–44. Fertility fell to about 1.55 by 1980 and has stayed between about 1.4 and 1.6 since. In 2026 the baby boomers, now aged 55–64, are the two largest bands.
A middle widened by immigration
With fertility below replacement for more than four decades, Swiss cohorts would be expected to shrink as they age. Many have grown instead. The 5–9 band of 2000, born about 1991–95, numbered about 425,000; the same generation, aged 30–34 in 2026, numbers about 578,000, roughly a third more. The children aged 10–14 in 2000 have grown by about half by the time they reach 35–39. Net immigration of about 1.4 million in 2000–23, on top of about one million in 1950–99, accounts for the difference. The result is a pyramid that is widest between 30 and 64 rather than at the base, a constrictive shape shared with Austria and Lithuania, which have the most similar structures.
Long lives and a late turning point
Life expectancy reached about 84 years in 2023, among the highest in the world, and the gap between the sexes is modest: about 86 years for women and 82.5 for men in 2026. Men therefore remain about as numerous as women into their early sixties, and the ratio falls to 91 men per 100 women only at 70–74 and 79 at 80–84.
Births and deaths are now almost equal, about 80,600 and 77,000 in 2026, and deaths are projected to exceed births from 2028. From then on any growth depends on immigration: the medium scenario assumes net inflows of about 700,000 over 2026–2050, enough for the population to peak at about 9.3 million in 2051. By 2050 about 30% of residents are 65 or older, and people aged 80–84 outnumber children under five.
What to notice across the years
Distinctive cohorts and turning points
No five-year band under age 80 is more than 10% larger or smaller than both of its neighbours, so Switzerland’s 2026 pyramid has a comparatively smooth profile without sharp bulges or notches.
Births outnumber deaths in 2026; the medium scenario projects deaths to exceed births from 2028. People aged 65 and older came to outnumber children under 15 between 2005 and 2010.
Births, deaths, and migration
A pyramid changes in only three ways: births add to the base, deaths remove people at every age, and migration adds or removes people mainly in young adulthood. In 2026, Switzerland is projected to record 80,644 births (about 221 births a day) and 76,989 deaths, a natural increase of 3,655. Net migration adds +34,096 people, ranking #33 in the net migration rate ranking.
Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates 1,911,215 births, 1,571,293 deaths, and cumulative net migration of +1,393,714. Over that period migration moved the total more than the balance of births and deaths did. See how migration shapes a pyramid and birth rate versus fertility rate. The medium scenario assumes net migration of +700,486 between 2026 and 2050.
Annual values 1950–2100; dashed lines after 2023 are the UN medium projection. The trend table below lists the values by decade.
Life expectancy and mortality
- Life expectancy, women
- 86.2 years71.1 in 1950
- Life expectancy, men
- 82.5 years66.7 in 1950
- Further years at 65
- 21.9 yearsboth sexes
- Infant mortality
- 3.0per 1,000 births · 31 in 1950
- Under-five mortality
- 3.5per 1,000 births
- Mother’s mean age at birth
- 32.3 yearssex ratio at birth 105.1
Women in Switzerland are projected to live 3.7 years longer than men, which is why the female side of the pyramid widens relative to the other at older ages (see the life expectancy gap ranking). Infant mortality has fallen from 31 to 3.0 deaths per 1,000 live births since 1950, ranking #201 of 237 in the infant mortality ranking (highest first). A mean age at childbearing of 32.3 years sets the spacing between generations, and so how far apart echo cohorts sit in the pyramid.
Median age, fertility rate, and global ranks for Switzerland
The median age of 43.2 years splits the population into two equal halves. A total fertility rate of 1.45 births per woman is below the replacement level of roughly 2.1, and life expectancy at birth is 84.4 years.
These ranks compare all 237 countries and areas in this dataset using the same 2026 UN medium projection. Ranks use the stored source precision, so displayed rounding can make adjacent values look identical; small differences should not be overinterpreted.
| Indicator | 2026 value | Global rank | Ranking direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 9,007,798 | #100 | Largest first |
| Median age | 43.2 years | #38 | Oldest first |
| Fertility rate | 1.45 | #181 | Highest first |
| Annual growth | +0.4% | #143 | Fastest first |
| Life expectancy | 84.4 years | #8 | Highest first |
| Population aged 65+ | 20.9% | #41 | Highest share first |
Largest age groups in Switzerland
The five largest cohorts identify where the 2026 population is concentrated. They can reflect past birth patterns, survival, and migration; the chart alone does not establish which cause dominates.
| Rank | Age group | Population | Share of total | Male / female |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 55–59 | 653,090 | 7.3% | 326.8K / 326.3K |
| 2 | 60–64 | 646,221 | 7.2% | 324.4K / 321.8K |
| 3 | 35–39 | 639,289 | 7.1% | 323.5K / 315.8K |
| 4 | 40–44 | 638,532 | 7.1% | 322.2K / 316.3K |
| 5 | 45–49 | 615,222 | 6.8% | 309.5K / 305.7K |
Sex ratio and the balance by age
In the 2026 projection, Switzerland has 4,477,463 males and 4,530,335 females. That is 98.8 males per 100 females, ranking #102 when the dataset is ordered from the highest male-to-female ratio to the lowest.
Males account for 49.7% of the population and females for 50.3%. There are 52,872 more females than males overall. Among people aged 65 and older, the ratio is 84.2 males per 100 females.
The overall balance can conceal large differences by age; how sex ratios change with age explains the usual pattern. The ratio reflects the male/female categories in the UN source and is not a measure of gender identity. Compare all profiles in the sex-ratio ranking.
At birth, 105.1 boys are projected to be born for every 100 girls in 2026, close to the biological norm of about 105 (compare the sex ratio at birth ranking). The ratio at birth sets the balance at the base of the pyramid; how it changes with age then depends on survival and migration.
How Switzerland has changed since 1950
The population has increased from 4,692,642 in 1950 to 9,007,798 in 2026, a change of 92%. Over the same span, median age moved from 32.2 to 43.2 years.
The under-15 share changed from 23.6% to 14.8%, while the share aged 65 and older changed from 9.5% to 20.9%. These shifts show why total population growth and age-structure change need to be read separately.
How the population could change by 2050
Under the UN medium scenario, Switzerland’s population is projected to grow by about 4%, reaching 9,342,586 in 2050. The median age changes from 43.2 to 47.8 years.
The 65+ share is projected to rise by 9.3 percentage points to 30.2%. At the same time, the under-15 share is projected at 13.1%. How UN projections work explains the assumptions behind these figures.
The annual UN series reaches its highest projected population of 9,343,512 in 2051. That turning point depends on the medium scenario and may move in later revisions. Compare timing across countries in the population peak ranking.
Population trend: 1950–2100
Mid-year population for every year. Estimates through 2023; dashed line shows the UN medium projection.
| Year | Population | Median age | Fertility | Life exp. | Births | Deaths | Net migration | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 4,692,642 | 32.2 | 2.40 | 68.9 | 84,393 | 47,306 | +12,024 | +1.1% |
| 1960 | 5,327,780 | 31.6 | 2.44 | 71.4 | 94,100 | 52,030 | +22,313 | +1.2% |
| 1970 | 6,180,922 | 30.9 | 2.10 | 73.1 | 99,828 | 57,026 | −18,326 | +0.4% |
| 1980 | 6,319,846 | 33.8 | 1.55 | 75.6 | 73,088 | 59,134 | +17,841 | +0.5% |
| 1990 | 6,713,173 | 35.9 | 1.58 | 77.4 | 82,303 | 63,955 | +58,428 | +1.1% |
| 2000 | 7,184,007 | 37.7 | 1.49 | 79.8 | 77,396 | 62,722 | +24,463 | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 7,825,754 | 40.5 | 1.52 | 82.3 | 79,172 | 62,925 | +76,388 | +1.2% |
| 2020 | 8,640,582 | 41.7 | 1.47 | 83.1 | 85,214 | 76,427 | +55,523 | +0.7% |
| 2023 | 8,870,561 | 42.3 | 1.43 | 84.0 | 83,702 | 73,788 | +45,098 | +0.6% |
| 2024* | 8,921,981 | 42.7 | 1.44 | 84.1 | 82,864 | 75,143 | +40,099 | +0.5% |
| 2026* | 9,007,798 | 43.2 | 1.45 | 84.4 | 80,644 | 76,989 | +34,096 | +0.4% |
| 2030* | 9,130,292 | 44.4 | 1.46 | 84.9 | 75,729 | 81,230 | +30,051 | +0.3% |
| 2040* | 9,276,178 | 47.2 | 1.49 | 86.1 | 76,513 | 93,584 | +28,136 | +0.1% |
| 2050* | 9,342,586 | 47.8 | 1.52 | 87.3 | 81,641 | 107,222 | +27,407 | +0.0% |
| 2060* | 9,287,263 | 47.4 | 1.53 | 88.4 | 77,827 | 116,475 | +29,863 | -0.1% |
| 2070* | 9,187,370 | 47.7 | 1.55 | 89.5 | 76,581 | 112,769 | +25,399 | -0.1% |
| 2080* | 9,110,194 | 47.6 | 1.56 | 90.6 | 79,700 | 111,212 | +25,174 | -0.1% |
| 2090* | 9,080,418 | 47.3 | 1.57 | 91.7 | 78,870 | 100,247 | +23,379 | +0.0% |
| 2100* | 9,126,132 | 48.1 | 1.58 | 92.8 | 76,907 | 94,941 | +22,190 | +0.1% |
* 2024 onward is the UN medium projection. Fertility is births per woman; life expectancy is years at birth; births, deaths, and net migration are counts for that calendar year.
Download every year, 1950–2100 (CSV)
2026 population by age and sex
The table provides the counts behind the chart. Age groups are five-year bands, with everyone aged 100 or older combined.
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | 217,323 | 207,026 | 424,349 | 4.7% |
| 5–9 | 232,486 | 220,904 | 453,390 | 5.0% |
| 10–14 | 234,334 | 221,210 | 455,544 | 5.1% |
| 15–19 | 231,918 | 220,286 | 452,204 | 5.0% |
| 20–24 | 237,849 | 225,151 | 463,000 | 5.1% |
| 25–29 | 258,822 | 242,869 | 501,691 | 5.6% |
| 30–34 | 294,046 | 283,828 | 577,874 | 6.4% |
| 35–39 | 323,477 | 315,812 | 639,289 | 7.1% |
| 40–44 | 322,243 | 316,289 | 638,532 | 7.1% |
| 45–49 | 309,547 | 305,675 | 615,222 | 6.8% |
| 50–54 | 304,114 | 302,205 | 606,319 | 6.7% |
| 55–59 | 326,818 | 326,272 | 653,090 | 7.3% |
| 60–64 | 324,382 | 321,839 | 646,221 | 7.2% |
| 65–69 | 260,255 | 267,489 | 527,744 | 5.9% |
| 70–74 | 201,037 | 221,575 | 422,612 | 4.7% |
| 75–79 | 170,733 | 199,558 | 370,291 | 4.1% |
| 80–84 | 128,896 | 162,537 | 291,433 | 3.2% |
| 85–89 | 66,895 | 101,790 | 168,685 | 1.9% |
| 90–94 | 26,345 | 51,507 | 77,852 | 0.9% |
| 95–99 | 5,463 | 14,674 | 20,137 | 0.2% |
| 100+ | 479 | 1,837 | 2,316 | 0.0% |
Countries with the most similar age structure
These profiles have the 2026 age distributions closest to Switzerland’s, measured by the total difference in the share of the population in each five-year band. Similar shapes can arise from very different histories, so the match is a starting point for comparison, not an explanation.
- Austria98% overlap · median age 43.9
- Lithuania97% overlap · median age 42.6
- Liechtenstein96% overlap · median age 44.7
- Jersey96% overlap · median age 43.9
- Belgium96% overlap · median age 42.1
- Guernsey96% overlap · median age 44.5
To calculate school-age, working-age, or older groups with other boundaries, use the age-group calculator for Switzerland.
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APA
World Population Pyramid. (2026, October 19). Switzerland Population Pyramid 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/switzerland/
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“Switzerland Population Pyramid 2026.” World Population Pyramid, 19 Oct. 2026, worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/switzerland/.
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World Population Pyramid. “Switzerland Population Pyramid 2026.” Last modified October 19, 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/switzerland/.
Underlying data: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2024). World Population Prospects 2024.
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Switzerland in 2026?
Under the UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium scenario, Switzerland's population in 2026 is projected at 9,007,798.
What is the median age in Switzerland?
The projected median age in Switzerland in 2026 is 43.2 years: half the population is younger and half is older.
What is the fertility rate in Switzerland?
The projected total fertility rate in 2026 is 1.45 births per woman, below the replacement level of about 2.1 in low-mortality populations.
Is Switzerland's population projected to grow?
Between 2026 and 2050, the UN medium scenario indicates the population will grow by about 4%, from 9M to 9.3M.
What share of Switzerland is aged 65 or older?
In 2026, 20.9% of the projected population is aged 65 or older. By 2050, the medium scenario places the share at 30.2%.
How many babies are born in Switzerland each year?
The UN medium scenario projects 80,644 births and 76,989 deaths in 2026, about 221 births a day. Births exceed deaths by 3,655.
What is life expectancy in Switzerland for men and women?
Life expectancy at birth in 2026 is projected at 86.2 years for women and 82.5 years for men, a gap of 3.7 years in favour of women.
Does Switzerland have more immigrants or emigrants?
Switzerland is projected to gain about 34,096 more people through migration than it loses in 2026. Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates cumulative net migration of +1,393,714.
What is the sex ratio in Switzerland?
The projected 2026 population sex ratio is 98.8 males per 100 females. This all-age ratio is different from the sex ratio at birth and can vary substantially by age.
Sources and notes
- United Nations, DESA, Population Division: World Population Prospects 2024, medium scenario.
- Population values are mid-year figures. Source values published in thousands are converted to people; displayed figures may imply more precision than is appropriate for planning.
- Historical values through 2023 are estimates. Values from 2024 onward are projections.
- Calculations follow the site methodology.