Population density in Switzerland
Switzerland: Population density was 224.98 people per sq. km of land area in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
224.98 people per sq. km of land area
Change on year
up 1.3%
World rank
60th
of 215 countries
All-time high
224.98 people per sq. km of land area
in 2023
All-time low
137.48 people per sq. km of land area
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Population density in Switzerland, 1961–2023
Source: FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in people per sq. km of land area.
Analysis
Switzerland recorded 224.98 people per sq. km of land area for population density in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.3% on the previous year and up 9.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population density in Switzerland peaked at 224.98 people per sq. km of land area in 2023 and was at its lowest, 137.48 people per sq. km of land area, in 1961.
That places Switzerland 60th out of 215 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Population density in Switzerland, year by year
| Year | people per sq. km of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 137.48 people per sq. km of land area | — |
| 1962 | 141.01 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1963 | 144.06 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1964 | 146.46 people per sq. km of land area | +1.7% |
| 1965 | 148.16 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 1966 | 149.72 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 1967 | 151.58 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 1968 | 153.5 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 1969 | 155.24 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 1970 | 156.37 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 1971 | 157.19 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1972 | 158.39 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 1973 | 159.57 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 1974 | 160.43 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1975 | 160.36 people per sq. km of land area | -0.0% |
| 1976 | 159.44 people per sq. km of land area | -0.6% |
| 1977 | 158.9 people per sq. km of land area | -0.3% |
| 1978 | 158.92 people per sq. km of land area | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 159.24 people per sq. km of land area | +0.2% |
| 1980 | 159.87 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 1981 | 160.75 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1982 | 161.69 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 1983 | 162.38 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 1984 | 162.97 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 1985 | 163.69 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 1986 | 164.54 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1987 | 165.58 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 1988 | 166.8 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 1989 | 168.15 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 1990 | 169.89 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1991 | 172.02 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 1992 | 173.93 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 1993 | 175.52 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 1994 | 176.93 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 1995 | 178.11 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 1996 | 178.91 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 1997 | 179.34 people per sq. km of land area | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 179.88 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 180.75 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 181.77 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 2001 | 182.93 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 184.32 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 2003 | 185.7 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 2004 | 186.99 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 2005 | 188.2 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 189.39 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 191.09 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 2008 | 193.54 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 2009 | 195.98 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 2010 | 198.03 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 2011 | 200.25 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 2012 | 202.39 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 204.73 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 2014 | 207.25 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 2015 | 209.63 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 211.93 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 213.92 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 215.5 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 217.04 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 218.63 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 2021 | 220.31 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 222.15 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 2023 | 224.98 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 147.47 people per sq. km of land area | 137.48 people per sq. km of land area | 155.24 people per sq. km of land area | 9 |
| 1970s | 158.88 people per sq. km of land area | 156.37 people per sq. km of land area | 160.43 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1980s | 163.64 people per sq. km of land area | 159.87 people per sq. km of land area | 168.15 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1990s | 176.53 people per sq. km of land area | 169.89 people per sq. km of land area | 180.75 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2000s | 187.99 people per sq. km of land area | 181.77 people per sq. km of land area | 195.98 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2010s | 208.07 people per sq. km of land area | 198.03 people per sq. km of land area | 217.04 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2020s | 221.52 people per sq. km of land area | 218.63 people per sq. km of land area | 224.98 people per sq. km of land area | 4 |
Countries ranked near Switzerland
- 57 American Samoa 237.6 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 58 Dominican Republic 235.1 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 59 Qatar 231.16 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 61 Malawi 223.85 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 62 North Korea 219.4 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 63 Marshall Islands 215.71 people per sq. km of land area compare
More urban development data for Switzerland
- Population in the largest city 18.7% (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 8.32 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita 0.16 units per person (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 1.46 million (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, annual 0.8141 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per unit 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per square 36.23 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Population in largest city 1.46 million (2025)
- Crude steelmaking capacity 1.37 Tonnes (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 135.43 Hectares (2020)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population density in Switzerland?
- Population density in Switzerland was 224.98 people per sq. km of land area in 2023, according to FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest population density recorded in Switzerland?
- The highest recorded value was 224.98 people per sq. km of land area in 2023.
- What is the lowest population density recorded in Switzerland?
- The lowest recorded value was 137.48 people per sq. km of land area in 1961.
- How does Switzerland rank for population density?
- Switzerland ranks 60th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population density rising or falling in Switzerland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Switzerland data come from?
- The figures come from FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Population density (people per sq. km of land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.