Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Switzerland
Switzerland: Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million was 1.46 million in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
1.46 million
Change on year
up 0.8%
World rank
106th
of 121 countries
All-time high
1.46 million
in 2025
All-time low
535,471
in 1960
Years of data
66
1960–2025
Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Switzerland, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN).
Analysis
Switzerland recorded 1.46 million for population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in 2025. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
The figure is up 0.8% on the previous year and up 9.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Switzerland peaked at 1.46 million in 2025 and was at its lowest, 535,471, in 1960.
That places Switzerland 106th out of 121 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Switzerland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 535,471 | — |
| 1961 | 546,473 | +2.1% |
| 1962 | 562,653 | +3.0% |
| 1963 | 579,311 | +3.0% |
| 1964 | 596,487 | +3.0% |
| 1965 | 614,123 | +3.0% |
| 1966 | 632,305 | +3.0% |
| 1967 | 651,026 | +3.0% |
| 1968 | 670,328 | +3.0% |
| 1969 | 690,147 | +3.0% |
| 1970 | 710,580 | +3.0% |
| 1971 | 718,557 | +1.1% |
| 1972 | 717,235 | -0.2% |
| 1973 | 715,920 | -0.2% |
| 1974 | 714,605 | -0.2% |
| 1975 | 713,293 | -0.2% |
| 1976 | 711,982 | -0.2% |
| 1977 | 710,676 | -0.2% |
| 1978 | 709,371 | -0.2% |
| 1979 | 708,068 | -0.2% |
| 1980 | 706,766 | -0.2% |
| 1981 | 721,451 | +2.1% |
| 1982 | 748,589 | +3.8% |
| 1983 | 776,748 | +3.8% |
| 1984 | 806,007 | +3.8% |
| 1985 | 836,284 | +3.8% |
| 1986 | 867,741 | +3.8% |
| 1987 | 900,382 | +3.8% |
| 1988 | 934,299 | +3.8% |
| 1989 | 969,394 | +3.8% |
| 1990 | 1.01 million | +3.8% |
| 1991 | 1.03 million | +2.2% |
| 1992 | 1.04 million | +1.0% |
| 1993 | 1.05 million | +1.0% |
| 1994 | 1.06 million | +1.0% |
| 1995 | 1.07 million | +1.0% |
| 1996 | 1.08 million | +1.0% |
| 1997 | 1.09 million | +1.0% |
| 1998 | 1.11 million | +1.0% |
| 1999 | 1.12 million | +1.0% |
| 2000 | 1.13 million | +1.0% |
| 2001 | 1.14 million | +1.1% |
| 2002 | 1.15 million | +1.1% |
| 2003 | 1.17 million | +1.1% |
| 2004 | 1.18 million | +1.1% |
| 2005 | 1.19 million | +1.1% |
| 2006 | 1.20 million | +1.1% |
| 2007 | 1.22 million | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 1.23 million | +1.1% |
| 2009 | 1.24 million | +1.1% |
| 2010 | 1.26 million | +1.1% |
| 2011 | 1.27 million | +1.1% |
| 2012 | 1.28 million | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 1.30 million | +1.1% |
| 2014 | 1.31 million | +1.1% |
| 2015 | 1.33 million | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 1.34 million | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 1.36 million | +1.1% |
| 2018 | 1.37 million | +1.1% |
| 2019 | 1.38 million | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 1.40 million | +0.9% |
| 2021 | 1.41 million | +0.9% |
| 2022 | 1.42 million | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 1.43 million | +0.8% |
| 2024 | 1.44 million | +0.8% |
| 2025 | 1.46 million | +0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 607,832 | 535,471 | 690,147 | 10 |
| 1970s | 713,029 | 708,068 | 718,557 | 10 |
| 1980s | 826,766 | 706,766 | 969,394 | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.07 million | 1.01 million | 1.12 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.19 million | 1.13 million | 1.24 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.32 million | 1.26 million | 1.38 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.43 million | 1.40 million | 1.46 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near Switzerland
More urban development data for Switzerland
- Population in the largest city 18.7% (2025)
- Population density 224.98 people per sq. km of land area (2023)
- 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, 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 in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Switzerland?
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Switzerland was 1.46 million in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million recorded in Switzerland?
- The highest recorded value was 1.46 million in 2025.
- What is the lowest population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million recorded in Switzerland?
- The lowest recorded value was 535,471 in 1960.
- How does Switzerland rank for population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million?
- Switzerland ranks 106th out of 121 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million rising or falling in Switzerland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Switzerland data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN), published as part of Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Population in urban agglomerations of more than one million is the country's population living in metropolitan areas that in 2018 had a population of more than one million people.