Switzerland Population Live (2026)

The live population of Switzerland, updated every second — with births today, deaths today, growth rate and key facts about one of the most interesting countries on Earth.

Switzerland has an estimated population of about 8.8 million people in 2026 — 0.11% of the roughly 8.25 billion people on Earth, and the 64th largest of the 72 countries tracked on LiveHumans. The counter above starts from our 1 January 2026 estimate and adds births and subtracts deaths every second, using Switzerland's latest birth rate (9.8 per 1,000 people a year) and death rate (8.6 per 1,000).

Is the population of Switzerland growing?

Yes. Around 236 babies are born in Switzerland every day — about 10 an hour — while around 207 people die. That leaves a natural increase of roughly 29 people a day, or about 10,531 a year: a growth rate of 0.12% before migration. That is slow growth: the gap between births and deaths is narrow, and on current trends Switzerland is likely to see deaths overtake births within the next few decades unless birth rates recover.

A birth rate of 9.8 per 1,000 people is among the lowest in the world — fewer than 10 births per 1,000 people each year — which is the main reason Switzerland's population is getting older. It ranks 50th of 72 for birth rate on LiveHumans.

Migration matters a lot here. Switzerland attracts large numbers of people from abroad, so its real population change is noticeably bigger than the natural increase shown on this page. Our counter shows births minus deaths only, which is why official figures that include migration can be higher.

Births and deaths in Switzerland

How crowded is Switzerland?

With about 8.8 million people living on 41,285 km², Switzerland has roughly 212.6 people per square kilometre. That is around 3.5 times the world average of about 61 per km², making it the 16th most densely populated of the 72 countries we track. High density puts pressure on housing, transport and farmland, but it also makes cities and services cheaper to run per person.

Life expectancy in Switzerland

A baby born in Switzerland today can expect to live about 83.8 years, compared with a world average of about 73.3. That puts Switzerland among the longest-lived countries on Earth (3rd of 72), thanks to strong healthcare, low child mortality and healthy diets. Want a personal estimate? Try our life expectancy calculator.

Income and population

Switzerland is a high-income country, with GDP of about $91,931 per person (2nd of 72). Richer countries usually have low birth rates — people marry later, have fewer children, and live longer — and Switzerland fits that pattern.

Switzerland at a glance

Compare with other countries

See all countries on our population by country page, or watch the whole planet on the live world population counter.

How we calculate Switzerland's live population

No country counts its people every second, so this page is an estimate. We start from a population figure for 1 January 2026 based on United Nations and World Bank data, then use Switzerland's crude birth rate and crude death rate — the number of births and deaths per 1,000 people per year — to work out how many people are born and die each second. The counter simply adds those up in real time. Because migration is not included, and because rates change from year to year, treat the figure as a close estimate rather than an exact count.

Frequently asked questions

Last updated: 26 September 2026 · Estimates based on UN World Population Prospects and World Bank data.