Switzerland Travel Podcast with Elena Vogt

Location

Central Europe, east of France, north of Italy

Terrain

Mostly mountains (Alps in south, Jura in northwest) with a central plateau of rolling hills, plains, and large lakes

Climate

Temperate, but varies with altitude; cold, cloudy, rainy/snowy winters; cool to warm, cloudy, humid summers with occasional showers

Elevation

Highest point

Dufourspitze on Monte Rosa 4,634 m

Lowest point

Lake Maggiore 195 m

Mean elevation

1,350 m

Area

Total

41,277 sq km

Land

39,997 sq km

Water

1,280 sq km

Size comparison

Slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Land borders

Total

1,770 km

Border countries

Austria 158 km; France 525 km; Italy 698 km; Liechtenstein 41 km; Germany 348 km

Natural resources

Hydropower potential, timber, salt

Land use

Agricultural land

37.8% (2023 est.)

Arable land

10% (2023 est.)

Permanent crops

0.6% (2023 est.)

Permanent pasture

27.1% (2023 est.)

Forest

32% (2023 est.)

Other

32.6% (2023 est.)

Natural hazards

Avalanches, landslides; flash floods

Note

Landlocked; crossroads of northern and southern Europe; along with southeastern France, northern Italy, and southwestern Austria, has the highest elevations in the Alps

Population

Total

8,925,741 (2025 est.)

Male

4,436,858

Female

4,488,883

Nationality

Noun

Swiss (singular and plural)

Adjective

Swiss

Ethnic groups

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.)

Languages

Languages

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% (2019 est.)

Major-language sample(s)

Das World Factbook, die unverzichtbare Quelle für grundlegende Informationen. (German)

Religions

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.)

Median age

Total

44.4 years (2025 est.)

Male

43.5 years

Female

44.9 years

Life expectancy

Total population

83.9 years (2024 est.)

Male

82 years

Female

85.8 years

Urbanisation

Urban population

74.2% of total population (2023)

Rate of urbanization

0.79% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Where people live

Population distribution corresponds to elevation, with the northern and western areas far more heavily populated; the higher Alps of the south limit settlement

Largest cities

1.432 million Zurich, 441,000 BERN (capital) (2023)

Background

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.

Government

Federal republic (formally a confederation)

Capital

Bern

Time zone

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Local name

Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft (German)/ Confederation Suisse (French)/ Confederazione Svizzera (Italian)/ Confederaziun Svizra (Romansh)

Independence

1 August 1291 (founding of the Swiss Confederation)

National day

Founding of the Swiss Confederation in 1291

Overview

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

GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2024

$82,000 (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$82,300 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$82,800 (2022 est.)

Inflation

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

1.1% (2024 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

2.1% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

2.8% (2022 est.)

Unemployment

Unemployment rate 2024

4.2% (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

4.1% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

4.2% (2022 est.)

Exchange rate

Currency

Swiss francs (CHF) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2024

0.88 (2024 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

0.898 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

0.955 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

0.914 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

0.939 (2020 est.)

Main industries

Machinery, chemicals, watches, textiles, precision instruments, tourism, banking, insurance, pharmaceuticals

Agriculture

Milk, sugar beets, wheat, potatoes, pork, apples, barley, beef, maize, grapes (2023)

Airports

66 (2025)

Railways

Total 5,296 km (2020) 5,296 km electrified; Switzerland remains the only country with a fully electrified network

Internet domain

.ch

Internet users

Percent of population 97% (2023 est.)

Mobile subscriptions

Total subscriptions

11.6 million (2024 est.)

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

129 (2024 est.)

Environmental issues

Air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from agricultural fertilizers; soil pollution from chemical contaminants; soil erosion; loss of biodiversity

Fresh water

53.5 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)