Rural population growth in Switzerland
Switzerland: Rural population growth was -0.9% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Rural population growth in Switzerland, 1961–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in annual %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for rural population growth in Switzerland is -0.9%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 53.4% on the previous year and up 62.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population growth in Switzerland peaked at 1.2% in 2008 and was at its lowest, -10.4%, in 2021.
That places Switzerland 162nd out of 209 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Rural population growth in Switzerland, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.6% | — |
| 1962 | 1.1% | +82.5% |
| 1963 | 0.7% | -38.8% |
| 1964 | 0.2% | -73.6% |
| 1965 | -0.3% | -277.6% |
| 1966 | -0.4% | +31.1% |
| 1967 | -0.2% | -51.9% |
| 1968 | -0.1% | -33.2% |
| 1969 | -0.2% | +47.3% |
| 1970 | -0.5% | +152.5% |
| 1971 | -0.6% | +17.9% |
| 1972 | -0.2% | -59.6% |
| 1973 | -0.2% | -27.2% |
| 1974 | -0.3% | +78.2% |
| 1975 | -0.9% | +174.9% |
| 1976 | -1.4% | +60.9% |
| 1977 | -1.2% | -14.3% |
| 1978 | -0.9% | -23.6% |
| 1979 | -0.8% | -10.0% |
| 1980 | -0.8% | -7.0% |
| 1981 | -0.8% | +6.2% |
| 1982 | -1.1% | +34.1% |
| 1983 | -1.5% | +39.7% |
| 1984 | -1.8% | +19.2% |
| 1985 | -1.9% | +4.5% |
| 1986 | -1.9% | +1.1% |
| 1987 | -1.8% | -4.0% |
| 1988 | -1.7% | -8.3% |
| 1989 | -1.5% | -12.0% |
| 1990 | -1.0% | -31.5% |
| 1991 | -0.6% | -39.4% |
| 1992 | -0.8% | +29.5% |
| 1993 | -1.0% | +31.4% |
| 1994 | -1.2% | +11.3% |
| 1995 | -1.2% | +6.5% |
| 1996 | -1.4% | +9.0% |
| 1997 | -1.4% | +1.4% |
| 1998 | -1.1% | -22.4% |
| 1999 | -0.6% | -47.2% |
| 2000 | -0.1% | -89.6% |
| 2001 | 0.4% | -706.1% |
| 2002 | 0.6% | +67.0% |
| 2003 | 0.6% | +4.4% |
| 2004 | 0.6% | -3.9% |
| 2005 | 0.6% | -4.5% |
| 2006 | 0.6% | -0.7% |
| 2007 | 0.8% | +46.9% |
| 2008 | 1.2% | +44.0% |
| 2009 | 1.2% | -3.7% |
| 2010 | 0.9% | -20.9% |
| 2011 | 1.0% | +4.6% |
| 2012 | 0.7% | -29.1% |
| 2013 | -0.2% | -134.2% |
| 2014 | -1.2% | +435.9% |
| 2015 | -2.3% | +89.5% |
| 2016 | -3.4% | +44.5% |
| 2017 | -4.5% | +33.8% |
| 2018 | -5.7% | +26.1% |
| 2019 | -6.7% | +18.0% |
| 2020 | -7.7% | +15.0% |
| 2021 | -10.4% | +33.7% |
| 2022 | -3.8% | -63.0% |
| 2023 | -0.5% | -86.8% |
| 2024 | -0.6% | +13.8% |
| 2025 | -0.9% | +53.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.1% | -0.4% | 1.1% | 9 |
| 1970s | -0.7% | -1.4% | -0.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | -1.5% | -1.9% | -0.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | -1.0% | -1.4% | -0.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.6% | -0.1% | 1.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | -2.2% | -6.7% | 1.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | -4.0% | -10.4% | -0.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Switzerland
More agriculture & rural data for Switzerland
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 13.79 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0064 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 739.83 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.8806 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.1427 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 0.6% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 0.6% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.1% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.5% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population growth in Switzerland?
- Rural population growth in Switzerland was -0.9% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest rural population growth recorded in Switzerland?
- The highest recorded value was 1.2% in 2008.
- What is the lowest rural population growth recorded in Switzerland?
- The lowest recorded value was -10.4% in 2021.
- How does Switzerland rank for rural population growth?
- Switzerland ranks 162nd out of 209 countries with data for 2025.
- Is rural population growth rising or falling in Switzerland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 62.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Switzerland data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Rural population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Annual rural population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear rural population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Rural population refers to people living in rural areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated as the difference between total population and urban population.