Rural population in Switzerland
Switzerland: Rural population was 14.3% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Rural population in Switzerland, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for rural population in Switzerland is 14.3%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.8% on the previous year and down 41.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Switzerland peaked at 49.0% in 1960 and was at its lowest, 14.3%, in 2025.
That places Switzerland 173rd out of 217 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Rural population in Switzerland, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 49.0% | — |
| 1961 | 48.3% | -1.3% |
| 1962 | 47.6% | -1.4% |
| 1963 | 47.0% | -1.4% |
| 1964 | 46.3% | -1.5% |
| 1965 | 45.6% | -1.5% |
| 1966 | 44.9% | -1.5% |
| 1967 | 44.3% | -1.4% |
| 1968 | 43.7% | -1.4% |
| 1969 | 43.1% | -1.3% |
| 1970 | 42.6% | -1.2% |
| 1971 | 42.1% | -1.1% |
| 1972 | 41.7% | -1.0% |
| 1973 | 41.3% | -0.9% |
| 1974 | 40.9% | -0.9% |
| 1975 | 40.6% | -0.8% |
| 1976 | 40.3% | -0.8% |
| 1977 | 39.9% | -0.9% |
| 1978 | 39.6% | -0.9% |
| 1979 | 39.2% | -1.0% |
| 1980 | 38.7% | -1.2% |
| 1981 | 38.2% | -1.3% |
| 1982 | 37.6% | -1.7% |
| 1983 | 36.8% | -1.9% |
| 1984 | 36.0% | -2.1% |
| 1985 | 35.2% | -2.3% |
| 1986 | 34.4% | -2.4% |
| 1987 | 33.5% | -2.4% |
| 1988 | 32.7% | -2.4% |
| 1989 | 32.0% | -2.3% |
| 1990 | 31.3% | -2.0% |
| 1991 | 30.8% | -1.8% |
| 1992 | 30.2% | -1.9% |
| 1993 | 29.6% | -1.9% |
| 1994 | 29.0% | -1.9% |
| 1995 | 28.5% | -1.9% |
| 1996 | 28.0% | -1.8% |
| 1997 | 27.5% | -1.6% |
| 1998 | 27.1% | -1.4% |
| 1999 | 26.9% | -1.0% |
| 2000 | 26.7% | -0.6% |
| 2001 | 26.6% | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 26.6% | -0.2% |
| 2003 | 26.5% | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 26.5% | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 26.5% | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 26.5% | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 26.5% | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 26.5% | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 26.4% | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 26.4% | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 26.3% | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 26.2% | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 25.9% | -1.4% |
| 2014 | 25.3% | -2.4% |
| 2015 | 24.4% | -3.4% |
| 2016 | 23.3% | -4.4% |
| 2017 | 22.1% | -5.3% |
| 2018 | 20.7% | -6.2% |
| 2019 | 19.2% | -7.2% |
| 2020 | 17.7% | -8.1% |
| 2021 | 15.8% | -10.5% |
| 2022 | 15.1% | -4.6% |
| 2023 | 14.8% | -1.8% |
| 2024 | 14.5% | -1.9% |
| 2025 | 14.3% | -1.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 46.0% | 43.1% | 49.0% | 10 |
| 1970s | 40.8% | 39.2% | 42.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 35.5% | 32.0% | 38.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 28.9% | 26.9% | 31.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 26.5% | 26.4% | 26.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 24.0% | 19.2% | 26.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 15.4% | 14.3% | 17.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Switzerland
- 170 New Zealand 16.0% compare
- 171 Saudi Arabia 15.4% compare
- 172 Peru 14.4% compare
- 174 United Arab Emirates 14.0% compare
- 175 Palestine 12.6% compare
- 176 Belgium 12.3% compare
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 in Switzerland?
- Rural population in Switzerland was 14.3% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Switzerland?
- The highest recorded value was 49.0% in 1960.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Switzerland?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.3% in 2025.
- How does Switzerland rank for rural population?
- Switzerland ranks 173rd out of 217 countries with data for 2025.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Switzerland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 41.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Switzerland data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Rural population (% of total population). 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
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.