Switzerland Demographics

What is the population of Switzerland?

Population	8,403,994
Population Growth Rate	0.85%
Urban Population	73.7%
Population in Major Urban Areas	Zurich 1.194 million; BERN (capital) 353,000
Nationality Noun	Swiss (singular and plural)
Nationality Adjective	Swiss
Ethnic Groups	German 65%, French 18%, Italian 10%, Romansch 1%, other 6%
Languages Spoken	German (official) 63.7%, French (official) 19.2%, Italian (official) 7.6%, Romansch (official) 0.6%, other 8.9%

What is school like in Switzerland?

Education Culture

What are the health conditions in Switzerland?

Death Rate - deaths/1,000 population	8.08
Drinking Water Source - percent of rural population improved	100%
Drinking Water Source - percent of urban population improved	100%
Health Expenditures - percent of GDP	10.9%
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate	0.4%
HIV/Aids Deaths	90
Hospital Bed Density - beds/1,000 population	5
Infant Mortality Rate - female deaths/1,000 live births	3.36
Infant Mortality Rate - male deaths/1,000 live births	4.21
Infant Mortality Rate - total deaths/1,000 live births	3.8
Maternal Mortality Rate - deaths/100,000 live births	8
Mean Age for Mother's First Birth	30.2
Obesity - adult prevalence rate	17.5%
People Living with HIV/AIDS	18,000
Physicians Density - physicians/1,000 population	4.08
Sanitation Facility Access - percent of urban population improved	100%
Sanitation Facility Access - percent of rural population improved	100%
Total Fertility Rate - children born/woman	1.53

How long do people live in Switzerland?

Life Expectancy at Birth	82 Years
Life Expectancy at Birth - female	84 Years
Life Expectancy at Birth - male	79 Years
Median Age	41 Years
Median Age - female	42 Years
Median Age - male	40 Years

Birth Rate - births/1,000 population	10
Death Rate - deaths/1,000 population	8.08
Median Age	41 Years
Median Age - female	42 Years
Median Age - male	40 Years
Net Migration Rate - migrant(s)/1,000 population	6.14
Population Growth Rate	0.85%
Sex Ratio 0-14 Years - male/female	1.06
Sex Ratio 15-24 Years - male/female	1.04
Sex Ratio 25-54 Years - male/female	1.01
Sex Ratio 55-64 Years - male/female	.97
Sex Ratio at Birth - male/female	1.06
Sex Ratio of Total Population - male/female	.97
Sex Ratio Over 64 Years - male/female	.76

What are the health conditions in Switzerland?

Medical Facilities and Health Information

Excellent medical care is widely available. G

What is school like in Switzerland?

Education Expenditures - percent of GDP	5.2%
Literacy - female	99%
Literacy - male	99%
Literacy - total population	99%
Literacy Definition	age 15 and over can read and write
School Life Expectancy - female	16 Years
School Life Expectancy - male	16 Years
Total School Life Expectancy - (primary to tertiary)	16 Years

Can people in Switzerland read?

Literacy - female	99%
Literacy - male	99%
Literacy - total population	99%
Literacy Definition	age 15 and over can read and write
Predominant Language	German (official) 63.7%, French (official) 19.2%, Italian (official) 7.6%, Romansch (official) 0.6%, other 8.9%

Is Switzerland a safe place to visit?

Crime Information

Switzerland has a low rate of violent crime; however, crimes of all types which may include violence do occur. Pick-pocketing and purse snatching are the most common and frequently occur in the vicinity of train and bus stations, airports, and some public parks, especially during peak tourist periods (such as summer and Christmas) and when conferences, shows, or exhibits are scheduled in major cities. Be especially vigilant in the airports and railway stations in both Zurich and Geneva, as these locations experience multiple incidents of petty theft almost every day.

You should be careful on trains, especially on overnight trains to neighboring countries. Thieves, who steal from passengers while they sleep, can enter even locked sleeping compartments. Thieves have been known to work in pairs to target train passengers; while one member of the pair creates a diversion at a train window or on a platform, the other steals items you have left briefly unattended.

In many countries around the world, counterfeit and pirated goods are widely available. Transactions involving such products may be illegal under local law. In addition, bringing them back to the United States may result in forfeitures and/or fines.

The local equivalent to the “911” emergency line in Switzerland is 144 for medical/ambulance services; 117 for the police department; and 118 for the fire department.

Criminal Penalties

While you are traveling in Switzerland, you are subject to its laws even if you are a U.S.citizen. Foreign laws and legal systems can be vastly different from our own. In Switzerland it is expected that citizens and visitors carry an I.D. and/or a passport. Should the police stop you, and you are without an I.D., it is possible that you may be taken in for questioning. This is the decision of the individual police officer. Travelers should also be aware that photography is not allowed in certain areas (for example, at military airports). Please observe posted signs regarding photography.

Driving under the influence of alcohol can lead to heavy fines and/or a ban from driving or in severe cases, a jail sentence, depending on the percentage of alcohol in the blood. Swiss law only allows up to 0.05% blood alcohol content (whereas the legal limit in the United States is 0.08%). Driving speeds in Switzerland are also much slower than in the rest of Europe and vary from area to area. In residential areas the speed limit is 30 km/h (18.6 m/h), on urban roads 50 km/h (31 m/h), on rural roads 80 km/h (49.7 m/h), on minor highways 100 km/h (62 m/h) and on the Autobahn 120 km/h (74.5 m/h). Travelers are advised to carefully observe the posted speed limits.

Traffic fines are costly and vary according to where the infraction occurs and by how much one exceeds the speed limit. Fines assessed within the city limits are higher than those assessed on a highway or autobahn.

Drug possession carries heavy fines and prison terms in Switzerland; these can vary depending on the amount and type of narcotics carried. Any attempt to cross an international border carrying drugs (for instance transiting Switzerland via Zurich airport) automatically constitutes trafficking charges. These charges can also carry heavy penalties.

Engaging in sexual conduct with children or using or disseminating child pornography in a foreign country is a crime prosecutable in the United States. If you break local laws in Switzerland, your U.S. passport won’t help you avoid arrest or prosecution. It’s very important to know what’s legal and what’s not where you are going.

Switzerland, through its 26 cantons (states), has programs to assist victims of crime and their immediate relatives. Medical, psychological, social, financial, and legal assistance are available throughout the country. This type of assistance must be applied for, and the local police can assist if necessary. These programs also protect the rights of the victim during criminal proceedings. The victim may receive compensation for some damages, if requested during the criminal procedure. Information is available at the Swiss Department of Justice located on Bundesrain 20, 3003 Bern, telephone: 41-31-322-4750.

The United States and Switzerland do not have a bilateral agreement requiring mandatory notification of a U.S. citizen arrest to the U.S. embassy. Notification of arrests is only required if the arrested U.S. citizen so requests. If you are arrested and concerned that the Department of State may not be aware of your situation, you should request the police or prison officials to notify the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate of your arrest. Based on the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, bilateral agreements with certain countries, and customary international law, if you are arrested in Switzerland, you have the option to request that the police, prison officials, or other authorities alert the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate of your arrest, and to have communications from you forwarded to the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.

Switzerland is a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights, which requires arrestees be immediately heard before an independent Magistrate to determine if they will be held for investigative detention. Individuals “highly suspected” of a crime are generally placed under police detention until such time that their case can be heard by the Magistrate.