01
Physical geography
Mostly mountains (Alps in south, Jura in northwest) with a central plateau of rolling hills, plains, and large lakes.
Local timeBern ·
Europe / Western Europe · Card 052
Switzerland
Switzerland is a country in Western Europe. Its capital is Bern.
Find Switzerland
● Federal city · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
At a glance
- Federal city
- BernBern is the seat of the federal authorities, commonly called the capital.
- Languages
- German, French, Italian & Romansh
- Currency
- Swiss franc (CHF)
- Population
- 9.1 million2025 · World Bank
- Area
- 41,284 km²15,939.83 square miles
- Federal constitution
- 1848Traditional confederation founding date: 1291.
Switzerland in context
Europe and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Bern; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
German, French, Italian and Romansh are national languages. Swiss German dialects are widely spoken in German-speaking areas.
03
Location
Central Europe, east of France, north of Italy. Bern is the seat of the federal authorities, commonly called the capital.
Flag
Red square with an equal-armed white cross in the center that does not extend to the edges of the flag
History & status
Switzerland's confederation grew from alliances among cantons, traditionally dated to 1291. Its independence was recognized in the 1648 Peace of Westphalia. The 1848 constitution created the modern federal state, with extensive cantonal powers.
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Traditional founding date of the confederation
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The modern federal state is established
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Switzerland joins the United Nations
Economy
Main activities
Pharmaceuticals, precision engineering, watches, financial services and tourism are important activities. Switzerland trades extensively with the EU while remaining outside it. The Swiss franc is its currency.
Industry and production
machinery, chemicals, watches, textiles, precision instruments, tourism, banking, insurance, pharmaceuticals
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Millions of people9.12025 · millions of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Millions of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 6,180,877 | 6.181 |
| 1980 | 6,319,408 | 6.319 |
| 1990 | 6,715,519 | 6.716 |
| 2000 | 7,184,250 | 7.184 |
| 2010 | 7,824,909 | 7.825 |
| 2020 | 8,638,167 | 8.638 |
| 2025 | 9,092,436 | 9.092 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars848.62025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 467,296,547,356 | 467.297 |
| 1991 | 461,941,446,601 | 461.941 |
| 1992 | 456,589,426,852 | 456.589 |
| 1993 | 447,158,041,157 | 447.158 |
| 1994 | 465,114,861,421 | 465.115 |
| 1995 | 484,158,477,552 | 484.158 |
| 1996 | 486,870,573,206 | 486.871 |
| 1997 | 497,083,252,159 | 497.083 |
| 1998 | 510,882,848,604 | 510.883 |
| 1999 | 519,466,067,256 | 519.466 |
| 2000 | 538,339,395,343 | 538.339 |
| 2001 | 546,910,823,425 | 546.911 |
| 2002 | 548,991,327,623 | 548.991 |
| 2003 | 547,430,971,527 | 547.431 |
| 2004 | 561,592,621,839 | 561.593 |
| 2005 | 578,171,312,686 | 578.171 |
| 2006 | 602,074,779,439 | 602.075 |
| 2007 | 626,056,585,015 | 626.057 |
| 2008 | 641,905,809,444 | 641.906 |
| 2009 | 629,485,513,283 | 629.486 |
| 2010 | 650,010,711,944 | 650.011 |
| 2011 | 659,160,657,119 | 659.161 |
| 2012 | 666,570,517,717 | 666.571 |
| 2013 | 678,809,578,498 | 678.810 |
| 2014 | 696,074,580,680 | 696.075 |
| 2015 | 706,199,008,879 | 706.199 |
| 2016 | 719,698,645,166 | 719.699 |
| 2017 | 729,920,856,965 | 729.921 |
| 2018 | 754,208,481,229 | 754.208 |
| 2019 | 762,620,333,381 | 762.620 |
| 2020 | 745,421,277,741 | 745.421 |
| 2021 | 791,460,198,102 | 791.460 |
| 2022 | 819,432,798,586 | 819.433 |
| 2023 | 826,197,715,652 | 826.198 |
| 2024 | 837,684,620,416 | 837.685 |
| 2025 | 848,575,173,118 | 848.575 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.970Very High human developmentRank 2 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
19900.858
20000.892
20100.945
20200.963
20230.970
84.0 yearsLife expectancy at birth
13.9 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Government
A federal republic with 26 cantons. The two-chamber Federal Assembly elects the seven-member Federal Council, which collectively leads the government. The presidency rotates annually among its members. Referendums and popular initiatives are central parts of the political system.
Knowledge check
Three questions about Switzerland.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
How many members collectively lead Switzerland’s Federal Council?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.