Factbook dossier
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.
Location
Central Europe, east of France, north of Italy
Area
total : 41,277 sq km land: 39,997 sq km water: 1,280 sq km
Natural resources
hydropower potential, timber, salt
Natural hazards
avalanches, landslides; flash floods
Population
total: 8,925,741 (2025 est.) male: 4,436,858 female: 4,488,883
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.) note: data represent permanent and non-permanent resident population by country of birth
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 f r grundlegende Informationen. (German) The World Factbook, une source indispensable d'informations de base. (French) L'Almanacco dei fatti del mondo, l'indispensabile fonte per le informazioni di base. (Italian) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information. note : shares sum to more than 100% because respondents could indicate more than one main language
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.)
Environmental issues
air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from agricultural fertilizers; soil pollution from chemical contaminants; soil erosion; loss of biodiversity
Government type
federal republic (formally a confederation)
Capital
name: Bern geographic coordinates: 46 55 N, 7 28 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October etymology: the origin of the name is uncertain; it is sometimes associated with the German word Baer (bear), but a more likely origin is an Indo-European root word ber , meaning "marshy place"
Executive branch
chief of state: President of the Swiss Confederation Guy PARMELIN (since 1 January 2026) head of government: President of the Swiss Confederation Guy PARMELIN (since 1 January 2026) cabinet: Federal Council or Bundesrat (in German), Conseil Federal (in French), Consiglio Federale (in Italian) indirectly elected by the Federal Assembly for a 4-year term election/appointment process: president and vice president elected by the Federal Assembly from among members of the Federal Council for a 1-year, non-consecutive term most recent election date: 11 December 2024 election results: 2024: Karin KELLER-SUTTER elected president for 2025; Federal Assembly vote - Karin KELLER-SUTTER (FDP.The Liberals) 168 of 203; Guy PARLEMIN (SVP) elected vice president for 2025; Federal Assembly vote - 196 of 219 2023: Viola AMHERD elected president for 2024; Federal Assembly vote - Viola AMHERD (The Center) 158 of 204; Karin KELLER-SUTTER (FDP.The Liberals) elected vice president for 2024; Federal Assembly vote - 138 of 196 2022: Alain BERSET elected president for 2023; Federal Assembly vote - Alain BERSET (SP) 140 OF 181; Viola AMHERD elected vice president; Federal assembly vote - 207 of 223 expected date of next election: December 2025 note: the Federal Council, composed of 7 federal councilors, constitutes the federal government of Switzerland; council members rotate the 1-year term of federal president
Legislative branch
legislature name: Federal Assembly (Bundesversammlung - Assemblée fédérale - Assemblea federale) legislative structure: bicameral
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$741.035 billion (2024 est.) $731.508 billion (2023 est.) $726.544 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP per capita
$82,000 (2024 est.) $82,300 (2023 est.) $82,800 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
1.1% (2024 est.) 2.1% (2023 est.) 2.8% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Exports - partners
Germany 14%, China 12%, USA 11%, Italy 5%, Turkey 5% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Imports - partners
Germany 17%, USA 9%, Italy 8%, France 6%, China 5% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Military and security forces
Swiss Armed Forces (aka Swiss Army or Schweizer Armee); Army (aka Land Forces), Swiss Air Force (2025) note: the federal police maintain internal security and report to the Federal Department of Justice and Police
Military expenditures
0.7% of GDP (2024 est.) 0.7% of GDP (2023 est.) 0.7% of GDP (2022 est.) 0.7% of GDP (2021 est.) 0.7% of GDP (2020 est.)