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Swiss population exceeds 8.2 mln: report

Xinhua, April 23, 2015 Adjust font size:

A provisional report released by the Federal Statistical Office (OFS) on Thursday revealed that Switzerland's population increased by 1.2 percent in 2014, reaching 8,236,600 by the end of last year.

According to OFS figures, 2014 saw 96,900 new permanent residents living on Swiss soil -- 60,700 of whom were foreigners, the remaining 36,200 were Swiss.

Official statistics show that the confederation's female population hit 4,100,000, slightly outnumbered its male population, which stands at about 4 million in 2014.

The report also highlighted Switzerland's ageing population, as one in five women and one in six men were 64 years old or above -- more than a quarter of these seniors were at least 80 years old.

This trend is also reflected in the growing number of centenarians, as the OFS reported that the number of 100-year-olds almost doubled from 787 in 2000 and reached 1,600 in 2014.

In 2014, the population of centenarians grew by 4.1 percent year-on-year, slower than 2013's 6.6 percent increase.

Of the 1,600 centenarians registered last year, 1,300 were female and 300 were male.

According to official predictions, this trend is set to continue based on the future evolution of mortality rates in Switzerland, almost a quarter of females and 15 percent of males born in 2014 will live to be 100 years old.

The cantons whose populations aged the most last year were Tessin, Basel-Landschaft, Schaffhousen, Jura, Bern and Basel-Stadt.

The OFS also reported that almost 2 million foreigners currently reside in Switzerland on a permanent basis, representing 24.3 percent of the country's total population.

The 25-49 year-old age group was the most prevalent amongst foreigners, and with an average age close to 37, they were six years younger than the Swiss population's average of 43.

According to the report, each of Switzerland's 26 cantons registered a population increase between 2013 and 2014, with the highest growth recorded in canton Fribourg (plus 1.9 percent), Zug and Geneva (plus 1.7 percent each).

The canton with the lowest population growth was Uri, with an increase of 0,4 percent. Endtie