Switzerland has gained 1.18 million residents in fourteen years: where is growth concentrated?

A 15 % increase at national level

Between the end of 2010 and the end of 2024, Switzerland’s permanent resident population rose from 7’870’134 to 9’051’029 people. The difference comes to 1’180’895 residents, an increase of 15.0 % in fourteen years. The figures come from STATPOP, the annual statistics of the Federal Statistical Office, recorded as at 31 December each year.

Behind this national total, municipal trajectories diverge sharply. Some municipalities saw their population grow by more than 60 %, while others lost close to a third of their residents. It is this geography of growth that the municipality-by-municipality data lay out.

Twelve times more municipalities growing than shrinking

Among municipalities with at least 1’000 residents in 2010, 1’247 gained population and 101 lost residents. In other words, for every municipality in decline, twelve are growing. The underlying movement across the country is therefore clearly upward.

The five steepest declines all lie in Alpine valleys, in the cantons of Graubünden, Ticino and Valais. The eight strongest increases are spread across the cantons of Vaud, Aargau, Valais, Zurich and Fribourg.

Roche, then Le Mont-sur-Lausanne lead the increases

The largest change belongs to Roche (VD): +99.4 %. The municipality did, however, start from exactly 1’000 residents in 2010, the threshold used for this ranking, and has 1’994 residents at the end of 2024. Le Mont-sur-Lausanne (VD) posts the strongest rise of an already established municipality: from 5’557 to 9’531 residents, or +71.5 %. Staufen (AG) follows with +70.2 % and Saxon (VS) with +62.9 %.

Methodological note: the municipal percentages cover municipalities with at least 1’000 residents in 2010, to rule out effects from very small calculation bases. Roche (VD) started exactly at that threshold, which explains the size of its percentage change. Source: STATPOP, permanent resident population, as at 31 December, Federal Statistical Office.

Declines in Alpine valleys

The sharpest decline affects Tujetsch (GR): the municipality falls from 1’732 to 1’199 residents, or −30.8 %, close to a third of its population. Faido (TI) declines by 20.0 %, from 3’382 to 2’705 residents. The five largest decreases all concern municipalities in Alpine valleys, spread across Graubünden, Ticino and Valais.

• Tujetsch (GR): 1’732 → 1’199 residents (−30.8 %)
• Faido (TI): 3’382 → 2’705 residents (−20.0 %)
• Sumvitg (GR): 1’281 → 1’063 residents (−17.0 %)
• Goms (VS): 1’324 → 1’149 residents (−13.2 %)
• Leukerbad (VS): 1’633 → 1’426 residents (−12.7 %)

In total, 101 municipalities with at least 1’000 residents (in 2010) lost population over the period. The contrast with the strongest increases is stark: while Tujetsch was losing close to a third of its residents, Le Mont-sur-Lausanne was gaining more than seven for every ten.

All six major cities tracked gain residents

None of the six major cities tracked declines over the period. Zurich goes from 372’857 to 436’551 residents, a gain of 63’694 people, or +17.1 %. Winterthur grows even faster in proportional terms: +18.8 %, from 101’308 to 120’376 residents. The two Zurich-canton cities thus outpace the national rate of 15.0 %.

In French-speaking Switzerland, Geneva gains 21’591 residents and reaches 209’061 people at the end of 2024, or +11.5 %. Lausanne goes from 127’821 to 144’873 residents (+13.3 %). The two Lake Geneva cities grow slightly more slowly than the national average, even as Le Mont-sur-Lausanne (VD) ranks among the municipalities with the strongest increases.

Basel goes from 163’216 to 177’571 residents (+8.8 %) and Bern from 124’381 to 137’995 (+10.9 %). These two cities show the most moderate growth of the six major cities covered by the data.

Civiora’s comparison tool shows the 2010–2024 trend for every Swiss municipality. The Federal Statistical Office will publish the next STATPOP results, recorded as at 31 December 2025, in the course of 2026; they will be added to the platform as soon as they are released.