Population grows slightly

Wednesday, 7 April 2021 06:11

The Swiss population grew slightly last year, despite a higher death rate and fewer babies being born.

But it was the weakest growth rate for a decade.

Numbers from the Federal Statistics Office show the population stands at just under 8.7 million, up point 7% last year.

But in 2020, the death rate was 12% higher due to Covid and the birth rate fell slightly.

The increased number is due to immigration, 163,000 arrived in Switzerland. But 106,000 left.

Both sets of numbers are far lower than normal.

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