Map of Switzerland | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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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, subsequently modified in 1874 to allow voters to introduce referenda on proposed laws, replaced the confederation with a centralized federal government. Switzerland's sovereignty and neutrality have long been honored by the major European powers, and the country was not involved in either of the two World Wars. 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.


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Location: Central Europe, east of France, north of Italy

Geographic coordinates: 47 00 N, 8 00 E

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 41,277 km²
Land: 39,997 km²
Water: 1,280 km²
Comparative: slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey

Land boundaries
Total: 1,770 km
Border countries: (5) Austria 158 km; France 525 km; Italy 698 km; Liechtenstein 41 km; Germany 348 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Climate: temperate, but varies with altitude; cold, cloudy, rainy/snowy winters; cool to warm, cloudy, humid summers with occasional showers

Terrain: mostly mountains (Alps in south, Jura in northwest) with a central plateau of rolling hills, plains, and large lakes

Elevation
Highest point: Dufourspitze 4,634 m
Lowest point: Lake Maggiore 195 m
Mean elevation: 1,350 m

Natural resources: hydropower potential, timber, salt

Land use
Agricultural land: 38.7% (2018 est.)
Forest: 31.5% (2018 est.)
Other: 29.8% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land: 327 km² (2016)

Major rivers
By length in km: Rhine river source (shared with Germany, France, and Netherlands [m]) - 1,233 km


Major watersheds area km²: Atlantic Ocean drainage: Rhine-Maas (198,735 km²), (Black Sea) Danube (795,656 km²), (Adriatic Sea) Po (76,997 km²), (Mediterranean Sea) Rhone (100,543 km²)

Total water withdrawal
Municipal: 931 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
Industrial: 642.7 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
Agricultural: 160.1 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Total renewable water resources: 53.5 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Natural hazards: avalanches, landslides; flash floods

Geography
Note: landlocked; crossroads of northern and southern Europe; along with southeastern France, northern Italy, and southwestern Austria, has the highest elevations in the Alps


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Population
Distribution: population distribution corresponds to elevation with the northern and western areas far more heavily populated; the higher Alps of the south limit settlement: 8,508,698 (2022 est.)
Growth rate: 0.65% (2022 est.)
Below poverty line: 16% (2018 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Swiss (singular and plural)
Adjective: Swiss

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%; note - German, French, Italian, and Romansh are all national and official languages; shares sum to more than 100% because respondents could indicate more than one main language (2019 est.)
Major language samples:

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.)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 15.34% (male 664,255/female 625,252)
15-24 years: 10.39% (male 446,196/female 426,708)
25-54 years: 42.05% (male 1,768,245/female 1,765,941)
55-64 years: 13.48% (male 569,717/female 563,482)
65 years and over: 18.73% (male 699,750/female 874,448) (2020 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 51.6
Youth dependency ratio: 22.8
Elderly dependency ratio: 28.7
Potential support ratio: 3.5 (2021 est.)

Median age
Total: 42.7 years
Male: 41.7 years
Female: 43.7 years (2020 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.65% (2022 est.)

Birth rate: 10.36 births/1000 population (2022 est.)

Death rate: 8.4 deaths/1000 population (2022 est.)

Net migration rate: 4.52 migrant(s)/1000 population (2022 est.)

Population distribution: population distribution corresponds to elevation with the northern and western areas far more heavily populated; the higher Alps of the south limit settlement

Urbanization
Urban population: 74.2% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 0.79% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 1.432 million Zurich, 441,000 BERN (capital) (2023)

Environment
Current issues: air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from agricultural fertilizers; chemical contaminants and erosion damage the soil and limit productivity; loss of biodiversity
International agreements party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants
Particulate matter emissions: 10.21 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 34.48 megatons (2016 est.)
Methane emissions: 4.98 megatons (2020 est.)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.64 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2022 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 31.1 years (2020 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio: 5 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 3.58 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 4.08 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 3.04 deaths/1000 live births (2022 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 83.23 years
Male: 80.91 years
Female: 85.67 years (2022 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.58 children born/woman (2022 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 71.6% (2017)

Drinking water source
Improved:
Unimproved:

Current health expenditure: 11.3% of GDP (2019)

Physicians density: 4.38 physicians/1000 population (2020)

Hospital bed density: 4.6 beds/1000 population (2018)

Sanitation facility access
Improved:
Unimproved:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.2% (2021 est.)

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 19.5% (2016)

Alcohol consumption
Per capita total: 9.41 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita beer: 3.17 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita wine: 4.35 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita spirits: 1.76 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita other alcohols: 0.12 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use
Total: 25.5% (2020 est.)
Male: 28.1% (2020 est.)
Female: 22.9% (2020 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: NA

Education expenditures: 5.2% of GDP (2020 est.)

Literacy
Total population: NA
Male: NA
Female: NA

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 17 years
Male: 17 years
Female: 17 years (2020)

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15-24 total: 8.8%
Rate ages 15-24 male: 8.9%
Rate ages 15-24 female: 8.8% (2021 est.)


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Country name
Conventional long form: Swiss Confederation
Conventional short form: Switzerland
Local long form: Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft (German)/ Confederation Suisse (French)/ Confederazione Svizzera (Italian)/ Confederaziun Svizra (Romansh)
Local short form: Schweiz (German)/ Suisse (French)/ Svizzera (Italian)/ Svizra (Romansh)
Abbreviation: CH
Etymology: name derives from the canton of Schwyz, one of the founding cantons of the Old Swiss Confederacy that formed in the 14th century

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: origin of the name is uncertain but may derive from a 2nd century B.C. Celtic place name, possibly "berna" meaning "cleft," that was subsequently adopted by a Roman settlement

Administrative divisions: 26 cantons (cantons, singular - canton in French; cantoni, singular - cantone in Italian; Kantone, singular - Kanton in German); Aargau, Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Appenzell Innerrhoden, Basel-Landschaft, Basel-Stadt, Berne/Bern, Fribourg/Freiburg, Geneve (Geneva), Glarus, Graubuenden/Grigioni/Grischun, Jura, Luzern (Lucerne), Neuchatel, Nidwalden, Obwalden, Sankt Gallen, Schaffhausen, Schwyz, Solothurn, Thurgau, Ticino, Uri, Valais/Wallis, Vaud, Zug, Zuerich
Note: the canton names are in the official language(s) of the canton with the exception of Geneve and Luzern, where the conventional names (Geneva and Lucerne) have been added in parentheses; 6 of the cantons - Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Appenzell Innerrhoden, Basel-Landschaft, Basel-Stadt, Nidwalden, Obwalden - are referred to as half cantons because they elect only one member (instead of two) to the Council of States and, in popular referendums where a majority of popular votes and a majority of cantonal votes are required, these 6 cantons only have a half vote

Dependent areas

Independence: 1 August 1291 (founding of the Swiss Confederation)

National holiday: Founding of the Swiss Confederation in 1291; note - since 1 August 1891 celebrated as Swiss National Day

Constitution
History: previous 1848, 1874; latest adopted by referendum 18 April 1999, effective 1 January 2000
Amendments: proposed by the two houses of the Federal Assembly or by petition of at least one hundred thousand voters (called the "federal popular initiative"); passage of proposals requires majority vote in a referendum; following drafting of an amendment by the Assembly, its passage requires approval by majority vote in a referendum and approval by the majority of cantons; amended many times, last in 2018

Legal system: civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts, except for federal decrees of a general obligatory character

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descentonly: at least one parent must be a citizen of Switzerland
Dual citizenship recognized: yes
Residency requirement for naturalization: 12 years including at least 3 of the last 5 years prior to application

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President of the Swiss Confederation Ignazio CASSIS (since 1 January 2022); Vice President Alain BERSET (since 1 January 2022); note - the Federal Council, comprised of 7 federal councillors, constitutes the federal government of Switzerland; council members rotate the 1-year term of federal president
Head of government: President of the Swiss Confederation Ignazio CASSIS (since 1 January 2022); Vice President Alain BERSET (since 1 January 2022)
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
Elections and appointments: president and vice president elected by the Federal Assembly from among members of the Federal Council for a 1-year, non-consecutive term; election last held on 8 December 2021 (next to be held in December 2022)
Election results:

Legislative branch
Description: bicameral Federal Assembly or Bundesversammlung (in German), Assemblée Fédérale (in French), Assemblea Federale (in Italian) consists of:
Council of States or Ständerat (in German), Conseil des États (in French), Consiglio degli Stati (in Italian) (46 seats; members in two-seat constituencies representing cantons and single-seat constituencies representing half cantons directly elected by simple majority vote except Jura and Neuchatel cantons, which use list proportional representation vote; member term governed by cantonal law)
National Council or Nationalrat (in German), Conseil National (in French), Consiglio Nazionale (in Italian) (200 seats; 194 members in cantons directly elected by proportional representation vote and 6 in half cantons directly elected by simple majority vote; members serve 4-year terms)
Elections: 
Council of States - last held in most cantons on 20 October 2019 (each canton determines when the next election will be held)
National Council - last held on 20 October 2019 (next to be held on 31 October 2023)
Election results: 
Council of States - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - The Center 13, FDP.The Liberals 12, SDP 9, Green Party 5, SVP 6, other 1; composition (as of mid-2022) - men 33, women 13, percent of women 28.3%
National Council - percent of vote by party - SVP 26.5%, SP 19.5%, FDP.The Liberals 15.1%, Green Party 14%, The Center 14%, GLP 7.8%, other 3.5%; seats by party - SVP 53, SP 39, FDP.The Liberals 29, Green Party 28, The Center 28, GLP 16, other 7; composition (as of mid-2022) - men 115, women 85, percent of women 42.5%; note - overall Federal Assembly percent of women 39.8%

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Federal Supreme Court (consists of 38 justices and 19 deputy justices organized into 7 divisions)
Judge selection and term of office: judges elected by the Federal Assembly for 6-year terms; note - judges are affiliated with political parties and are elected according to linguistic and regional criteria in approximate proportion to the level of party representation in the Federal Assembly
Subordinate courts: Federal Criminal Court (established in 2004); Federal Administrative Court (established in 2007); note - each of Switzerland's 26 cantons has its own courts

Political parties and leaders: Green Liberal Party (Gruenliberale Partei or GLP, Parti vert liberale or PVL, Partito Verde-Liberale or PVL, Partida Verde Liberale or PVL) [Juerg GROSSEN]
Green Party (Gruene Partei der Schweiz or Gruene, Parti Ecologiste Suisse or Les Verts, Partito Ecologista Svizzero or I Verdi, Partida Ecologica Svizra or La Verda) [Balthasar GLATTLI]
Social Democratic Party (Sozialdemokratische Partei der Schweiz or SP, Parti Socialiste Suisse or PSS, Partito Socialista Svizzero or PSS, Partida Socialdemocratica de la Svizra or PSS) [Cedric WERMUTH and Mattea MEYER]
Swiss People's Party (Schweizerische Volkspartei or SVP, Union Democratique du Centre or UDC, Unione Democratica di Centro or UDC, Uniun Democratica dal Center or UDC) [Marco CHIESA]
The Center (Die Mitte, Alleanza del Centro, Le Centre, Allianza dal Center) [Gerhard PFISTER] (merger of the Christian Democratic People's Party and the Conservative Democratic Party)
The Liberals or FDP.The Liberals (FDP.Die Liberalen, PLR.Les Liberaux-Radicaux, PLR.I Liberali, Ils Liberals) [Petra GOESSI]
other minor parties

International organization participation: ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Australia Group, BIS, CD, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EFTA, EITI (implementing country), ESA, FAO, FATF, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, PFP, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMISS, UNMOGIP, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Jacques Henri PITTELOUD (since 16 September 2019)
In the us chancery: 2,201 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20,007-4,105
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 745-7,900
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 387-2,564
In the us email address and website: 
washington@eda.admin.ch
[link]
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Scott MILLER (since 11 January 2022) note - also accredited to Liechtenstein
From the us embassy: Sulgeneckstrasse 19, CH-3,007 Bern
From the us mailing address: 5,110 Bern Place, Washington DC 20,521-5,110
From the us telephone: [41] (031) 357-70-11
From the us FAX: [41] (031) 357-73-20
From the us email address and website: 
[link]

Flag description: red square with a bold, equilateral white cross in the center that does not extend to the edges of the flag; various medieval legends purport to describe the origin of the flag; a white cross used as identification for troops of the Swiss Confederation is first attested at the Battle of Laupen (1339)
Note: in 1863, a newly formed international relief organization convening in Geneva, Switzerland sought to come up with an identifying flag or logo: they chose the inverse of the Swiss flag - a red cross on a white field - as their symbol; today that organization is known throughout the world as the International Red Cross

National symbols: Swiss cross (white cross on red field, arms equal length); national colors: red, white

National anthem
Name: the Swiss anthem has four names: "Schweizerpsalm" [German] "Cantique Suisse" [French] "Salmo svizzero," [Italian] "Psalm svizzer" [Romansch] (Swiss Psalm)
Lyrics and music: Leonhard WIDMER [German], Charles CHATELANAT [French], Camillo VALSANGIACOMO [Italian], and Flurin CAMATHIAS [Romansch]/Alberik ZWYSSIG
Note: unofficially adopted 1961, officially 1981; the anthem has been popular in a number of Swiss cantons since its composition (in German) in 1841; translated into the other three official languages of the country (French, Italian, and Romansch), it is official in each of those languages

National heritage
Total world heritage sites: 13 (9 cultural, 4 natural)
Selected world heritage site locales:


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Economy overview

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real gdp growth rate:

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 53.7% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 12% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 24.5% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: -1.4% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 65.1% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -54% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 0.7% (2017 est.)
Industry: 25.6% (2017 est.)
Services: 73.7% (2017 est.)

Agriculture products: milk, sugar beet, wheat, potatoes, pork, barley, apples, maize, beef, grapes

Industries: machinery, chemicals, watches, textiles, precision instruments, tourism, banking, insurance, pharmaceuticals

Industrial production growth rate: 3.4% (2017 est.)

Labor force: 5.067 million (2020 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 3.3%
By occupation industry: 19.8%
By occupation services: 76.9% (2015)

Unemployment rate:

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15-24 total: 8.8%
Rate ages 15-24 male: 8.9%
Rate ages 15-24 female: 8.8% (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line: 16% (2018 est.)

Gini index
Coefficient distribution of family income:

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 7.5%
Highest 10: 19% (2007)

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $242.1 billion (2017 est.)
Expenditures: $234.4 billion (2017 est.)
Note: includes federal, cantonal, and municipal budgets
Surplus or deficit: $1.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues: 35.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Public debt:
Note: general government gross debt; gross debt consists of all liabilities that require payment or payments of interest and/or principal by the debtor to the creditor at a date or dates in the future; includes debt liabilities in the form of Special Drawing Rights, currency and deposits, debt securities, loans, insurance, pensions and standardized guarantee schemes, and other accounts payable; all liabilities in the Government Financial Systems Manual 2001 system are debt, except for equity and investment fund shares and financial derivatives and employee stock options

Revenue
From forest resources forest revenues: 0.01% of GDP (2018 est.)
From coal coal revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance:

Exports:
Note: trade data exclude trade with Switzerland
Partners: Germany 16%, United States 14%, United Kingdom 8%, China 7%, France 6%, India 6%, Italy 5% (2019)
Commodities: gold, packaged medicines, medical cultures/vaccines, watches, jewelry (2019)

Imports:
Partners: Germany 21%, Italy 8%, France 6%, United States 6%, United Kingdom 5%, United Arab Emirates 5% (2019)
Commodities: gold, packaged medicines, jewelry, cars, medical cultures/vaccines (2019)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

Debt external:

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access electrification total population: 100% (2020)
Installed generating capacity: 22.921 million kW (2020 est.)
Consumption: 56.407 billion kWh (2020 est.)
Exports: $32.549 billion kWh (2020 est.)
Imports: 26.988 billion kWh (2020 est.)
Transmission distribution losses: 4.19 billion kWh (2020 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 0.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources nuclear: 34.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources solar: 3.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources wind: 0.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 56.3% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources biomass and waste: 4.7% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Coal
Production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Consumption: 150,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
Exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Imports: 139,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)

Petroleum
Total petroleum production: 300 bbl/day (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 220,000 bbl/day (2019 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate imports: 60,900 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 61,550 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Products exports: 7,345 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Products imports: 165,100 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Consumption: 3,616,169,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)
Exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Imports: 3,577,884,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 38.739 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 319,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 31.494 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 6.926 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 137.918 million Btu/person (2019 est.)


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 3,071,296 (2020 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 35 (2020 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 10.829 million (2019)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 126.05 (2019)

Telephone system

Broadcast media: the publicly owned radio and TV broadcaster, Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRG/SSR), operates 8 national TV networks, 3 broadcasting in German, 3 in French, and 2 in Italian; private commercial TV stations broadcast regionally and locally; TV broadcasts from stations in Germany, Italy, and France are widely available via multi-channel cable and satellite TV services; SRG/SSR operates 17 radio stations that, along with private broadcasters, provide national to local coverage )

Internet
Country code: .ch
Users total: 8,118,367 (2020 est.)
Users percent of population: 94% (2020 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 4,028,238 (2020 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 47 (2020 est.)


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Military expenditures:

Military and security forces: Swiss Armed Forces: Land Forces, Swiss Air Force (Schweizer Luftwaffe) (2022)

Military service age and obligation: 18-30 years of age for compulsory military service for men; 18 years of age for voluntary military service; women may volunteer; every Swiss male has to serve at least 245 days in the armed forces; conscripts receive 18 weeks of mandatory training, followed by six 19-day intermittent recalls for training during the next 10 years (2022)
Note: conscientious objectors can choose 390 days of community service instead of military service

Space program

Terrorist groups: Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)
Note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix T.


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National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 6 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 179
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 28,857,994 (2018)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 1,841,310,000 (2018) mt-km

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: HB

Airports
Total: 63 (2021)
With paved runways total: 40
With paved runways over 3047 m: 3
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 12
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 6
With paved runways under 914 m: 17 (2021)
With unpaved runways total: 23
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 23 (2021)

Heliports: 2 (2021)

Pipelines: 1,800 km gas, 94 km oil (of which 60 are inactive), 17 km refined products (2017)

Railways
Total: 5,466 km (2015) (includes 19 km in neighboring countries)
Standard gauge: 3,836 km (2015) 1.435-m gauge (3,634 km electrified)
Narrowgauge: 1,630 km (2015) 1.200-m gauge (2 km electrified) (includes 19 km in neighboring countries)

Roadways
Total: 71,557 km (2017)
Paved: 71,557 km (2017) (includes 1,458 of expressways)

Waterways: 1,292 km (2010) (there are 1,227 km of waterways on lakes and rivers for public transport and 65 km on the Rhine River between Basel-Rheinfelden and Schaffhausen-Bodensee for commercial goods transport)

Merchant marine
Total: 20
By type: bulk carrier 16, general cargo 1, other 3 (includes Liechtenstein) (2021)

Ports and terminals
River ports: Basel (Rhine)


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Disputes international: none identified

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees country of origin: 38,219 (Eritrea), 20,043 (Syria), 14,649 (Afghanistan), 6,069 (Sri Lanka), 6,197 (Turkey) (mid-year 2021); 71,342 (Ukraine) (as of 13 December 2022)
Stateless persons: 684 (mid-year 2021)

Illicit drugs: major source of precursor chemicals used in the production of illicit narcotics; a significant importer and exporter of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine