Background: The Principality of Liechtenstein was established within the Holy Roman Empire in 1719. Occupied by both French and Russian troops during the Napoleonic Wars, it became a sovereign state in 1806 and joined the German Confederation in 1815. Liechtenstein became fully independent in 1866 when the Confederation dissolved. Until the end of World War I, it was closely tied to Austria, but the economic devastation caused by that conflict forced Liechtenstein to enter into a customs and monetary union with Switzerland. Since World War II (in which Liechtenstein remained neutral), the country's low taxes have spurred outstanding economic growth. In 2000, shortcomings in banking regulatory oversight resulted in concerns about the use of financial institutions for money laundering. However, Liechtenstein implemented anti-money laundering legislation and a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty with the US that went into effect in 2003.

Area
Total: 160 km²
Land: 160 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: about 0.9 times the size of Washington, D.C.

Land boundaries
Total: 75 km
Border countries (2): (2) Austria 34 km; Switzerland 41 km

Coastline: 0 km (doubly landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Climate: continental; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow or rain; cool to moderately warm, cloudy, humid summers

Terrain: mostly mountainous (Alps) with Rhine Valley in western third

Elevation
Highest point: Vorder-Grauspitz 2,599 m
Lowest point: Ruggeller Riet 430 m

Land use
Agricultural land: 32.3% (2023 est.)
Arable land: 10.8% (2023 est.)
Permanent crops: 0% (2022 est.)
Permanent pasture: 21.5% (2023 est.)
Forest: 36.3% (2023 est.)
Other: 31.4% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land: 0 km² (2012)

Natural hazards: avalanches, landslides

Geography
Note: along with Uzbekistan, one of only two doubly landlocked countries in the world; variety of microclimatic variations based on elevation

Population
Total: 40,272 (2024 est.)
Male: 20,072
Female: 20,200
Distribution: most of the population is found in the western half of the country along the Rhine River
Growth rate: 0.69% (2024 est.)

Languages: German 91.5% (official, Alemannic is the main dialect), Italian 1.5%, Turkish 1.3%, Portuguese 1.1%, other 4.6% (2015 est.)
Major-language sample(s): ; Das World Factbook, die unverzichtbare Quelle für grundlegende Informationen. (German); The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Religions: Roman Catholic (official) 73.4%, Protestant Reformed 6.3%, Muslim 5.9%, Christian Orthodox 1.3%, Lutheran 1.2%, other Protestant 0.7%, other Christian 0.3%, other 0.8%, none 7%, unspecified 3.3% (2015 est.)

Age structure
0-14 years: 15.3% (male 3,412/female 2,732)
15-64 years: 63.9% (male 12,814/female 12,921)
65 years and over: 20.8% (2024 est.) (male 3,846/female 4,547)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 56.5 (2024 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 23.9 (2024 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 32.6 (2024 est.)
Potential support ratio: 3.1 (2024 est.)

Median age
Total: 44.2 years (2024 est.)
Male: 42.4 years
Female: 46.1 years

Population growth rate: 0.69% (2024 est.)

Birth rate: 10.3 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Death rate: 8.2 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Population distribution: most of the population is found in the western half of the country along the Rhine River

Urbanization
Urban population: 14.6% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 1.15% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 5,000 VADUZ (capital) (2018)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.26 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.25 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 3.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 4.3 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 3.5 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 83 years (2024 est.)
Male: 80.7 years
Female: 85.8 years

Total fertility rate: 1.69 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Drinking water source
Total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access
Total: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Urban: NA

Capital
Name: Vaduz
Geographic coordinates: 47 08 N, 9 31 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: may be a conflation from the Latin vallis (valley) and the Old German dutsch (German) to produce Valdutsch ('German valley'), which was simplified over time to Vaduz

Administrative divisions: 11 communes (Gemeinden, singular - Gemeinde); Balzers, Eschen, Gamprin, Mauren, Planken, Ruggell, Schaan, Schellenberg, Triesen, Triesenberg, Vaduz

Legal system: civil law system influenced by Swiss, Austrian, and German law

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

Executive branch
Chief of state: Prince HANS-ADAM II (since 13 November 1989, assumed executive powers on 26 August 1984)
Head of government: Prime Minister Brigitte HAAS (since 10 April 2025)
Cabinet: Cabinet elected by the Parliament, confirmed by the monarch
Election/appointment process: the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the monarch usually appoints the leader of the majority party in Parliament as the head of government, and also appoints the leader of the largest minority party in Parliament as the deputy head of government if there is a coalition government
Note: the prince's successor is his son, Heir Apparent and Regent of Liechtenstein Prince ALOIS; on 15 August 2004, HANS-ADAM II transferred the official duties of the ruling prince to ALOIS, but Prince HANS-ADAM II retains the status of chief of state

Legislative branch
Legislature name: Diet (Landtag)
Legislative structure: unicameral
Number of seats: 25 (all directly elected)
Electoral system: proportional representation
Scope of elections: full renewal
Term in office: 4 years
Most recent election date: 2/9/2025
Parties elected and seats per party: Patriotic Union (VU) (10); Progressive Citizens' Party (FBP) (7); Democrats for Liechtenstein (DpL) (6); Free List (FL) (2)
Percentage of women in chamber: 32%
Expected date of next election: February 2,029

Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red, with a gold crown on the left side of the blue band

National anthem
Title: 'Oben am jungen Rhein' (High Above the Young Rhine)
Lyrics/music: Jakob Joseph JAUCH/Josef FROMMELT
History: adopted 1850, revised 1963; uses the tune of the United Kingdom's anthem, 'God Save the King'

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 0.2% (2022 est.)
Industry: 40.6% (2022 est.)
Services: 55.6% (2022 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Industries: electronics, metal manufacturing, dental products, ceramics, pharmaceuticals, food products, precision instruments, tourism, optical instruments

Exports: $3.217 billion (2015 est.); $3.774 billion (2014 est.)
Note: trade data exclude trade with Switzerland
Commodities: small specialty machinery, connectors for audio and video, parts for motor vehicles, dental products, hardware; top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports
Commodities: agricultural products, raw materials, energy products, machinery, metal goods, textiles, foodstuffs, motor vehicles

Electricity
Access electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 10,000 (2023 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 26 (2023 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 50,000 (2023 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 126 (2022 est.)

Internet
Users percent of population: 97% (2023 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 20,000 (2023 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 50 (2023 est.)

Heliports: 2 (2025)

Railways
Total: 9 km (2018)
Standard gauge: 9 km (2018) 1.435-m gauge (electrified)
Note: belongs to the Austrian Railway System connecting Austria and Switzerland

Merchant marine
Total: 17 (2023)
By type: bulk carrier 14, general cargo 1, other 2 (includes Switzerland)