Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Switzerland: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna grade (MBA, ranked #18 of 195).
Switzerland — in Central Europe, east of France, north of Italy. Political status: federal republic (formally a confederation). The country's capital is Bern; it covers 41,277 sq km. Independence: 1 August 1291 (founding of the Swiss Confederation). Terrain: mostly mountains (Alps in south, Jura in northwest) with a central plateau of rolling hills, plains, and large lakes. Climate: temperate, but varies with altitude; cold, cloudy, rainy/snowy winters; cool to warm, cloudy, humid summers with occasional showers. Population: 8.9 million (2025 estimate). Population growth: +0.72% per year. Median age: 44.4 years. Life expectancy: 83.9 years (2024 est.). Languages: German (or Swiss German) (o…
| Capital | Bern |
|---|---|
| Population | 8,925,741 (2025 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $741.035 billion (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $82,000 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | 1.3% (2024 est.) |
| Inflation | 1.1% |
| Unemployment | 4.2% |
| Public debt | 19.9% of GDP (2023 est.) |
| Exports | $675.059 billion (2024 est.) |
| Imports | $582.554 billion (2024 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 83.9 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 44.4 |
| Urbanization | 74.2% of total population (2023) |
| Government | federal republic (formally a confederation) |
| Independence | 1 August 1291 (founding of the Swiss Confederation) |
| 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% (2019 est.) |
MBA · 68/100 — The Magna grade is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — five dimensions, 100+ indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
Switzerland's quarter was defined by what didn't happen: trade shocks contained, the 39%-threatened US tariff cut to 15%, and steady collegial management.
The growth outlook lifted once the tariff deal landed. Swiss momentum is rarely dramatic — this quarter was Swiss in the best sense.
Hydropower, Timber, Salt.
Guy Parmelin — President of the Swiss Confederation. President of the Swiss Confederation Guy PARMELIN (since 1 January 2026)
Switzerland maintains 102 embassies and 30 consulates abroad, hosts 136 foreign diplomatic missions, holds permanent missions to UN New York, UN Geneva, OECD Paris, UNESCO Paris, OSCE Vienna, CoE Strasbourg. The breadth of a diplomatic network is a direct measure of diplomatic power — it shows how far a country’s influence, alliances and interests reach.
| Embassies abroad | 102 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 30 |
| Foreign missions hosted | 136 |
| Multilateral missions | UN New York, UN Geneva, OECD Paris, UNESCO Paris, OSCE Vienna, CoE Strasbourg |
Source: Abroad: Lowy GDI 2024 via Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_number_of_diplomatic_missions . Hosted: Consular Affairs Center in-country ranking, Mar 2026. Multilateral rosters as for AUT.
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Landlocked — no seacoast; exports move through transit corridors across neighbouring countries. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 66 + 52 heliports (registration prefix HB) |
| Railways | 5296 km |
| Pipelines | 1,800 km gas, 94 km oil (of which 60 are inactive), 17 km refined products (2017) |
Geneva International Airport (GVA) — Geneva; Zürich Airport (ZRH) — Zurich; Bern Airport (BRN) — Bern; Lugano Airport (LUG) — Agno; Sankt Gallen Altenrhein Airport (ACH) — St. Gallen.
| River ports | Basel (Rhine) |
|---|
Sources: OurAirports public-domain extract (2026-10-02); per-entry Wikipedia links included; CIA World Factbook via cia_factbook snapshot (2026-09-28); theodora.com CIA mirror (CIA World Factbook Transportation section), scraped 2026-10-02
| Political system | federal republic |
|---|---|
| Last election | 2023 — federal; 2023-10-22; winner: Swiss People's Party (SVP) (SVP); SVP 27.9%, 62/200 National Council seats Wikipedia |
| Next election | 2027 — federal (scheduled) |
Source: constitutional schedule / public election calendar
MBA · 68 Ranked #18 of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Switzerland.
Historical timeline of Switzerland
