Meta information:
Last modified: new data set (2024)
Data updated: August 2025
Survey period: 1 January - 31 December
Spatial reference: cantons / 01.01.2022
Data source: 1971-2010 Annual Population Statistics (ESPOP), from 2011 onwards Population and Households Statistics (STATPOP) The demographic balance shows changes in the population size due to natural increase (births, deaths) and net migration (immigration, emigration, arrivals and departures between cantons) and any necessary statistical corrections. ESPOP was a composite statistic based on the vital statistics (BEVNAT), the Statistics of the Foreign Resident Population (PETRA) and the Migration Statistics of the national population. In addition, it was also based on the Federal Population Census from 1990 and 2000. ESPOP used the demographic balancing equation. With this method, the population size is calculated as at 31 December of a particular calendar year by taking the population size as at 31 December of the previous year and adding births and immigration of the respective year and subtracting deaths and emigration. STATPOP extracts data on population size and change from the federal registers of persons and the harmonised population register of the communes and cantons and is thus based on a different production process to that of ESPOP. The population size as at 31 December of a calendar year and as at 1 January of the following year are not identical in the following cases: (1) adjustment of the estimated population stock to census data (1990/91 and 2000/01); (2) changeover from ESPOP to STATPOP (2010/11); (3) changes to territorial status at cantonal level (1993/94 and 1995/96).
Due to the changeover from ESPOP to STATPOP, the number of deaths for 2010 also does not correspond with the official number according to BEVNAT. The 'permanent resident population' is the reference population of the demographic balance. Until 2010, this included all Swiss nationals with their main place of residence in Switzerland and also all foreign nationals with permission to stay in the country for at least 12 months. The reference population was redefined with the introduction of STATPOP. Since 01.01.2011, the reference population has also included persons in the asylum process who have resided in Switzerland for a total of at least 12 months. Remarks
Immigration and emigration or arrivals and departures between cantons: For the years 1971-1980, the annual inflows and outflows are not known. Only net migration is known for these years. The 'change of population type' component covers transfers by foreign nationals from the non-permanent to the permanent resident population. These persons also came to Switzerland through migration, but are only considered in the demographic balance in the calendar year in which they join the permanent resident population. The 'change of population type' component is always included in the demographic components of 'immigration' and 'net migration'.
For production reasons, some of the values are negative in 2011 and 2012. The 'acquisition of Swiss citizenship' component does not have any effect on population change at the total population level, but it does however influence the number and structure of the population with Swiss or foreign nationality. The “statistical adjustment” component includes changes to the population size that cannot be clearly attributed to demographic movements (births, deaths, migration). Further definitions are available on the FSO's statistics portal: Definitions