Sex

The permanent resident population of Switzerland comprises slightly more women than men.

Permanent resident population by sex and nationality
  2020 2021 2022
Total 8 670 300  8 738 791  8 815 385
   Male 4 302 599  4 338 203  4 379 953
   Female 4 367 701  4 400 588  4 435 432
Swiss male 3 135 662  3 154 595  3 168 225
Swiss female 3 323 850  3 340 015  3 351 137
Foreign male 1 166 937  1 183 608  1 211 728
Foreign female 1 043 851  1 060 573  1 084 295
Source : FSO - STATPOP

Gender change in the civil register 

From 1 January 2022, people can request changes to information regarding their gender and first name in the civil register. Changing gender information does not affect relationships governed by family law (marriage, registered same-sex partnership, kinship or line of descent).

Gender change
  Total Women to men Men to women
2022 1177 620 557
Source: FSO - Vital Statistics

Sex ratio

The slight surplus of boys among children is largely due to the higher number of male births; around 106 newborn boys for every 100 girls. Boys, like men, however, have higher mortality at all ages. This higher mortality rate is offset among 20 to 64 year-olds by migration, as more men than women immigrate. After the age of 60, women greatly outnumber men due to their longer life expectancy. The interaction of these various factors means that there are slightly more women than men. The sex ratio in Switzerland was thus 99 men for 100 women in 2022.

Further information

Data

Graphs

Publications

Statistical sources and concepts

Contact

Federal Statistical Office Section Demography and Migration
Espace de l'Europe 10
CH-2010 Neuchâtel
Switzerland

Contact

Remark

Our English pages offer only a limited range of information on our statistical production. For our full range please consult our pages in French and German (top right hand screen).

https://www.bfs.admin.ch/content/bfs/en/home/statistics/population/effectif-change/sex.html