Swiss society is undergoing a quiet demographic transformation. Marriages are declining, families are shrinking and children are increasingly seen as optional. New data from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) confirm the trend: both birth and marriage rates are falling, with little sign of reversal.
In 2024, women in Switzerland had an average of 1.29 children—down from 1.5 a decade ago. This marks the lowest fertility rate since modern records began. For perspective, the average stood at four children per woman in 1879 and 2.7 as recently as 1963.
In 2024, 78,300 children were born in Switzerland, 1,800 fewer than in 2023. That marks the third consecutive year of decline. Meanwhile, deaths have edged up, leaving a net natural population increase of just 6,300—the smallest in over a century. With baby boomers ageing and families shrinking, that figure is unlikely to rebound soon.
The preference for smaller families is clear. The average age of mothers at first birth has risen to 31.3. But more telling is where the drop is most pronounced: second births fell by 2.8%, third births by 3.6% and first births by a more modest 1.5%. According to the FSO, this suggests a growing preference for smaller families.
Marriage, once the presumed precursor to parenthood, is also losing ground. Only 36,800 couples tied the knot in 2024, down 2.6% from the previous year and the lowest level since 1981, pandemic years excepted. Divorces rose by 3.6%, with the average marriage lasting 15.8 years. Although the long-term divorce rate has stabilised over the past 15 years, the institution itself continues to wane.
The pattern is visible across the country, though not uniformly. Marriage rates bucked the trend slightly in the cantons of Glarus, St. Gallen and Aargau—though the latter two also experienced strong population growth. Birth rates have tumbled in both urban and rural areas, with Graubünden’s mountain communities particularly affected. Even in Zurich, Switzerland’s largest city, births have dropped 14% over the past decade.
According to Katja Rost, a sociologist at the University of Zurich who spoke to SRF, marriage is now just one relationship model among many. But the more pressing concern, she argues, is the plummeting birth rate. Today, children are seen as a burden. Changing that trajectory, she said, will require a cultural shift.
In addition, the practical challenges of having children are increasing. Accommodation is increasingly scarce and costly, and for many couples, double incomes are becoming a necessity rather than an option, which brings the challenge of competing for limited childcare and the burden of funding it.
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FSO article (in French) – Take a 5 minute French test now
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