PEOPLE
Switzerland sits at the crossroads of several major European cultures, which have heavily influenced the country's languages and cultural practices. Switzerland has four official languages--German, French, Italian, and Romansch (based on Latin and spoken by a small minority in the Canton Graubunden). The German spoken is predominantly a Swiss dialect, but newspapers and some media broadcasts use High German. Many Swiss speak more than one language. English is widely spoken, especially among the university educated.
More than 75% of the population lives in the central plain, which stretches between the Alps and the Jura Mountains and from Geneva in the southwest to the Rhine River and Lake Constance in the northeast. Resident foreigners and temporary foreign workers make up about 21% of the population.
According to the Swiss Federal Office of Statistics, the population in
Switzerland was 7,593,500 at year-end 2007 (up from 7,509,000 at the start of
the year), of which 1,602,000 were resident foreigners. Three-quarters of this
growth was attributable to net immigration, largely from the European Union.
Switzerland naturalized 43,900 persons in 2007, or 6% fewer than in 2006.
Roughly 60% of the foreigners residing in Switzerland are from European Union
member countries, while, another 30% are from non-EU European countries. At
year-end 2006, the largest groups were from Italy (293,000), Serbia and
Montenegro (192,000), Portugal (174,000), Germany (174,000), and Turkey
(74,000).
Almost all Swiss are literate. Switzerland's 12 universities enrolled 114,961 students in the academic year of 2006-2007, of which roughly 23% were foreigners. In addition, another 57,181 persons were studying at technical colleges and 42,383 were in other forms of higher education (e.g., specialized training academies). About 31% of the population aged 25-64 holds a diploma of higher learning.
The Constitution guarantees
freedom of worship, and the different religious communities co-exist
peacefully.
Switzerland consistently ranks high on quality of life indices, including highest per capita income, one of the highest concentrations of computer and Internet usage per capita, highest insurance coverage per individual, and high health care rates. For these and many other reasons, it serves as an excellent test market for businesses hoping to introduce new products into Europe.
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Swiss (singular and plural).
Population (year-end 2008 est.): 7.7 million.
Annual growth rate: 1.1%.
Ethnic groups: Mixed European.
Religions: Roman Catholic 42%, Protestant 33%, Muslim 4.3%, others 5.4%, no religion 11%.
Languages: German 63.7%, French 20.4%, Italian 6.5%, Romansch 0.5%, other 9.4%.
Education: Years compulsory--9. Attendance--100%. Literacy--100%.
Health: Infant mortality rate--3.9/1,000. Life expectancy--men 79.4 yrs., women 84.2 yrs.
Work force (4.50 million in third quarter 2008): Agriculture and forestry--4.0%. Industry and construction--23.5%. Services sector and government--72.5%.
