Country Comments

Based on its citizen’s consumption level and economic activity, Switzerland's population is 4 ½ times too many people for the country’s renewable resource base to sustain. The OECD in its recent report stated Switzerland’s environment is under intense pressure (pollution, natural resource use, spatial restructuring) notably from industry, agriculture, transport and tourism. These pressures reflect very high densities of population and activity as well as a location in the heart of Europe. (1)

Thanks to its wide range of different mountain and valley habitats, climatic conditions and soil types, Switzerland has an extraordinarily rich biodiversity which supports over 45,000 surveyed species. But this biodiversity has been declining for decades. Half of Switzerland's habitat types and almost half of all surveyed native species are threatened or potentially threatened. (2)

Total fertility rates have hovered around 1.5 children per woman well below replacement since the 1980s. However population growth continues at a solid pace thanks to liberal immigration that has resettled from 135,000 to 155,000 foreigners annually the past 15 years. Approximately 70%-80% of the country’s total population growth is attributed to net migration.

(1) https://www.oecd.org/env/country-reviews/2451893.pdf

(2) https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/heavy-rain-floods-zurich-streets-causes-travel-chaos-2021-07-13/