https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Switzerland in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed The populations of certain countries in Europe are expected to grow by 2100, but there will be a big drop on average across Europe, new predictions reveal. So which countries will see a population growth? https://www.thelocal.ch/20260425/revealed-the-countries-in-europe-that-will-buck-the-trend-and-grow-in-population Sat, 25 Apr 2026 11:32:03 +0200 revealed-the-countries-in-europe-that-will-buck-the-trend-and-grow-in-population The number of people acquiring the citizenship of a European country has increased massively compared to a decade ago. Experts say that the trend has accelerated in recent years due various factors. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260403/why-more-and-more-people-are-acquiring-citizenship-in-european-countries Fri, 03 Apr 2026 13:09:12 +0200 why-more-and-more-people-are-acquiring-citizenship-in-european-countries For the first time, Switzerland’s residents over the age of 65 outnumber those under 20. The phenomenon could have serious implications on the country’s future as well as on government policy. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260402/what-will-switzerland-do-now-that-retirees-outnumber-young-people Thu, 02 Apr 2026 17:18:44 +0200 what-will-switzerland-do-now-that-retirees-outnumber-young-people In 2025, people born outside the European Union made up about 10 percent of the EU’s 450 million population. But which countries have the largest share of foreign-born residents? https://www.thelocal.ch/20260324/which-countries-in-europe-have-the-biggest-share-of-foreign-residents Tue, 24 Mar 2026 14:20:44 +0100 which-countries-in-europe-have-the-biggest-share-of-foreign-residents Women in Switzerland are having fewer children than ever before, and this phenomenon could have dire consequences on the country's future. https://www.thelocal.ch/20251113/why-is-switzerlands-birthrate-at-its-lowest-ever-and-what-will-the-impact-be Thu, 13 Nov 2025 14:21:56 +0100 why-is-switzerlands-birthrate-at-its-lowest-ever-and-what-will-the-impact-be After already nabbing the top spot in another international ranking earlier in 2025, Switzerland has once again been named the most competitive country in the world. What is this small country doing right? https://www.thelocal.ch/20251029/economic-resilience-why-switzerland-is-still-the-worlds-most-competitive-nation Wed, 29 Oct 2025 13:12:13 +0100 economic-resilience-why-switzerland-is-still-the-worlds-most-competitive-nation Switzerland is the only country in Europe that has four official languages. New data sheds light on who speaks what. https://www.thelocal.ch/20250815/in-numbers-what-we-know-about-switzerlands-multilingual-population Fri, 15 Aug 2025 13:36:10 +0200 in-numbers-what-we-know-about-switzerlands-multilingual-population Switzerland's population is still growing and is expected to hit 10 million in the years to come, but some parts of the country will see faster growth than others. https://www.thelocal.ch/20250415/how-switzerlands-population-will-change-in-the-coming-years Tue, 15 Apr 2025 18:41:59 +0200 how-switzerlands-population-will-change-in-the-coming-years Switzerland's population continues to rise to a record level, despite a drop in immigration and a falling birthrate, new statistics reveal. https://www.thelocal.ch/20250404/population-of-switzerland-rises-to-record-9-05-million-amid-fall-in-immigration Fri, 04 Apr 2025 16:46:27 +0200 population-of-switzerland-rises-to-record-9-05-million-amid-fall-in-immigration EU countries granted citizenship to more than a million residents in 12 months, so which countries are naturalising the most foreigners? https://www.thelocal.ch/20250308/which-countries-in-europe-grant-more-citizenships Sat, 08 Mar 2025 15:42:25 +0100 which-countries-in-europe-grant-more-citizenships With many countries in Europe imposing new or tougher language requirements for residency or citizenship, experts say it's no surprise given the rise of nationalist parties and the importance of language to national identity. https://www.thelocal.ch/20250306/social-glue-why-its-no-surprise-european-states-are-toughening-language-requirements Thu, 06 Mar 2025 14:47:31 +0100 social-glue-why-its-no-surprise-european-states-are-toughening-language-requirements Residents in Switzerland are more likely to die from certain causes, such as specific types of cancers, than others, new data has revealed. https://www.thelocal.ch/20241218/what-are-people-in-switzerland-most-likely-to-die-of Wed, 18 Dec 2024 10:47:31 +0100 what-are-people-in-switzerland-most-likely-to-die-of Switzerland now counts just over 9 million permanent residents. When will the country’s population hit 10 million? https://www.thelocal.ch/20240925/how-soon-will-switzerlands-population-reach-the-10-million-mark Wed, 25 Sep 2024 16:16:34 +0200 how-soon-will-switzerlands-population-reach-the-10-million-mark Switzerland always does well in international quality-of-life surveys. But what about its individual cities? https://www.thelocal.ch/20240124/how-does-the-quality-of-life-compare-in-swiss-cities Wed, 24 Jan 2024 13:52:52 +0100 how-does-the-quality-of-life-compare-in-swiss-cities The Swiss population has increased by 12 percent in the past decade, but not equally throughout the country: in certain municipalities, the number of inhabitants has decreased. https://www.thelocal.ch/20240112/where-in-switzerland-is-the-population-growing-and-where-is-it-shrinking Fri, 12 Jan 2024 15:23:14 +0100 where-in-switzerland-is-the-population-growing-and-where-is-it-shrinking Many Non-EU nationals, including Britons since Brexit, need to make sure they don't go over the 90-day rule in the EU/Schengen area. But how many people are turned away at European borders because they overstayed? https://www.thelocal.ch/20230521/how-many-travellers-are-turned-away-at-european-borders-because-of-90-day-limit Sun, 21 May 2023 14:19:07 +0200 how-many-travellers-are-turned-away-at-european-borders-because-of-90-day-limit The population of Europe has been steadily increasing in recent years but it is soon set to peak and then go into decline. We explain why and also the countries in Europe where you are most likely to live to a hundred years old. https://www.thelocal.ch/20230416/why-is-the-population-of-europe-set-to-shrink Sun, 16 Apr 2023 15:53:29 +0200 why-is-the-population-of-europe-set-to-shrink It has long been predicted that Switzerland's population would hit the nine million mark in 2023, then at some point in the future crash through the landmark 10 million. But perhaps this outlook is mistaken. We explore what's going on. https://www.thelocal.ch/20230117/could-switzerlands-population-decline-instead-of-hitting-10-million-mark Tue, 17 Jan 2023 12:43:05 +0100 could-switzerlands-population-decline-instead-of-hitting-10-million-mark The population of Switzerland is on the cusp of hitting nine million and crossing that significant threshold should prompt questions about the future of the country, writes Clare O’Dea. https://www.thelocal.ch/20221228/opinion-switzerland-can-be-thankful-to-foreigners-as-population-nears-9-million-mark Wed, 28 Dec 2022 14:27:27 +0100 opinion-switzerland-can-be-thankful-to-foreigners-as-population-nears-9-million-mark The word "Switzerland" usually conjures up images of a small, mountainous and affluent country, but as a new study shows, there are significant disparities between various regions. https://www.thelocal.ch/20220627/explained-the-striking-contrasts-between-switzerlands-regions Mon, 27 Jun 2022 13:45:47 +0200 explained-the-striking-contrasts-between-switzerlands-regions