Birthrate in Switzerland lowest since records began

The Federal Statistical Office (FSO) has revealed that the average number of children per woman in Switzerland has dropped to its lowest level since records began. The desire to have children is also declining.

Average number of children per woman drops to 1,29

The average number of children per woman in Switzerland has fallen from 1,3 in 2023 to 1,29 in 2024, the lowest it has been since records began, according to the latest figures from the FSO. International women living in Switzerland have slightly more children than Swiss women, at 1,5 and 1,2 children per woman, respectively. 

In 1964, the average number of children per woman was 2,7. The figure has been steadily declining since then, dropping to 2,1 in 1970, 1,6 in 1980 and 1990, 1,5 in 2021 and almost 1 by 2024.

The number of families deciding to have three children has dropped quite significantly by 13,6 percent between 2019 and 2024. In comparison, the number of births of a first child declined by 8,5 percent, second births by 9,0 percent and births of the fourth or subsequent children by 5,8 percent. 

Desire to have children declining in Switzerland 

The FSO report also found that the desire to have children and start a family in Switzerland has also declined, particularly among people aged 20 to 29 years old. In 2013, 6 percent of women didn’t want children and by 2023, the figure had risen to 17 percent. 

The FSO reports that the decision by women whether or not to have children is shaped by the quality of their marriage or partnership and the division of chores like housework and childcare. A person’s financial situation, such as the cost of renting or their salary, also plays an important role. 

In the past two decades, rent prices in Switzerland have increased by a third and, according to a 2022 survey by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Swiss households spend an average of 27 percent of their annual income on childcare - some of the highest in Europe.