What is the most common day to give birth in Switzerland?

Though we often hear news stories about the birth rate and which baby names are in vogue, a new study from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) has now discovered what day babies are most likely to be born in Switzerland. Here’s what they found:

Babies in Switzerland are most likely to be born on Friday

As part of its latest Births in Hospital report, the FSO found that 79.200 births were registered in Switzerland in 2023. The study found that on average, 237 babies were born in Swiss hospitals every weekday, compared to just 181 on weekends. 

Interestingly, Friday is the most common day to give birth in Switzerland. 16 percent of babies were born on the last day of the working week, with weekdays being the most common times for a child to enter the world. By contrast, the fewest births were reported on Sunday, at just 11 percent.

Why are weekdays the most common time for births?

The reason for the discrepancy lies in how pregnancies in Switzerland are handled. In 2023, while two thirds of new mothers gave birth via vaginal delivery, one third were delivered by ceasarian section, one of the highest rates in Europe. Planned c-sections were 55 percent more common than unplanned procedures, and in places like Zurich, Zug and Schaffhausen, c-sections account for around two-fifths of all births.

In addition, in 21.342 cases, birth had to be induced by doctors. In both these cases, mothers and hospitals have a lot more control over when a baby is born, with healthcare providers tending to choose weekdays for delivery. This is why 94 percent of planned c-sections were done on a weekday.

For more information about the data, check out the FSO website.