Switzerland vs United States
Switzerland vs United States: Urban population
Urban population in 2025: 85.7% in Switzerland and 80.2% in United States, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Switzerland, by 5.5 percentage points, or 1.07 times that in United States.
% of people · UN
What the numbers say
- Switzerland has been higher since 2019, when it overtook United States.
- In 2025, Switzerland ranked 49 and United States ranked 62 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
- The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts Switzerland at 89% and United States at 86.5% in 2050.
Every year
% of people · UN
| Year | Switzerland | United States |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 85.7 | 80.2 |
| 2024 | 85.5 | 80.1 |
| 2023 | 85.2 | 80.1 |
| 2022 | 84.9 | 80 |
| 2021 | 84.2 | 80 |
| 2020 | 82.3 | 80 |
| 2019 | 80.8 | 80.1 |
| 2018 | 79.3 | 80.3 |
| 2017 | 77.9 | 80.4 |
| 2016 | 76.7 | 80.5 |
| 2015 | 75.6 | 80.6 |
| 2014 | 74.7 | 80.6 |
| 2013 | 74.1 | 80.7 |
| 2012 | 73.8 | 80.7 |
| 2011 | 73.7 | 80.7 |
| 2010 | 73.6 | 80.7 |
| 2009 | 73.6 | 80.7 |
| 2008 | 73.6 | 80.6 |
| 2007 | 73.5 | 80.5 |
| 2006 | 73.5 | 80.4 |
| 2005 | 73.5 | 80.2 |
| 2004 | 73.5 | 80 |
| 2003 | 73.5 | 79.8 |
| 2002 | 73.4 | 79.6 |
| 2001 | 73.4 | 79.3 |
| 2000 | 73.3 | 79.1 |
| 1999 | 73.1 | 78.8 |
| 1998 | 72.9 | 78.5 |
| 1997 | 72.5 | 78.1 |
| 1996 | 72 | 77.7 |
| 1995 | 71.5 | 77.2 |
| 1994 | 71 | 76.7 |
| 1993 | 70.4 | 76.3 |
| 1992 | 69.8 | 75.9 |
| 1991 | 69.2 | 75.5 |
| 1990 | 68.7 | 75.3 |
| 1989 | 68 | 75.1 |
| 1988 | 67.3 | 74.9 |
| 1987 | 66.5 | 74.7 |
| 1986 | 65.6 | 74.5 |
| 1985 | 64.8 | 74.3 |
| 1984 | 64 | 74.2 |
| 1983 | 63.2 | 74 |
| 1982 | 62.4 | 73.9 |
| 1981 | 61.8 | 73.8 |
| 1980 | 61.3 | 73.8 |
| 1979 | 60.8 | 73.7 |
| 1978 | 60.4 | 73.7 |
| 1977 | 60.1 | 73.7 |
| 1976 | 59.7 | 73.6 |
| 1975 | 59.4 | 73.6 |
| 1974 | 59.1 | 73.6 |
| 1973 | 58.7 | 73.6 |
| 1972 | 58.3 | 73.6 |
| 1971 | 57.9 | 73.5 |
| 1970 | 57.4 | 73.5 |
| 1969 | 56.9 | 73.4 |
| 1968 | 56.3 | 73.3 |
| 1967 | 55.7 | 73 |
| 1966 | 55.1 | 72.7 |
| 1965 | 54.4 | 72.3 |
| 1964 | 53.7 | 71.9 |
| 1963 | 53 | 71.4 |
| 1962 | 52.4 | 70.9 |
| 1961 | 51.7 | 70.5 |
| 1960 | 51 | 70 |
| 1959 | 50.4 | 69.5 |
| 1958 | 49.7 | 69 |
| 1957 | 49 | 68.5 |
| 1956 | 48.3 | 67.9 |
| 1955 | 47.6 | 67.3 |
| 1954 | 46.9 | 66.6 |
| 1953 | 46.2 | 66 |
| 1952 | 45.6 | 65.3 |
| 1951 | 44.9 | 64.7 |
| 1950 | 44.3 | 64 |
UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) · 2026–2050
| Year | Switzerland | United States |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 86 | 80.3 |
| 2027 | 86.2 | 80.4 |
| 2028 | 86.5 | 80.5 |
| 2029 | 86.7 | 80.6 |
| 2030 | 86.9 | 80.7 |
| 2031 | 87.1 | 80.9 |
| 2032 | 87.3 | 81.1 |
| 2033 | 87.5 | 81.2 |
| 2034 | 87.7 | 81.4 |
| 2035 | 87.8 | 81.7 |
| 2036 | 88 | 81.9 |
| 2037 | 88.1 | 82.1 |
| 2038 | 88.2 | 82.4 |
| 2039 | 88.4 | 82.6 |
| 2040 | 88.5 | 82.9 |
| 2041 | 88.6 | 83.2 |
| 2042 | 88.7 | 83.5 |
| 2043 | 88.7 | 83.8 |
| 2044 | 88.8 | 84.2 |
| 2045 | 88.9 | 84.5 |
| 2046 | 88.9 | 84.9 |
| 2047 | 89 | 85.3 |
| 2048 | 89 | 85.7 |
| 2049 | 89 | 86.1 |
| 2050 | 89 | 86.5 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The share of people living in places the country itself counts as urban.
- Source: UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025.
- The dashed line is the UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 229 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Switzerland vs United States
Health
- Life expectancySwitzerland: 84 years in 2023United States: 79.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySwitzerland: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024United States: 0.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySwitzerland: 3.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023United States: 5.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterSwitzerland: 96.7% in 2022United States: 97.5% in 2022
- DepressionSwitzerland: 3.71% in 2017United States: 4.84% in 2017
- Suicide rateSwitzerland: 9.3 per 100,000 people in 2017United States: 12.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSwitzerland: 8.87 million people in 2023United States: 344 million people in 2023
- Population growthSwitzerland: 0.62% a year in 2023United States: 0.58% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSwitzerland: 1.43 births per woman in 2023United States: 1.62 births per woman in 2023
- Median ageSwitzerland: 42.3 years in 2023United States: 38 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSwitzerland: 19.6% in 2023United States: 17.4% in 2023
- Net migration rateSwitzerland: 5.1 per 1,000 people in 2023United States: 3.9 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
- GDP per personSwitzerland: $93,330 in 2025United States: $67,950 in 2025
- GDP growthSwitzerland: 1.6% a year in 2025United States: 2.3% a year in 2025
- InflationSwitzerland: 0.2% a year in 2025United States: 2.7% a year in 2025
- Government debtSwitzerland: 40.1% of GDP in 2025United States: 124.4% of GDP in 2025
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingSwitzerland: 0.76% of GDP in 2025United States: 3.12% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsSwitzerland: $7.15B in 2025United States: $929B in 2025
- Military spending per personSwitzerland: $849 in 2025United States: $2,755 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingSwitzerland: 2.4% of government spending in 2025United States: 8.3% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelSwitzerland: 20,000 people in 2020United States: 1.4 million people in 2020
- National powerSwitzerland: 0.12% of world capability in 2022United States: 12.36% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSwitzerland: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020United States: 0.84% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsSwitzerland: 33 million TIV in 2023United States: 745 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsSwitzerland: 129 million TIV in 2025United States: 14 billion TIV in 2025