Population: 7 260 357 (July 1998 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 17% (male 642 365; female 613 931)

15-64 years: 68% (male 2 506 653; female 2 415 647)

65 years and over: 15% (male 436 804; female 644 957) (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.22% (1998 est.)

Birth rate: 10.81 births/1 000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate: 9.03 deaths/1 000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.42 migrant(s)/1 000 population (1998 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 4.92 deaths/1 000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 78.88 years

male: 75.71 years

female: 82.22 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.46 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Nationality:

noun: Swiss (singular and plural)

adjective: Swiss

Ethnic groups: total population—German 65% French 18% Italian 10% Romansch 1% other 6%

note: Swiss nationals—German 74% French 20% Italian 4% Romansch 1% other 1%

Religions: Roman Catholic 46.1% Protestant 40% other 5% no religion 8.9% (1990)

Languages: German 63.7% French 19.2% Italian 7.6% Romansch 0.6% other 8.9%

note: figures for Swiss nationals only: German 74% French 20% Italian 4% Romansch 1% other 1%

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 99% (1980 est.)

male: NA%

female: NA%