Swiss perspectives in 10 languages

Where the oldest Swiss live

A group of elderly people take in the view of Lake Uri in 2018.
A group of elderly people take in the view of Lake Uri in 2018. © Keystone / Urs Flueeler


Cantons Basel City, Jura and Ticino had the most 100-year-olds in Switzerland in 2018, new statistics reveal.

That year there were approximately 1,500-1,600 centenarians in Switzerland, 80% of whom were women, according to the Federal Statistical OfficeExternal link. The number has stabilised since 2012 after rising sharply between 1950-2010, when it doubled every ten years. The oldest person in Switzerland at the end of 2018 was 110.

On average there were 18 centenarians per 100,000 Swiss inhabitants in 2018.

Cantons with the most people aged 100 and over were Basel City (38 per 100,000 inhabitants), Jura (35), Ticino (33) and Geneva (29). Cantons Aargau (10) and Obwalden (3) had the fewest.

It is estimated that one out of four girls and one out of six boys born in 2018 may live to 100.

At the beginning of 2019, Albania had the highest number of centenarians in Europe with 845 per 100,000 residents. It was followed by Turkey (213) and Greece (87). Switzerland (18) was in the middle of the table alongside Germany, Hungary and Denmark..

Popular Stories

Most Discussed

News

Karin Keller-Sutter assures Ukraine of Switzerland's support

More

Swiss president reiterates country’s support for Ukraine

This content was published on President of the Swiss Confederation Karin Keller-Sutter reaffirmed Switzerland's support for Ukraine on Monday at a summit in Kiev to mark the third anniversary of the war. The objective remains a just and lasting peace, she said.

Read more: Swiss president reiterates country’s support for Ukraine
Employment up slightly in Switzerland by the end of 2024

More

Employment in Switzerland up slightly at end of 2024

This content was published on Total employment in Switzerland, excluding agriculture, rose by 0.9% year-on-year in the fourth quarter of last year, the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) reported on Monday.

Read more: Employment in Switzerland up slightly at end of 2024

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative

You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!

If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR