Regional demographic variations in Switzerland

The regional demographic variations in Switzerland.

The population of Switzerland evolves/moves differently according to the areas. Of plain or mountain, urban or rural, industrialized or agricultural, tourist attraction or not: these factors in particular influenced their demography.

A federal census is carried out every ten years since 1850.

Period of 1850 to 1880

Industrial era and of the development of the railroad. The population growth, result of important migratory flux, is moderate on the whole of Switzerland. The emigration is present in the agricultural areas of the cantons of Vaud and Lucerne, as well as north of the country. The cereal importation is source of competition for the agriculture of the country.

The valleys tessinoises and Grison, lost until half of their population because of emigration towards America mainly.

The areas of the Jura (clock making industry) and Eastern Switzerland (textile industry) see their population increasing with the development of their industrial activities.

The cities develop thanks to the railroad. Other areas grow for the benefit of a positive balance of birthrate: were worth and central Switzerland.

Period of 1880 to 1910

Strong development, economic and social transformation fundamental.

Immigration coming from the Neighboring states and a high birth rate combined with a mortality in strong regression leads to a strong increase in population.

The big cities double population: Zurich (+ 150%), Lucerne, St-Gall, Lausanne and Basle (+ 120%), Bern and Bienne (+ 100%) like, for example, industrial areas along Aar between Bienne and Aarau.

Development of certain tourist communes (Montreux, Montana, Zermatt, Interlaken, in the area of the lakes tessinois, into High-Engadine, like in Davos and Arosa).

Like the previous period the rural areas as well as the valleys tessinoises and Grison continues to lose their population. Just as the rural communes of the Jura.

Period of 1910 to 1941

Period opposed to the preceding one: economic stagnation and return to the national values. The proportion from abroad passes from 16 to 5%, the birthrate falls quickly and the model of the small family is essential and regional disparities grow blurred.

Crisis of clock making industry in the Jura, final Collapse of the embroidery in Eastern Switzerland and falls demand in tourism. The valleys of the south of the Alps continue to be depopulated as well as the rural areas of Freiburg and Vaud. The population of the urban cores stagnate or regress.

Contrary, the peripheries of the cities grow (initiation of the phenomenon of agglomeration). Among the rural regions Were worth it and central Switzerland become populated, just as the Grisons.

Period of 1941 to 1970

Economic and demographic strong growth in the areas urban, suburban, industrial and tourist. The growth of the Swiss plate is generalized of the Lake of Constancy to Neuchâtel and Freiburg. The basin lemanic and the agglomerations tessinoises are two other dynamic poles.

Contrary, all the nontourist mountainous regions see their attraction decreasing, as the side valleys of Were worth. All the rural areas of the Swiss plate to the variation of the main roads of communication lose their population with the profit of the peripheries of the great urban centres and the isolated cities.

Period of 1970 to 2000

The phase of boom conditions which existed hitherto ceased abruptly towards 1973/74 and have for consequence a demographic regression during 3 years and it is only into 1981 that the figure of population finds the level of 1974.

The birthrate is again higher as of end of the year 80 and, thanks to a reinforced immigration; between 1990 and 1997.

All the Swiss plate is in growth but with isolated rural regions which see their population dropping. Geneva except, the city-centers see the number of the inhabitants decreasing with the profit of the localities of periphery with the highest growth rates in the crowns external of the agglomerations. For example: communes of the districts of Nyon (agglomeration of Geneva), Morges, Echallens and Oron (Lausanne), Affoltern, Bremgarten, Dielsdorf and Uster (Zurich).

The valley of the Rhone Were worth some, central Switzerland (more especially in Nidwald and in the district of Sursee), the area of Freiburg and Tessin also sees their population increasing more strongly than the average.

Certain communes located in the isolated regions in central and Eastern alpine space, (like Gothard, the Valley of Conches, Bernese Oberhasli, Uri, Surselva, the Valley Blenio and Léventine) have sometimes considerable losses of population. In addition, Emmental and Entlebuch, as in the past, see their population decreasing like certain parts of the Jura (Valley of Joux, Co.-Cross, the back-country neuchâtelois, the Jura Bernese, Frank-Mountains and Ajoie).

Table of the regional demographic variations for the contemporary period since 1850

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