SWITZERLAND – facts and figures

Series Title
Series Details 18/05/00, Volume 6, Number 20
Publication Date 18/05/2000
Content Type

Date: 18/05/2000

Capital: Bern
Area: 41,286 sq. kilometres
Population: 7.2 million
Languages: German (64&percent;); French (19&percent;); Italian (8&percent;); Romansch (1&percent;); others (8&percent;)
Head of state: President Ruth Dreifuss, since 1 January 1999 (the de facto head of state is the president of the Federal Council, although constitutionally this role is filled by the council as a whole)
Unemployment: 2.4&percent; (January 2000)
Workforce: 4.7&percent; in agriculture, 26.2&percent; in industry, 69.1&percent; in services
Currency: Swiss franc (current rate: 1.5553 = €1)
Inflation: 0.8&percent; (1999 average)
Economy: Gross domestic product was €245 billion in 1999
Source: Economist Intelligence Unit
  1995 Jan-Sept 1999
Value 95/94 Value 99/98
  &percent;change &percent;change
Exports 51,019 9.1 45,237 8.1
Imports 43,211 3.4 38,596 5.6
Trade balance 7,808 6,642
Countries / Regions