Nordwestschweiz: economy, jobs and official figures
Nordwestschweiz is a statistical region of Switzerland, number 5 of 7 by population. Nordwestschweiz had 1,238,515 residents on 1 January 2025, 13.7% of the population of Switzerland and 5th largest of 7 regions in Switzerland. That is 10.9% more than in 2015.
In depth
- Economy, jobs and prices in Nordwestschweiz: The regional economy produced €115.1 billion of output (GDP at market prices) in 2022, 14.1% of Switzerland's GDP.
- Health in Nordwestschweiz: Life expectancy at birth was 84.1 years in 2024 (84.2 for Switzerland); 5th highest of 7 regions in Switzerland.
- Education in Nordwestschweiz: The share of adults aged 25 to 64 with a degree-level (tertiary) education was 45.7% in 2025, against 46.2% for Switzerland and 36.9% across the EU; 4th highest of 7 regions in Switzerland.
- Poverty and living standards in Nordwestschweiz: The share of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion was 21.2% in 2024, against 19.3% for Switzerland; 3rd highest of 7 regions in Switzerland.
- Government budget and revenue in Nordwestschweiz: In 2024 the cantonal governments of Northwestern Switzerland together spent CHF 15.1 billion in total, or CHF 12,231 per resident, 4th highest of 7 greater regions (all cantons: CHF 12,109 per resident).
- Government and politics in Nordwestschweiz: Northwestern Switzerland is a statistical region with no government of its own; power lies with its 3 cantons (Aargau, Basel-Landschaft, Basel-Stadt), whose parliaments have 330 seats and whose governments have 17 members in all.
How densely populated is Nordwestschweiz?
There were 637.1 people per square kilometre in 2024, against 226 for Switzerland as a whole.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many births and deaths are there in Nordwestschweiz?
In 2024 there were 10,661 live births and 10,208 deaths, a natural increase of 453.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the population of Northwestern Switzerland?
Northwestern Switzerland had 1,251,797 permanent residents at the end of 2025, 13.7% of the Swiss population, after growing by 1.07% during the year (Switzerland: 0.84%).
Source: Federal Statistical Office (BFS/OFS) · saved copyHow fast is Northwestern Switzerland growing?
Over ten years, from the end of 2015 to the end of 2025, the population of Northwestern Switzerland grew by 10.9%, from 1,128,723 to 1,251,797.
Source: Federal Statistical Office (BFS/OFS) · saved copyWhat is the birth rate in Nordwestschweiz?
The total fertility rate was 1.31 births per woman in 2024, compared with 1.29 nationally; 3rd highest of 7 statistical regions in Switzerland. In 2014 it was 1.52. About 2.1 is needed to keep a population stable without migration.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyMore figures
- In 2025 Northwestern Switzerland recorded 10,546 live births and 10,338 deaths, a natural increase of 208, while 52,904 people moved in and 39,827 moved out, a net migration gain of 13,077. Source: Federal Statistical Office (BFS/OFS) · saved copy
Cantons in Nordwestschweiz
Nordwestschweiz is made up of 3 cantons. Each has its own page of official figures.
- Aargau 735,808
- Basel-Landschaft 301,323
- Basel-Stadt 201,384
How statistical regions are governed in Switzerland
Cantons (26). Elected cantonal parliament and directly elected government. Own constitutions, police, schools, hospitals, taxes; they decide how communes are organised.
Every tier of government in Switzerland
This is one of the EU's NUTS 2 statistical regions, which Eurostat uses to compare regions across Europe. It does not always match a level of government in Switzerland.
Other statistical regions of Switzerland
- Espace Mittelland 1,962,040
- Région lémanique 1,757,496
- Zürich 1,620,020
- Ostschweiz 1,250,159
- Zentralschweiz 863,896
- Ticino 358,903
Up a level: Switzerland · government and power in Switzerland · cities
Sources
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_d2jan: Population on 1 January, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1572e74fa245…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_d3dens: Population density, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 f4b59fe9d121…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_2gdp: GDP (million euros), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 e3677c4e6d67…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset lfst_r_lfu3rt: Unemployment rate (age 15-74), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 13f5037ce93a…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset lfst_r_lfu3rt: Youth unemployment rate (age 15-24), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 83bb1aebc10b…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset lfst_r_lfe2emprt: Employment rate (age 20-64), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 03191283bf5f…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset ilc_peps11n: At risk of poverty or social exclusion, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 94dcf245d20e…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_mlifexp: Life expectancy at birth, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 62800ed9bbb3…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset edat_lfse_04: Adults (25-64) with a degree-level education, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 6ff9f4bfff72…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset isoc_r_broad_h: Households with broadband, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 b02c9a1ef222…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_fagec: Live births, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 6a1490d549d5…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_magec: Deaths, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 d4821a589633…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset reg_area3: Area, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 75302b0aafe9…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset lfst_r_lfu3rt: Unemployment rates by sex, age, educational attainment level and NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 ac151d8a46d5…)
- Federal Statistical Office (BFS/OFS): Angebot der Krankenhäuser nach Grossregion, Kanton und Betriebstyp, 2010-2024 (Krankenhausstatistik, px-x-1404010100_102), read 24 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 48e34cd9539b…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset isoc_r_iuse_i: Individuals regularly using the internet by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 fb4ff8800853…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset edat_lfse_22: Young people neither in employment nor in education and training (NEET) by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1467a7225373…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset ilc_lvhl21n: People living in households with very low work intensity by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 8b5e993ae943…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset lfst_r_lfe2emprt: Employment rates by sex, age and NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 51bfca80dc8b…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset tran_r_vehst: Stock of vehicles by category and NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 5adf37bcb393…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset ilc_li41: At-risk-of-poverty rate by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 27849ad61b9a…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset hlth_co_disch2t: Hospital discharges by diagnosis and NUTS 2 region (in-patients), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 d93487a1c1f9…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset hlth_cd_asdr2: Causes of death: standardised death rate by NUTS 2 region of residence, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 308c4b705d5d…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset trng_lfse_04: Participation rate of adults in education and training (last 4 weeks) by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 42ceced85786…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset hlth_silc_08_r: Self-reported unmet needs for medical examination by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 e5484460cdfc…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_mlifexp: Life expectancy by age, sex and NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 f5a2a33406b9…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset edat_lfse_16: Early leavers from education and training by sex and NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 c3cc66b98a4a…)
- Federal Statistical Office (BFS/OFS): Bilanz der ständigen Wohnbevölkerung, nach Kanton und Stadt, 1999-2025 (T 01.02.04.01), read 24 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 482963fd4ff7…)
- Federal Statistical Office (BFS/OFS): Kantonale Parlamentswahlen: Mandatsverteilung nach Parteien, Geschlecht und Kantonen (elections counted up to 4 October 2026), read 24 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 fd812b0d11ac…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_find2: Fertility indicators by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 d3f275c072bc…)
- Federal Statistical Office (BFS/OFS): Kantonale Regierungswahlen: Mandatsverteilung nach Partei und Kanton (T 17.02.06.01, elections counted up to 18 October 2026), read 24 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 b0f5f46a4367…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset educ_uoe_enra11: Pupils and students enrolled by education level, sex and NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 20b6224cca4f…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset tran_r_acci: Victims in road accidents by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 a183ad1f888d…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset tour_occ_nin2: Nights spent at tourist accommodation establishments by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 06f6a82909c0…)
- Federal Finance Administration (EFV/AFF): Detaillierte Daten FS und GFS Modell: Standardauswertungen (financial statistics of the Confederation, cantons, communes and social insurance, 1990-2024; standardauswertung.csv with its codelist, saved zipped), read 24 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 5fec658d1506…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset hlth_rs_physreg: Physicians by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 4ff68eb77f8b…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_minfind: Infant mortality rates by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 60cbafea3657…)
- Federal Statistical Office (BFS/OFS): WSH: Unterstützungseinheiten, Sozialhilfebeziehende und Sozialhilfequote der wirtschaftlichen Sozialhilfe nach Kanton, 2005-2024 (T 13.05.01.01.01), read 24 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 12ff5cd56e28…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset hlth_rs_bdsrg2: Hospital beds by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 3178c155028f…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset lfst_r_lfu2ltu: Long-term unemployment (12 months and more) by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 3d5d17a32863…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset ilc_mdsd18: Severe material and social deprivation rate by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 62e6e6fba571…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset edat_lfse_04: Population aged 25-64 by educational attainment level, sex and NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 63810622cd71…)
Each saved copy is the file exactly as downloaded, kept so the figures can be checked even if the source changes. Report an error.