# Population density: point cloud

A map of a former edition of the Atlas of Switzerland, the national atlas published by ETH Zurich. It opens only in the desktop atlas (version 4) for Windows and macOS, not in the web atlas; see the links below.

- Map: https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/theme/population-density-point-cloud/
- Map id: 351
- Categories: Society and Culture › Population › Density and Distribution
- Keywords: Demography, Inhabitants
- Published: 2010-11-26
- Last revised: 2023-01-12
- Content language: English
- Other languages: [Deutsch](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/de/thema/bevoelkerungsdichte-punktwolke.md), [Français](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/fr/theme/densite-de-la-population-nuage-de-points.md), [Italiano](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/it/tema/densita-della-popolazione-nuvola-di-punti.md)

## Description

Between 1900 and 2008, Switzerland's population has more than doubled, from 3.3 millions in 1900 to 8.2 millions in 2014. At present, 73.7 per cent of the population live in urban areas and less than one third in rural areas. This is typical throughout Europe for conurbations.
For Switzerland as a whole, the population density is 206 persons/km² (2014). Urban areas grew by 1.1 per cent in 2011, while the population in rural areas grew by 0.9 per cent to reach around 2.0 million people.

## Sources

- FSO (2003): Statistisches Jahrbuch der Schweiz. Neuchâtel: Verlag Neue Zürcher Zeitung
- FSO (2010): Statistisches Jahrbuch der Schweiz. Neuchâtel: Verlag Neue Zürcher Zeitung
- FSO (2015): [Bevölkerung: Panorama](http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/01/01/pan.html). Neuchâtel: Bundesamt für Statistik

## Data sources

- Atlas of Switzerland: [Administrative Einheiten 1:500.000 (Gemeinden, Bezirke, Kantone)](http://www.atlasderschweiz.ch/)
- BLW (2015): Landwirtschaftliche Zonengrenzen
- FSO (2019): [STATPOP](http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/01/02/blank/key/bevoelkerungsstand/02.html)
- FSO (2020): [Ständige und nichtständige Wohnbevölkerung nach institutionellen Gliederungen, Staatsangehörigkeit (Kategorie), Geschlecht und Alter](https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/de/home/statistiken/bevoelkerung/stand-entwicklung/bevoelkerung.html)

## Data owners

- [Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO)](https://www.bfs.admin.ch/)
- [Swiss Federal Office of Topography (swisstopo)](http://www.swisstopo.admin.ch/)

## Citation

The terms of use ask to name the Atlas of Switzerland and the data owners, and to keep the source references in exports, screenshots and embeds. Cite the map as:

> Atlas of Switzerland (2023): Population density: point cloud. ETH Zürich. Map data © FSO, swisstopo. https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/theme/population-density-point-cloud/

## Links

- Map page, with the description and sources and a button that opens the map in the desktop atlas: https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/theme/population-density-point-cloud/
- Open the map in the desktop atlas (version 4), where it is installed: adsglobe://map/351
- Download of the desktop atlas (version 4) for Windows and macOS: https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/ads4-download/

For the use and citation of maps and data, see the [terms of use](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/terms-of-use/).