# Share of the resident population with dominant language

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/share-of-the-resident-population-with-dominant-language/
- Short title: Dominant language
- Map id: 104
- Categories: Society and Culture › Language › National languages
- Keywords: Demography, Inhabitants, Language
- Published: 2010-11-26
- Last revised: 2024-02-12
- Content language: English
- Other languages: [Deutsch](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/de/thema/anteil-der-wohnbevoelkerung-mit-dominierender-hauptsprache.md), [Français](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/fr/theme/part-de-la-population-residente-par-langue-principale-dominante.md), [Italiano](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/it/tema/quota-di-popolazione-residente-con-lingua-principale-predominante.md)

## Description

Switzerland has four national languages: the most widespread is German, followed by French, Italian and Rhaeto-Romansh. Each of the four is clearly dominant in its own area. In the Italian and Rhaeto-Romansh linguistic regions, German is the most common second language, in the French linguistic region, there are a much larger proportion of non-national languages.

The linguistic frontiers between the three main national languages seem to be firm. Rhaeto-Romansh is, however, in a critical state. It faces strong competition from German and is steadily losing ground both in relative (1980: 0.8%; 2014: 0.5%) and absolute terms. Virtually all Rhaeto-Romans are basically bilingual. In the Italian-speaking area, just short of half the population is bilingual, while only one quarter are bilingual in the French-speaking and German-speaking areas.

Apart from German in the Rhaeto-Romansh area, the use of the national languages outside their own areas is one the retreat. The reasons for this are complex. The case is clearest with Italian: here, the retreat is probably mainly due to assimilation (the first language of second-generation immigrants is usually the local language) and remigration.

## Sources

- FSO (2003): Statistisches Jahrbuch der Schweiz. Neuchâtel: Verlag Neue Zürcher Zeitung

## Data sources

- Atlas of Switzerland: [Administrative Einheiten 1:500.000 (Gemeinden, Bezirke, Kantone)](http://www.atlasderschweiz.ch/)
- BFS/OFS/UST/FSO (2016): [Amtliches Gemeindeverzeichnis der Schweiz](http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/infothek/nomenklaturen/blank/blank/gem_liste/03.html). Neuchâtel: BFS
- FSO (2012): [Eidgenössische Volkszählungen](http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/infothek/erhebungen__quellen/blank/blank/vz/uebersicht.html). Neuchâtel
- FSO (2016): [Statistical Atlas of Switzerland](https://www.atlas.bfs.admin.ch/maps/13/map/mapIdOnly/0_de.html). Neuchâtel
- swisstopo [J160089] (2010): [Gemeindegrenzen GG25](https://shop.swisstopo.admin.ch/de/products/landscape/boundaries3D)
- swisstopo [J160089] (2010): [Landeskarte 1:500.000](https://shop.swisstopo.admin.ch/de/products/maps/national/lk500)

## Data owners

- [Atlas of Switzerland (AoS)](http://www.atlasderschweiz.ch/)
- [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 (2024): Share of the resident population with dominant language. ETH Zürich. Map data © AoS, FSO, swisstopo. https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/theme/share-of-the-resident-population-with-dominant-language/

## Links

- Map page, with the description and sources and a button that opens the map in the desktop atlas: https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/theme/share-of-the-resident-population-with-dominant-language/
- Open the map in the desktop atlas (version 4), where it is installed: adsglobe://map/104
- 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/).