Languages

  • Total population:
    • German 65%
    • French 18%
    • Italian 12%
    • Romonsch 1%
    • other 4%

  • Swiss nationals only:
    • German 74%
    • French 20%
    • Italian 4%
    • Romonsch 1%
    • other 1%
  • Even though Switzerland is a small country, its people do speak no less than
    four different languages. Everything from the list of the ingredients on the
    package of the groceries to the manual of the most complicated TV set has to be
    printed in three different languages (german, french and italian).

    The so called « german speaking » Swiss don’t speak the same german as the
    Germans or the Austrians do, but what is known as « Swiss-German ». To make it
    even worse, each state has its own dialect, but there is no written
    « Swiss-German » at all ! Fortunately, the Germans, the Austrians and the
    Swiss-Germans use the same written german language which in turn is close to the
    so called « high german », a « quasi-standard » of the german languages.

    Source: about.ch