*Respondents since 2010 could indicate multiple main languages. Up to three main languages per person were considered. Dialects (Swiss German, Romand patois, Ticino/Italo-Grison dialect) are included.
**The proportion of people indicating a non-national language has increased significantly, mainly due to the possibility, starting in 2010, of indicating multiple main languages. English and Portuguese are the two most frequently mentioned non-national languages.
Citation formats
Evolution of the main languages spoken in Switzerland 1970-2022
In Switzerland, the most spoken language by far is German, with more than ** percent of Swiss people mastering it in 2022. However, proficiency in German is declining over the studied period, while French is on the rise, with nearly ** percent of Swiss people placing French among their three main languages in 2022.
It should be noted that proficiency in "other languages," meaning languages that are not among Switzerland's official languages, is increasing significantly. The source indicates that English and Portuguese are the most mastered languages by Swiss people outside of the national languages.
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Bundesamt für Statistik (Schweiz). (January 10, 2025). Evolution of the share of Switzerland's inhabitants speaking the most spoken languages in the country between 1970 and 2022 [Graph]. In ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. Retrieved July 21, 2026, from /statistics/1628882/evolution-of-spoken-languages-in-switzerland/
Bundesamt für Statistik (Schweiz). "Evolution of the share of Switzerland's inhabitants speaking the most spoken languages in the country between 1970 and 2022." Chart. January 10, 2025. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. Accessed July 21, 2026. /statistics/1628882/evolution-of-spoken-languages-in-switzerland/
Bundesamt für Statistik (Schweiz). (2025). Evolution of the share of Switzerland's inhabitants speaking the most spoken languages in the country between 1970 and 2022. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Inc.. Accessed: July 21, 2026. /statistics/1628882/evolution-of-spoken-languages-in-switzerland/
Bundesamt für Statistik (Schweiz). "Evolution of The Share of Switzerland's Inhabitants Speaking The Most Spoken Languages in The Country between 1970 and 2022." ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ, ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Inc., 10 Jan 2025, /statistics/1628882/evolution-of-spoken-languages-in-switzerland/
Bundesamt für Statistik (Schweiz), Evolution of the share of Switzerland's inhabitants speaking the most spoken languages in the country between 1970 and 2022 ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ, /statistics/1628882/evolution-of-spoken-languages-in-switzerland/ (last visited July 21, 2026)
Evolution of the share of Switzerland's inhabitants speaking the most spoken languages in the country between 1970 and 2022 [Graph], Bundesamt für Statistik (Schweiz), January 10, 2025. [Online]. Available: /statistics/1628882/evolution-of-spoken-languages-in-switzerland/
