Small Switzerland – current population 7.7 million – could see the number of its inhabitants rise to 8.35 million by 2030, according to the latest figures.
The population density will increase, but the country wouldn't become as crowded as the Netherlands or Britain.
Immigrants will make up the bulk of the population increase, believes the Federal Statistics Office, which released the information. "We expect there to be more arrivals than departures," the federal office's Raymond Kohli told swissinfo.
Foreigners, especially Germans encouraged by a healthy economy and a labour accord with the European Union, already helped account for a rise in population to 7.7 million people in 2008, an increase of 1.7 per cent against 2007 and the largest since 1963.
"However, a flux in the other direction cannot be excluded due to the change in the economic situation," noted the federal office in its recent statistics update.
Births should make up the rest. Last year the birth rate had risen in Switzerland contrary to predictions.
Nevertheless, at 1.48 children per woman, the rate is still insufficient to maintain the population at its current level. For this a rate of 2.1 would be needed.
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