Politics · Switzerland · 3 hrs ago
Swiss forecast sees fewer primary pupils and more university students by 2035
Switzerland’s Federal Statistical Office expects student numbers to change differently across education levels by 2035.
Primary school numbers are forecast to peak in 2027 or 2028, then fall by 8% by 2035 as births decline.
The number of pupils in lower secondary school is expected to start falling from 2033.
By contrast, universities, universities of applied sciences and teacher-training colleges are forecast to have 305,000 bachelor’s and master’s students in 2035, up 21% from 2026.
Population growth and more international students are the main reasons for the expected increase.
Vocational and general upper-secondary education and higher vocational education are also projected to grow.
The forecasts are uncertain because future birth and migration numbers are not known, while recent graduates have faced rising unemployment, except graduates of teacher-training colleges.
Switzerland’s Federal Statistical Office forecasts that university, university of applied sciences and teacher-training college enrolment will rise by 21% to 305,000 students by 2035.
Primary-school enrolment is projected to peak in 2027 or 2028, then fall by 8% by 2035.
The office expects growth at other education levels, including a 17% increase in higher vocational education.
It says the forecasts are uncertain because future birth and immigration numbers are unclear.
- Who
- Switzerland’s Federal Statistical Office issued the education forecasts.
- What
- It projects fewer primary pupils and more students in higher education by 2035.
- When
- The forecasts cover 2026 to 2035 and were published on 12 October 2026.
- Where
- Switzerland.
- Why
- The projected primary-school decline follows falling birth numbers since 2022; university growth is attributed mainly to population growth and more foreign students.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
No direct quotes in the coverage so far.
Birth numbers in Switzerland have fallen.
Primary-school enrolment is projected to reach a peak.
The forecast says primary-school enrolment will decline, falling by 8% by 2035.
University, university of applied sciences and teacher-training college enrolment is projected to reach 305,000.
- Primary pupils
- Projected to fall by 8% by 2035
- Higher education students
- Projected 305,000 by 2035
- Higher education growth
- 21% compared with 2026
- Higher vocational education
- Projected to rise 17% to 41,300 students
- Forecast period
- 2026–2035
Sources
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