Population
39.6k persons, 1 July latest value, 2023
Population on 1 July. UN estimate to 2023, medium variant from 2024; past UN revisions for forecast checks.
Liechtenstein
All indicators of the Macroscope base for Liechtenstein, with sources. Below: what past UN and IMF releases projected and what actually happened.
What the data shows
Computed with the same code as the observations under the main chart and in the API (get_insights). Moving together in time does not prove a cause.
How the indicators changed
- Fertility (TFR): 2.71 in 1950 → 1.54 in 2023 (−43%). Peak: 2.96 in 1965; the latest value is 48% lower. Threshold: below 2.1 since 1970. The trend broke around 1963 and 1981: +0.01 → −0.07 → 0 a year.
- Births: 0.29k in 1950 → 0.37k in 2023 (+26%). Peak: 0.43k in 1999; the latest value is 13% lower. The trend broke around 1965 and 1998: +0.01k → 0k → 0k a year.
- Population: 13.8k in 1950 → 39.6k in 2023 (×2.9).
- Internet: 0% in 1990 → 98.3% in 2024 (+98 pp). Thresholds: above 10% since 2000, above 50% since 2002, above 90% since 2013. Fastest growth in 2000–2005: 36.5% → 63.4%.
- Urban share: 20.4% in 1960 → 14.6% in 2025 (−5.8 pp). The trend broke around 1993 and 2003: −0.1 → −0.23 → +0.01 a year.
- GDP growth: on average 0.8% in the 2000s, 2.1% in the 2010s, 2.8% in the 2020s. Lowest: −11.9% in 2009; highest: 18% in 2021.
- Inflation: on average 0.9% in the 2000s, 0.0% in the 2010s, 1.0% in the 2020s. Lowest: −1.1% in 2015; highest: 2.8% in 2022.
What changed at the same time
- The fastest decline of "Fertility (TFR)" was in 1965–1975: 2.96 → 1.90. Over the same years: births 0.42k → 0.37k; population 18.6k → 23.2k; urban share 19.6% → 18.3%; no data for the others in those years.
- Over the last 10 years (2013–2023): fertility (TFR) 1.46 → 1.54; births 0.34k → 0.37k; population 36.9k → 39.6k; internet 93.8% → 98.1%; urban share 14.4% → 14.7%; GDP growth 5% → 3.4%; inflation −0.2% → 2.1%.
How the indicators relate
- Fertility (TFR) and internet (1990–2023, 24 years): levels are barely related (r = 0.10); year-to-year changes show no reliable link (r = −0.01).
- Fertility (TFR) and urban share (1960–2023, 64 years): levels are strongly related, in the same direction (r = 0.78); year-to-year changes show no reliable link (r = 0.01). This looks like a shared trend: both change over time, but not in step from year to year.
Forecasts vs actual
- Fertility (TFR): past UN projections. The outcome was below the projection in 0 of 1 revisions (2022–2022) and above in 1; median gap +3%.
- Fertility (TFR): UN 2024 projection (medium): 2050 — 1.56 (+1% vs 2023), 2100 — 1.59 (+3% vs 2023); low variant for 2100: 1.09.
- Births: past UN projections. The outcome was below the projection in 0 of 1 revisions (2022–2022) and above in 1; median gap +3.1%.
- Births: UN 2024 projection (medium): 2050 — 0.37k (+1% vs 2023), 2100 — 0.36k (−3% vs 2023); low variant for 2100: 0.16k.
- Population: past UN projections. The outcome was below the projection in 4 of 12 revisions (1998–2022) and above in 8; median gap +0.1%.
- The UN 2004 projection expected today's level (39.6k, 2023) only around 2024: reality is 1 year ahead of it.
- The UN 2012 projection expected today's level (39.6k, 2023) only around 2024: reality is 1 year ahead of it.
- Population: UN 2024 projection (medium): 2050 — 43k (+9% vs 2023), 2100 — 43.6k (+10% vs 2023); low variant for 2100: 32.4k.
- GDP growth: latest IMF forecast (IMF, April 2026): 2024 — −0.3%, 2026 — 0.4%, 2030 — 1.5%.
- Inflation: latest IMF forecast (IMF, April 2026): 2026 — 0.5%, 2028 — 0.7%, 2031 — 0.7%.
UN projections vs actual
Solid line: actual data, UN WPP 2024 estimates to 2023, then national statistics where comparable with the UN. Dashed: medium variants of past UN revisions. The table shows what each revision expected for the latest year (or five-year period) with actual data.
Population
persons, 1 July
- Actual
- UN 1998
- UN 2000
- UN 2002
- UN 2004
- UN 2006
- UN 2008
- UN 2010
- UN 2012
- UN 2015
- UN 2017
- UN 2019
- UN 2022
- UN 2024, medium
| Release | Target period | Horizon | Expected | Actual | Actual vs expected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UN 1998 | 2023 | 25 years | 40.8k | 39.6k | −2.8% |
| UN 2000 | 2023 | 23 years | 39k | 39.6k | +1.6% |
| UN 2002 | 2023 | 21 years | 38k | 39.6k | +4.3% |
| UN 2004 | 2023 | 19 years | 39.5k | 39.6k | +0.2% |
| UN 2006 | 2023 | 17 years | 39.9k | 39.6k | −0.7% |
| UN 2008 | 2023 | 15 years | 39.8k | 39.6k | −0.4% |
| UN 2010 | 2023 | 13 years | 39.7k | 39.6k | −0.4% |
| UN 2012 | 2023 | 11 years | 39.6k | 39.6k | 0% |
| UN 2015 | 2023 | 8 years | 39.5k | 39.6k | +0.3% |
| UN 2017 | 2023 | 6 years | 39.4k | 39.6k | +0.6% |
| UN 2019 | 2023 | 4 years | 38.5k | 39.6k | +2.8% |
| UN 2022 | 2023 | 1 year | 39.6k | 39.6k | 0% |
Births
births per year
- Actual
- UN 2022
- UN 2024, medium
| Release | Target period | Horizon | Expected | Actual | Actual vs expected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UN 2022 | 2023 | 1 year | 0.36k | 0.37k | +3.1% |
Total fertility rate
children per woman
- Actual
- UN 2022
- UN 2024, medium
| Release | Target period | Horizon | Expected | Actual | Actual vs expected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UN 2022 | 2023 | 1 year | 1.49 | 1.54 | +3% |
IMF forecasts vs actual
Solid line: actual values from the latest IMF edition (data get revised, so we use the newest). Dashed: April editions, current year and five years ahead. The table covers next-year forecasts from all editions: mean error shows bias, mean absolute error shows accuracy.
Real GDP growth
% per year
- Actual (IMF)
- WEO, April editions
All indicators
Demography
Births
0.37k births per year latest value, 2023
Live births per calendar year. UN WPP 2024 and national statistics (64 countries, 2015-2025).
Total fertility rate
1.54 children per woman latest value, 2023
Average number of children a woman would have at the age-specific fertility rates of the year.
Life expectancy at birth, women
85.3 years latest value, 2023
Years a newborn girl would live at the mortality rates of the year (UN).
Life expectancy at birth, men
81.8 years latest value, 2023
Years a newborn boy would live at the mortality rates of the year (UN).
Median age
44.2 years latest value, 2023
Age that divides the population in two halves (UN).
Mean age of mothers at childbirth
32.2 years latest value, 2023
Mean age of mothers at the birth of their children of any order (UN).
Sex ratio at birth
116.3 boys per 100 girls latest value, 2023
Boys born per 100 girls born (UN).
Net migration
0.21k persons per year latest value, 2023
Immigrants minus emigrants per year (UN estimate and projection).
Old-age dependency
30.2 persons 65+ per 100 aged 20-64 latest value, 2020
Persons aged 65+ per 100 aged 20-64, every five years (UN).
Digitalisation
Internet users
98.3 % of population latest value, 2024
Share of individuals who used the Internet in the last three months from any device. ITU data.
Mobile cellular subscriptions
128.9 per 100 people latest value, 2024
Active mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 people; can exceed 100 when people have several SIM cards. ITU data.
Fixed broadband subscriptions
50 subscriptions per 100 people latest value, 2024
Fixed subscriptions to high-speed Internet (256 kbit/s or more) per 100 people. ITU data.
Economy
Real GDP growth
3.4 % per year latest value, 2023
Annual change of GDP at constant prices. Actual values and forecasts from IMF WEO editions.
Inflation
0.2 % per year, average latest value, 2025
Change of the annual average consumer price index (IMF WEO).
Government gross debt
0.5 % of GDP latest value, 2023
General government gross debt, percent of GDP (IMF WEO).
Unemployment rate
3.5 % of labour force latest value, 2025
Unemployed as a share of the labour force (IMF WEO; national definitions).
GDP per capita, US dollars
205,907 current US dollars latest value, 2023
GDP per person in current US dollars at market exchange rates (IMF WEO).
Society
Urban population
14.6 % of population latest value, 2025
Share of people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices (World Bank, from UN World Urbanization Prospects).
Tertiary enrolment, women
36.3 % gross latest value, 2021
Women enrolled in tertiary education as a share of women in the five-year age group after secondary school; can exceed 100 (UNESCO).
Women with upper secondary education
62.5 % of women 25+ latest value, 2000
Share of women aged 25+ who completed at least upper secondary education (UNESCO).
Life expectancy at birth
84.2 years latest value, 2024
Life expectancy at birth, both sexes (World Bank, from UN and national statistics).
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