Swiss infant deaths and stillbirths rose in 2025

Switzerland recorded 274 infant deaths and 363 stillbirths in 2025, according to figures published by the Federal Statistical Office on September 4, 2026. Both measures increased from the previous year, putting fresh attention on the country’s perinatal health data.

Deaths among children younger than one year rose from 259 in 2024 to 274 in 2025, an increase of 5.5%. Stillbirths climbed from 331 to 363, a rise of 9.7%. The figures describe events across Switzerland and do not, on their own, identify a common cause or reveal whether the increase affected particular cantons or population groups.

The numbers matter because infant mortality and stillbirths are closely watched indicators of pregnancy, birth and early-life health. They can reflect a wide range of medical and social factors, including complications during pregnancy or delivery, access to care and underlying health conditions. A single year’s movement, however, cannot establish a trend.

The FSO has stressed that the available data do not explain the increase. Further annual results and more detailed analysis will be needed before officials can determine whether 2025 marked a temporary deviation or the beginning of a sustained change.

Stillbirths rose by 32 cases in one year, from 331 in 2024 to 363 in 2025. Infant deaths increased by 15 cases over the same period. The percentages look larger for stillbirths because the underlying annual totals are relatively small, making year-to-year movements more visible.

The FSO has cautioned that significant fluctuations can occur from one year to the next. That warning is important when interpreting 2025. Rates based on small numbers can shift noticeably after a limited change in cases, and the source figures alone cannot show whether the increase is statistically unusual or likely to continue.

The data also cover two distinct outcomes. Infant mortality counts deaths during the first year of life, while Swiss vital statistics define a stillbirth as a baby born without signs of life after 22 completed weeks of pregnancy or with a birth weight of at least 500 grams. The measures therefore capture different stages of pregnancy and early childhood.

Comparing the raw totals gives the clearest initial picture: both indicators moved upwards in 2025. Establishing the significance of that movement requires rates, longer time series and a closer look at the characteristics of the pregnancies and births involved.

The FSO has identified possible risk factors, not a proven explanation. In response to an enquiry from Keystone-SDA, the statistics office said that maternal age at the time of birth, individual health risks and behaviours could contribute to the figures. It did not attribute the 2025 increase to any one of these factors.

Maternal age can influence pregnancy risk profiles, but the published figures do not show how the age distribution of mothers changed in 2025. They also do not provide information on medical histories, prenatal complications, treatments, causes of death or differences between regions. Those gaps prevent a direct link between the national totals and any specific risk factor.

The same caution applies to behaviour. Without individual-level data and appropriate comparisons, the figures cannot determine whether changes in health behaviour played a role. Nor can they establish whether care during pregnancy, delivery or the first year of life changed in a way that affected outcomes.

The FSO’s position keeps the interpretation narrow: the rise is documented, while its causes remain unresolved. Researchers would need detailed records, longer observation and controlled analysis to separate random annual variation from demographic or medical changes.

Switzerland’s long-term direction remains sharply different from the one-year rise. The FSO says both infant mortality and stillbirth rates have fallen significantly overall since national data collection began in 1969. The historical record includes smaller upward movements, showing why a single year cannot define the country’s demographic health.

That long-term decline reflects decades of change in obstetric care, neonatal medicine, monitoring and public health, although the source does not assign the historical improvement to one factor. The 2025 figures sit within that broader record, where annual totals can move up or down while the general trajectory remains lower than in earlier decades.

The next steps are statistical as well as clinical. Officials will need to monitor subsequent years and examine rates in relation to the number of births, rather than relying only on case totals. Detailed analysis could also assess maternal age, health conditions, pregnancy complications and other characteristics, provided the relevant data are available.

For now, the official conclusion is measured. Switzerland has recorded a clear increase in both indicators, but the evidence does not show whether it signals a lasting shift. Future FSO releases will determine whether 2025 stands alone or forms part of a wider pattern.