The Principality of Liechtenstein was established within the Holy Roman Empire in 1719. Occupied by both French and Russian troops during the Napoleonic Wars, it became a sovereign state in 1806 and joined the German Confederation in 1815. Liechtenstein became fully independent in 1866 when the Confederation dissolved. Until the end of World War I, it was closely tied to Austria, but the economic devastation caused by that conflict forced Liechtenstein to enter into a customs and monetary union with Switzerland. Since World War II (in which Liechtenstein remained neutral), the country’s low taxes have spurred outstanding economic growth. In 2000, shortcomings in banking regulatory oversight resulted in concerns about the use of financial institutions for money laundering. However, Liechtenstein implemented anti-money laundering legislation and a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty with the US that went into effect in 2003.
Geography
Location
Central Europe, between Austria and Switzerland
Geographic coordinates
47 16 N, 9 32 E
Map references
Europe
Area
total : 160 sq km
land: 160 sq km
water: 0 sq km
comparison ranking: total 219
Area – comparative
about 0.9 times the size of Washington, D.C.
Land boundaries
total: 75 km
border countries (2): Austria 34 km; Switzerland 41 km
Coastline
0 km (doubly landlocked)
Maritime claims
none (landlocked)
Climate
continental; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow or rain; cool to moderately warm, cloudy, humid summers
Terrain
mostly mountainous (Alps) with Rhine Valley in western third
Elevation
highest point: Vorder-Grauspitz 2,599 m
lowest point: Ruggeller Riet 430 m
Natural resources
hydroelectric potential, arable land
Land use
agricultural land: 32.3% (2022 est.)
arable land: 10.8% (2022 est.)
permanent crops: 0% (2022 est.)
permanent pasture: 21.5% (2022 est.)
forest: 41.9% (2022 est.)
other: 25.8% (2022 est.)
Irrigated land
0 sq km (2012)
Major watersheds (area sq km)
Atlantic Ocean drainage: Rhine-Maas (198,735 sq km)
Population distribution
most of the population is found in the western half of the country along the Rhine River
Natural hazards
avalanches, landslides
Geography – note
along with Uzbekistan, one of only two doubly landlocked countries in the world; variety of microclimatic variations based on elevation
People and Society
Population
total: 40,272 (2024 est.)
male: 20,072
female: 20,200
comparison rankings: total 212; female 213; male 212
Nationality
noun: Liechtensteiner(s)
adjective: Liechtenstein
Ethnic groups
Liechtensteiner 65.6%, Swiss 9.6%, Austrian 5.8%, German 4.5%, Italian 3.1%, other 11.4% (2021 est.)
note: data represent population by nationality
Languages
German 91.5% (official, Alemannic is the main dialect), Italian 1.5%, Turkish 1.3%, Portuguese 1.1%, other 4.6% (2015 est.)
major-language sample(s):
Das World Factbook, die unverzichtbare Quelle für grundlegende Informationen. (German)
The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
German audio sample:
Religions
Roman Catholic (official) 73.4%, Protestant Reformed 6.3%, Muslim 5.9%, Christian Orthodox 1.3%, Lutheran 1.2%, other Protestant 0.7%, other Christian 0.3%, other 0.8%, none 7%, unspecified 3.3% (2015 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years: 15.3% (male 3,412/female 2,732)
15-64 years: 63.9% (male 12,814/female 12,921)
65 years and over: 20.8% (2024 est.) (male 3,846/female 4,547)
2024 population pyramid:
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 56.5 (2024 est.)
youth dependency ratio: 23.9 (2024 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 32.6 (2024 est.)
potential support ratio: 3.1 (2024 est.)
Median age
total: 44.2 years (2024 est.)
male: 42.4 years
female: 46.1 years
comparison ranking: total 30
Population growth rate
0.69% (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 129
Birth rate
10.3 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 180
Death rate
8.2 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 81
Net migration rate
4.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 20
Population distribution
most of the population is found in the western half of the country along the Rhine River
Urbanization
urban population: 14.6% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 1.15% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas – population
5,000 VADUZ (capital) (2018)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.26 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.25 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Mother’s mean age at first birth
31.3 years (2017)
Infant mortality rate
total: 3.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
male: 4.3 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.5 deaths/1,000 live births
comparison ranking: total 189
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 83 years (2024 est.)
male: 80.7 years
female: 85.8 years
comparison ranking: total population 20
Total fertility rate
1.69 children born/woman (2024 est.)
comparison ranking: 168
Gross reproduction rate
0.75 (2024 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate
NA
Drinking water source
improved:
urban: NA
rural: NA
total: 100% of population
unimproved:
urban: NA
rural: NA
total: 0% of population (2020)
Physician density
1.3 physicians/1,000 population (2022)
Sanitation facility access
improved:
urban: NA
rural: NA
total: 100% of population
unimproved:
urban: NA
rural: NA
total: 0% of population (2020)
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
65.2% (2023 est.)
Education expenditure
2.6% of GDP (2011 est.)
comparison ranking: Education expenditure (% GDP) 169
Literacy
total population: NA
male: NA
female: NA
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
total: 15 years
male: 16 years
female: 14 years (2020)
Environment
Environment – current issues
some air pollution generated locally, some carried over from surrounding countries
Environment – international agreements
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Law of the Sea
Climate
continental; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow or rain; cool to moderately warm, cloudy, humid summers
Land use
agricultural land: 32.3% (2022 est.)
arable land: 10.8% (2022 est.)
permanent crops: 0% (2022 est.)
permanent pasture: 21.5% (2022 est.)
forest: 41.9% (2022 est.)
other: 25.8% (2022 est.)
Urbanization
urban population: 14.6% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 1.15% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Air pollutants
carbon dioxide emissions: 0.05 megatons (2016 est.)
methane emissions: 0.02 megatons (2020 est.)
Waste and recycling
municipal solid waste generated annually: 32,382 tons (2015 est.)
municipal solid waste recycled annually: 20,919 tons (2015 est.)
percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 64.6% (2015 est.)
Major watersheds (area sq km)
Atlantic Ocean drainage: Rhine-Maas (198,735 sq km)
Total water withdrawal
municipal: 10 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Total renewable water resources
0 cubic meters (2017 est.)
Government
Country name
conventional long form: Principality of Liechtenstein
conventional short form: Liechtenstein
local long form: Fuerstentum Liechtenstein
local short form: Liechtenstein
etymology: named after the Liechtenstein family that purchased and united the counties of Schellenburg and Vaduz in 1719; the family name was taken from its Austrian castle of the same name, which in German means “light stone”
Government type
constitutional monarchy
Capital
name: Vaduz
geographic coordinates: 47 08 N, 9 31 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
etymology: may be a conflation from the Latin vallis (valley) and the Old German dutsch (German) to produce Valdutsch (“German valley”), which was simplified over time to Vaduz
Administrative divisions
11 communes (Gemeinden, singular – Gemeinde); Balzers, Eschen, Gamprin, Mauren, Planken, Ruggell, Schaan, Schellenberg, Triesen, Triesenberg, Vaduz
Legal system
civil law system influenced by Swiss, Austrian, and German law
Constitution
history: previous 1862; latest adopted 5 October 1921
amendment process: proposed by Parliament, by the reigning prince (in the form of “Government” proposals), by petition of at least 1,500 qualified voters, or by at least four communes; passage requires unanimous approval of Parliament members in one sitting or three-quarters majority vote in two successive sittings; referendum required only if petitioned by at least 1,500 voters or by at least four communes; passage by referendum requires absolute majority of votes cast
International law organization participation
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Citizenship
citizenship by birth: no
citizenship by descent only: the father must be a citizen of Liechtenstein; in the case of a child born out of wedlock, the mother must be a citizen
dual citizenship recognized: no
residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch
chief of state: Prince HANS-ADAM II (since 13 November 1989, assumed executive powers on 26 August 1984)
head of government: Prime Minister Brigitte HAAS (since 10 April 2025)
cabinet: Cabinet elected by the Parliament, confirmed by the monarch
elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party in Parliament usually appointed the head of government by the monarch, and the leader of the largest minority party in Parliament usually appointed the deputy head of government by the monarch if there is a coalition government
note: the prince’s successor is his son, Heir Apparent and Regent of Liechtenstein Prince ALOIS; on 15 August 2004, HANS-ADAM II transferred the official duties of the ruling prince to ALOIS, but Prince HANS-ADAM II retains the status of chief of state
Legislative branch
legislature name: Diet (Landtag)
legislative structure: unicameral
number of seats: 25 (all directly elected)
electoral system: proportional representation
scope of elections: full renewal
term in office: 4 years
most recent election date: 2/9/2025
parties elected and seats per party: Patriotic Union (VU) (10); Progressive Citizens’ Party (FBP) (7); Democrats for Liechtenstein (DpL) (6); Free List (FL) (2)
percentage of women in chamber: 32%
expected date of next election: February 2029
Judicial branch
highest court(s): Supreme Court or Supreme Court or Fürstlicher Oberster Gerichtshof (consists of 5 judges and 5 substitutes); Constitutional Court or Staatsgerichtshof (consists of 5 judges, and 5 alternates)
judge selection and term of office: judges of both courts elected by the Landtag and appointed by the monarch; Supreme Court judges serve 4-year renewable terms; Constitutional Court judges appointed for renewable 5-year terms
subordinate courts: Court of Appeal (second instance), Regional Court (first instance), Administrative Court, Tribunal Court, district courts
Political parties
Democrats for Liechtenstein (Demokraten pro Liechtenstein) or DpL
Fatherland Union (Vaterlaendische Union) or VU
Progressive Citizens’ Party (Fortschrittliche Buergerpartei) or FBP
The Free List (Die Freie Liste) or FL
The Independents (Die Unabhaengigen) or DU
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Georg SPARBER (since 1 December 2021)
chancery: 2900 K Street NW, Suite 602B, Washington, DC 20007
telephone: [1] (202) 331-0590
FAX: [1] (202) 331-3221
email address and website:
[email protected]
https://www.liechtensteinusa.org/
Diplomatic representation from the US
embassy: the US does not have an embassy in Liechtenstein; the US Ambassador to Switzerland is accredited to Liechtenstein
International organization participation
CD, CE, EBRD, EFTA, IAEA, ICCt, ICRM, IFRCS, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UPU, WIPO, WTO
Independence
23 January 1719 (Principality of Liechtenstein established); 12 July 1806 (independence from the Holy Roman Empire); 24 August 1866 (independence from the German Confederation)
National holiday
National Day, 15 August (1940); note – a National Day was originally established in 1940 to combine celebrations for the Feast of the Assumption (15 August) with those honoring the birthday of former Prince FRANZ JOSEF II (1906-1989) whose birth fell on 16 August; after the prince’s death, National Day became the official national holiday by law in 1990
Flag description
two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red, with a gold crown on the hoist side of the blue band; the colors may derive from the blue-and-red livery used in the principality’s household in the 18th century; the prince’s crown was introduced in 1937 to distinguish it from Haiti’s flag
National symbol(s)
princely hat (crown)
National colors
blue, red
National coat of arms
the six motifs on the coat of arms provide a history of the royal House of Liechtenstein since 1719, when the country was founded; the small shield at the center is the royal family’s gold-and-red coat of arms, the gold-crowned eagle signifies the Silesia family, the diamond wreath represents the Kuenringer family, the red-and-silver shield is the Duchy of Troppau, the black eagle comes from the coat of arms of a family that married into the royal line, and the golden hunting horn represents the Duchy of Jägerndorf
The six motifs on Liechtenstein‘s coat of arms provide a history of the royal House of Liechtenstein since 1719, when the country was founded. The small shield at the center is the royal family’s gold-and-red coat of arms, the gold-crowned eagle signifies the Silesia family, the diamond wreath represents the Kuenringer family, the red-and-silver shield is the Duchy of Troppau, the black eagle comes from the coat of arms of a family that married into the royal line, and the golden hunting horn represents the Duchy of Jägerndorf.:
National anthem
name: “Oben am jungen Rhein” (High Above the Young Rhine)
lyrics/music: Jakob Joseph JAUCH/Josef FROMMELT
note: adopted 1850, revised 1963; uses the tune of “God Save the King”
Economy
Economic overview
high-income European economy; Schengen Area participant; key European financial leader; integrated with Swiss economy and franc currency user; one of the highest GDP per capita countries; relies on US and Eurozone markets for exports
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$4.978 billion (2014 est.)
comparison ranking: 186
GDP (official exchange rate)
$7.362 billion (2022 est.)
note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
-0.4% (2016 est.)
comparison ranking: 6
GDP – composition, by sector of origin
agriculture: 0.2% (2021 est.)
industry: 40.2% (2021 est.)
services: 55.4% (2021 est.)
note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
comparison rankings: services 120; industry 23; agriculture 207
Agricultural products
wheat, barley, corn, potatoes; livestock, dairy products
Industries
electronics, metal manufacturing, dental products, ceramics, pharmaceuticals, food products, precision instruments, tourism, optical instruments
Industrial production growth rate
4.3% (2014 est.)
note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
comparison ranking: 68
Exports
$3.217 billion (2015 est.)
$3.774 billion (2014 est.)
note: trade data exclude trade with Switzerland
comparison ranking: 155
Exports – commodities
small specialty machinery, connectors for audio and video, parts for motor vehicles, dental products, hardware
top five export commodities based on value in dollars
Imports
$2.23 billion (2014 est.)
note: trade data exclude trade with Switzerland
comparison ranking: 175
Imports – commodities
agricultural products, raw materials, energy products, machinery, metal goods, textiles, foodstuffs, motor vehicles
Exchange rates
Swiss francs (CHF) per US dollar –
Exchange rates:
0.88 (2024 est.)
0.898 (2023 est.)
0.955 (2022 est.)
0.914 (2021 est.)
0.939 (2020 est.)
Energy
Electricity access
electrification – total population: 100% (2022 est.)
Communications
Telephones – fixed lines
total subscriptions: 10,000 (2023 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 26 (2023 est.)
comparison ranking: total subscriptions 188
Telephones – mobile cellular
total subscriptions: 50,000 (2023 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 126 (2022 est.)
comparison ranking: total subscriptions 207
Broadcast media
relies on foreign terrestrial and satellite broadcasters for most broadcast media services; first Liechtenstein-based TV station established in 2008; Radio Liechtenstein operates multiple radio stations; a Swiss-based broadcaster operates one radio station
Internet country code
.li
Internet users
percent of population: 97% (2023 est.)
Broadband – fixed subscriptions
total: 20,000 (2023 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 50 (2023 est.)
comparison ranking: total 171
Transportation
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
HB
Heliports
2 (2025)
comparison ranking: 132
Railways
total: 9 km (2018)
standard gauge: 9 km (2018) 1.435-m gauge (electrified)
note: belongs to the Austrian Railway System connecting Austria and Switzerland
Merchant marine
total: 17 (2023)
by type: bulk carrier 14, general cargo 1, other 2 (includes Switzerland)
comparison ranking: total 150
Military and Security
Military and security forces
no regular military forces; National Police of the Principality of Liechtenstein (Landespolizei des Fürstentums Liechtenstein)
Transnational Issues
Illicit drugs
has strengthened money laundering controls, but money laundering remains a concern due to Liechtenstein’s sophisticated offshore financial services sector
