Swiss Caesarean births still among highest in Europe

C-section birth rates vary widely across Europe, and even within Switzerland. © Keystone / Gaetan Bally

Nearly a third of all births in Switzerland are Caesarean sections, one of the highest rates in Europe, according to the latest data published by the Swiss Health Observatory.

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The figures published at the beginning of April also show that C-section births are more frequent in German-speaking Switzerland than French-speaking Switzerland. For example, the lowest rate is 25% in the rural French-speaking canton of Jura, while the highest (41.7%) is in Zug, which is in German-speaking Switzerland and is also one of the richest cantons.

For some years now, hospitals have been working to reduce the number of C-section births that are not strictly necessary for medical reasons, as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). However, Switzerland’s 32.8% rate in 2021 compares with only 20% in France, for example. The WHO puts the average rate in EuropeExternal link at 25.7 in 2018.

The big difference between the Swiss regions can be explained by a more intense change of culture in the French-speaking part of the country, cantonal doctor Eric Masserey told public broadcaster RTS in an interview on Wednesday. "It can be the consequence of different training, so it's a form of culture and practice that can vary from one side of the country other,” he said.