Liechtenstein

Central Europe, between Austria and Switzerland

47 16 N, 9 32 E

Europe

160 sq km

160 sq km

0 sq km

About 0.9 times the size of Washington, D.C.

75 km

Austria 34 km; Switzerland 41 km

0 km (doubly landlocked)

None (landlocked)

Continental; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow or rain; cool to moderately warm, cloudy, humid summers

Mostly mountainous (Alps) with Rhine Valley in western third

Vorder-Grauspitz 2,599 m

Ruggeller Riet 430 m

Hydroelectric potential, arable land

32.3% (2023 est.)

Arable land: 10.8% (2023 est.)

Permanent crops: 0% (2022 est.)

Permanent pasture: 21.5% (2023 est.)

36.3% (2023 est.)

31.4% (2023 est.)

0 sq km (2012)

Rhine-Maas (198,735 sq km)

Most of the population is found in the western half of the country along the Rhine River

Avalanches, landslides

Along with Uzbekistan, one of only two doubly landlocked countries in the world; variety of microclimatic variations based on elevation

40,547 (2025 est.)

20,215

20,332

Liechtensteiner(s)

Liechtenstein

Liechtensteiner 65.6%, Swiss 9.6%, Austrian 5.8%, German 4.5%, Italian 3.1%, other 11.4% (2021 est.)

German 91.5% (official, Alemannic is the main dialect), Italian 1.5%, Turkish 1.3%, Portuguese 1.1%, other 4.6% (2015 est.)

Das World Factbook, die unverzichtbare Quelle für grundlegende Informationen. (German) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

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.)

15.3% (male 3,412/female 2,732)

63.9% (male 12,814/female 12,921)

20.8% (2024 est.) (male 3,846/female 4,547)

57.6 (2025 est.)

23.9 (2025 est.)

33.6 (2025 est.)

3 (2025 est.)

44.4 years (2025 est.)

42.4 years

46.1 years

0.68% (2025 est.)

10.31 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

8.24 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

4.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Most of the population is found in the western half of the country along the Rhine River

14.6% of total population (2023)

1.15% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

5,000 VADUZ (capital) (2018)

1.26 male(s)/female

1.25 male(s)/female

0.99 male(s)/female

0.85 male(s)/female

0.99 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

31.3 years (2017)

3.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

4.3 deaths/1,000 live births

3.5 deaths/1,000 live births

83 years (2024 est.)

80.7 years

85.8 years

1.69 children born/woman (2025 est.)

0.75 (2025 est.)

Total: 100% of population (2022 est.)

Total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

1.3 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

Total: 100% of population (2022 est.)

Urban: NA

Total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

64.7% (2020 est.)

2.6% of GDP (2011 est.)

15 years (2021 est.)

16 years (2021 est.)

14 years (2021 est.)

Some air pollution generated locally, some carried over from surrounding countries

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

Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Law of the Sea

Continental; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow or rain; cool to moderately warm, cloudy, humid summers

32.3% (2023 est.)

Arable land: 10.8% (2023 est.)

Permanent crops: 0% (2022 est.)

Permanent pasture: 21.5% (2023 est.)

36.3% (2023 est.)

31.4% (2023 est.)

14.6% of total population (2023)

1.15% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

32,400 tons (2024 est.)

64.6% (2015 est.)

10 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Principality of Liechtenstein

Liechtenstein

Fuerstentum Liechtenstein

Liechtenstein

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"

Constitutional monarchy

Vaduz

47 08 N, 9 31 E

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

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

11 communes (Gemeinden, singular - Gemeinde); Balzers, Eschen, Gamprin, Mauren, Planken, Ruggell, Schaan, Schellenberg, Triesen, Triesenberg, Vaduz

Civil law system influenced by Swiss, Austrian, and German law

Previous 1862; latest adopted 5 October 1921

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

Accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

No

The father must be a citizen of Liechtenstein; in the case of a child born out of wedlock, the mother must be a citizen

No

5 years

18 years of age; universal

Prince HANS-ADAM II (since 13 November 1989, assumed executive powers on 26 August 1984)

Prime Minister Brigitte HAAS (since 10 April 2025)

Cabinet elected by the Parliament, confirmed by the monarch

The monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the monarch usually appoints the leader of the majority party in Parliament as the head of government, and also appoints the leader of the largest minority party in Parliament as the deputy head of government if there is a coalition government

Diet (Landtag)

Unicameral

25 (all directly elected)

Proportional representation

Full renewal

4 years

2/9/2025

Patriotic Union (VU) (10); Progressive Citizens' Party (FBP) (7); Democrats for Liechtenstein (DpL) (6); Free List (FL) (2)

32%

February 2029

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)

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

Court of Appeal (second instance), Regional Court (first instance), Administrative Court, Tribunal Court, district courts

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

Ambassador Georg SPARBER (since 1 December 2021)

2900 K Street NW, Suite 602B, Washington, DC 20007

[1] (202) 331-0590

[1] (202) 331-3221

Washington@llv.li https://www.liechtensteinusa.org/

The US does not have an embassy in Liechtenstein; the US Ambassador to Switzerland is accredited to Liechtenstein

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

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 Day, 15 August (1940)

Description: two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red, with a gold crown on the left side of the blue band history: 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 added in 1937 to distinguish it from Haiti's flag

Princely hat (crown)

Blue, red

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

"Oben am jungen Rhein" (High Above the Young Rhine)

Jakob Joseph JAUCH/Josef FROMMELT

Adopted 1850, revised 1963; uses the tune of the United Kingdom's anthem, "God Save the King"

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

$7.172 billion (2024 est.)

$7.031 billion (2023 est.)

$6.885 billion (2022 est.)

$210,600 (2024 est.)

$201,200 (2023 est.)

$187,700 (2022 est.)

$8.395 billion (2024 est.)

2.8% (2022 est.)

0.6% (2021 est.)

-0.7% (2020 est.)

0.2% (2022 est.)

40.6% (2022 est.)

55.6% (2022 est.)

Wheat, barley, corn, potatoes; livestock, dairy products

Electronics, metal manufacturing, dental products, ceramics, pharmaceuticals, food products, precision instruments, tourism, optical instruments

$3.217 billion (2015 est.)

$3.774 billion (2014 est.)

Small specialty machinery, connectors for audio and video, parts for motor vehicles, dental products, hardware

Agricultural products, raw materials, energy products, machinery, metal goods, textiles, foodstuffs, motor vehicles

Swiss francs (CHF) per US dollar -

0.88 (2024 est.)

0.898 (2023 est.)

0.955 (2022 est.)

0.914 (2021 est.)

0.939 (2020 est.)

100% (2022 est.)

10,000 (2023 est.)

26 (2023 est.)

51,400 (2024 est.)

129 (2024 est.)

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

.li

97% (2023 est.)

20,000 (2023 est.)

50 (2023 est.)

HB

2 (2025)

9 km (2018)

9 km (2018) 1.435-m gauge (electrified)

17 (2023)

Bulk carrier 14, general cargo 1, other 2 (includes Switzerland)

No regular military forces; National Police of the Principality of Liechtenstein (Landespolizei des Fürstentums Liechtenstein)

875 (2024 est.)