Switzerland is once again producing its own growth curves
43,290 children from all language regions confirm that Swiss children today are hardly any taller than they were 50 years ago – but they are significantly heavier. The new growth charts from PEZZ replace the WHO reference values and enable a more precise assessment of height and weight.
At a glance
- The new growth charts are based on data from over 43,000 Swiss children and adolescents.
- The WHO growth charts set the lower height limit for individual age groups up to 4 cm too low.
- Valide Schweizer Referenzdaten lagen bereits 2019 vor; wurden jedoch von pädiatrie schweiz erst sieben Jahre später eingeführt.
- The height of the population living in Switzerland has hardly changed at all over the last 70 years.
- However, there have been significant changes in the BMI. This has risen, driven mainly by migration from the south.
Why new growth curves?
- To assess growth accurately, data from one’s own population is required.
- The Swiss Prader curves were based on 274 children born between 1954 and 1956.
- The WHO growth charts used in Switzerland since 2011 are based on international data relating to children from Brazil, Ghana, India, Norway, Oman and the United States, as well as on cohorts of children born in the United States between 1949 and 1969; they therefore do not adequately reflect the growth patterns of Swiss children today.
- On the WHO growth charts, the lower limit of the normal range (3rd percentile) is up to 4 cm lower than in the new Swiss reference values, depending on age. As a result, children with growth disorders requiring treatment may not be identified until later.
- For many years, Swiss paediatricians used the WHO growth charts, which had neither been validated on Swiss children nor were they representative of the current Swiss population.
- The new reference values are based on recent Swiss data covering more than 43,000 children and adolescents.
The key findings
Over 43,000 children and young people were measured
The growth charts are based on height and weight measurements taken from over 43,000 children, adolescents and young adults from across Switzerland. With a resident population of around nine million, this means that roughly one in every 210 residents and one in every 40 children were measured and weighed for this study. In relation to the population, this is one of the largest datasets in Europe.
Swiss children today are hardly any taller than they were 50 years ago
A comparison with the historical Prader curves shows that the height of Swiss children has remained largely stable. Although children today grow earlier and experience their growth spurt earlier than previous generations, adult height has increased only slightly. The average final height today is around 178 cm for men and 166 cm for women – just about 1 cm more than in the Prader generation.
These days, the real changes are not in size but in weight
Whilst height has hardly changed over the last few decades, there has been a significant difference in body weight. This applies in particular to the upper BMI percentiles, overweight and obesity. It is clear that Swiss children are now significantly heavier.
La migration n'a pratiquement aucune incidence sur la taille, mais elle influe considérablement sur l'IMC
The study shows that children’s height in Switzerland is remarkably similar, regardless of their migration background. The situation is different when it comes to BMI: children with family roots in Southern and South-Eastern Europe have significantly higher BMI values and a higher prevalence of overweight and obesity than children with two Swiss parents.
It is particularly noteworthy that children with two Swiss parents are now hardly any heavier than previous generations. Only an analysis of national data reveals that the rise in overweight does not affect all sections of the population to the same extent.
Why national data is essential
The new growth charts show that key trends can only be identified by comparing children with data from their own population. National reference data not only enable the earlier detection of growth disorders, but also help to better understand changes in weight and health and to develop targeted preventive measures.
Background Information
A detailed description of the study and its results in German can be found hier als PDF.
You can find questions and answers about the growth curves in German here as a PDF
You can find the press material in German here as a PDF
Pädiatrie Schweiz continues to use the WHO BMI growth charts for children under two years of age. WHY?
The Growth Commission of Paediatrics Switzerland has decided to continue using the WHO BMI growth charts for children under the age of two, rather than the new Swiss PEZZ BMI growth charts.
The decision was not taken on the basis of a scientific debate or a technical assessment of the pros and cons, but following a motion by the Obesity Working Group as part of an email vote: eight members voted in favour, two against, and two abstained. Yet the use of BMI in the first two years of life has been a matter of controversy for years. The PEZZ had set out in detail to the Commission the scientific arguments against the use of BMI in infants and young children and, in line with the international literature, had advocated using ‘weight-for-length’ instead of BMI. However, no discussion of these scientific arguments took place with the relevant experts.
BMI was originally developed for adults. In young children, height, body proportions and the proportions of fat and muscle change constantly as they grow. As a result, BMI can lead to misinterpretations, particularly during the first two years of life.
Furthermore, measurement errors in body height have a particularly significant impact on BMI. For example, a measurement error of ±2 cm can result in a shift of up to 40 percentile points in the BMI.
For example, a measurement error of ±2 cm in the BMI can result in a shift of up to 40 percentile points. However, particularly in the case of infants and young children, measuring height in everyday clinical practice is difficult and subject to uncertainty.
For this reason, the ‘weight-for-length’ growth chart provides a more reliable indication of children’s nutritional status in the first years of life than BMI. This method has been used in paediatrics for decades and is based directly on a comparison with children of the same height. The data for the ‘weight-for-height’ growth charts were compiled at the Zurich Children’s Hospital as early as the beginning of the 1980s.
Furthermore, the decision creates a new problem: WHO BMI growth charts are to be used up to the age of two, and Swiss reference charts thereafter. This means that two different reference systems are being combined. This makes it more difficult to interpret the growth charts and causes parents unnecessary anxiety. Parents want to know how their child is developing compared with other children in Switzerland.
For the age groups 2 to 18 years, the incorrect WHO BMI curves are finally being phased out and replaced with Swiss data. It is incomprehensible that the WHO BMI curves are now to continue to be used for children under 2 years of age, of all age groups. The PEZZ’s position is as follows:
When assessing overweight and underweight in the first two years of life, the ‘weight-for-length’ curve provides the most reliable indication of children’s nutritional status in Switzerland.
Download new growth curves
Height and weight for boys, 0–24 months
Height and weight for boys, 0–48 months
Height and weight for boys, aged 0–20 years
Height and weight for girls, 0–24 months
Height and weight for girls, 0–48 months
Height and weight for girls, aged 0–18
Weight for height for boys, 50–200 cm
Scientific publications from PEZZ on the subject of growth and weight
Order Form: Atlas Growth
The Growth Atlas 2026 is based on the new Swiss growth curves by Eiholzer et al. (2025), which have been adopted and recommended by pädiatrie schweiz as the national reference for height, weight and BMI.
The Atlas is far more than a collection of reference values and percentile curves. It was developed as a practical tool for paediatricians and supports the assessment of growth and weight in everyday clinical practice. In addition to the reference curves for height, weight, BMI and weight-for-height, the atlas contains a toolbox with practical recommendations on how to use and interpret the curves. Topics include the significance of the 3rd percentile, dealing with changes in percentile rankings, interpreting growth velocity, and assessing BMI and weight-for-height.
A second section provides further information on growth velocity, sitting height, leg length and head circumference, as well as comparisons with neighbouring countries, the WHO and the countries of origin of major immigrant groups. Whilst this data is not usually required in day-to-day practice, it can provide valuable additional information for specialists and those with an interest in research.
The atlas is aimed at paediatricians, healthcare professionals and anyone with a keen interest in the growth and development of children and young people.
Press materials and contact details
Bei Fragen kontaktieren Sie bitte:
Christiane Fritz, direction
Tel: +41 44 364 37 04
E-mail: hc.zzep@ztirf.sirhc
Prof. Dr med Urs Eiholzer, Head of the Institute
Tel: +41 44 364 37 05
E-mail: hc.zzep@rezlohie.sru
Press material in German download here
Q&A's in German download here
Download a summary of the latest study in German
You can find press photos of Urs Eiholzer here