Electricity at Home in Switzerland: 1800 to Today (and Tomorrow)

The transition from shadow to illumination represents one of the most profound shifts in human experience. For centuries, the domestic sphere remained tethered to the natural cycle of the sun and the flicker of a flame. Measuring access to electricity documents the moment human activity decoupled from the constraints of total darkness. This evolution redefined the possibilities of labor, rest, and connection within the home, turning hours once lost to night into time for thought or kinship.

The trajectory began in the 1800s estimate at 0, creeping slowly to 1 by the 1850s estimate and 2 in the 1900s estimate. A rapid climb followed, reaching 35.2 in the 1920s estimate and 68.4 in the 1940s estimate. By the 1980s, the nation achieved 100. In the 2020s, electricity at home in Switzerland stands at 100 %, ranking #59 of 157 countries. Projections through the 2100s remain at 100, suggesting this utility is now an absolute constant.

Consider the divergence of lived experience: someone born in the 1810s estimate lived in a world where access was 0.2, a reality far removed from the 100 seen in the 2020s. For those born during the early 1900s estimate, the rise to 18.6 in the 1910s estimate transformed their daily rhythm during their prime years. This statistical arc is a map of the changing environments that have shaped every life lived in this land.

Use the links below to compute your own parallel lives.