Press releases

At its meeting in Bern on 27 October 2026, the Switzerland‒EU joint committee updated Annex A of the bilateral agreement on cooperation in the field of statistics to maintain the consistency and comparability of statistics produced by the two parties. The Federal Council approved this amendment at its meeting on 2 September 2026. The updated Annex A takes effect immediately. Keeping Annex A up to date promotes Switzerland’s international visibility, particularly as an economic centre.

In the 3rd quarter 2026, the Swiss Residential Property Price Index (IMPI) increased by 1.7% compared with the previous quarter to stand at 129.8 points (4th quarter 2019 = 100). Across Switzerland, single-family house prices rose (+2.1%) as did condominium prices (+1.3%). The biggest rise in residential property prices was observed in urban municipalities of a small or outside agglomeration (+3.4%), while the smallest increase was recorded in intermediate municipalities (+0.6%). Compared with the same quarter of the previous year, total inflation stood at +4.4%. These are some of the results from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO).

The Federal Statistical Office (FSO) has carried out a fundamental technical and methodological modernisation of its Social Assistance Statistics. The first results, compiled entirely using the new method, show a social assistance rate of 2.9% in 2025. In total, around 267 300 people received economic social assistance.

In 2026, the social partners signatory to Switzerland's main collective labour agreements (CLA) agreed a nominal rise in real wages of 0.5% and a nominal rise in minimum wages of 0,8%. Real wages increased by 0.3% at individual level and by 0.2% at collective level. These are some of the results of the Wage Agreements Survey carried out by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO).

Following the revision of Switzerland’s gross domestic product (GDP), published in 2025, the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) is releasing a revised provisional series of cantonal GDP figures for the period from 2011 to 2024. This revision noticeably alters the GDP levels of the cantons, while for the most part confirming the observed long-term growth trends.

In 2025, 13.9% of people in employment in Switzerland were self-employed in their main occupation (including employees who owned their own companies). Self-employed people were, on average, eight years older than employees. Their working conditions were characterised by longer weekly working hours and working hours that encroached more on weekends. These are some of the results from ‘Self-Employment in Switzerland, 2025’, a Federal Statistical Office (FSO) publication.

The Producer and Import Price Index rose in September 2026 by 0.3% compared with the previous month, reaching 100.7 points (December 2025 = 100). In particular, petroleum products, computers, petroleum and natural gas and motor vehicles and motor vehicles parts saw higher prices. Compared with September 2025, the price level of the whole range of domestic and imported products fell by 0.2%. These are the results of the Federal Statistical Office (FSO).

According to the Federal Statistical Office’s (FSO) reference scenario, the number of students attending Swiss higher education institutions is expected to continue to rise (+21% between 2026 and 2035) and to exceed 300 000 at bachelor and master degree level. This increase is largely attributable to population growth and a rise in the number of students from abroad. At the same time, owing to the decline in the number of births, pupil numbers in primary education are expected to fall significantly from 2029 (‒8% between 2026 and 2035), and those in lower secondary education from 2034. The number of secondary II pupils is expected to grow at least until 2035. These are the main results of the 2026–2035 education system scenarios.

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) remained unchanged in September 2026 compared with the previous month, at 101.5 points (December 2025 = 100). Inflation was +1.0% compared with the same month of the previous year. These are the results of the Federal Statistical Office (FSO).

Switzerland had 1.8 million residential buildings and 4.88 million dwellings in 2025. A third (33%) of buildings were heated by oil and 17% by gas. A quarter of buildings were fitted with heat pumps. These are some of the results from the Buildings and Dwellings Statistics compiled by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO).

Of the approximately 90 000 first upper secondary qualifications awarded each year, 12% are completed by adults aged 25 or over, who number nearly 11 000. Five years before receiving their qualification, only 60% had earned an income from employment, and this group is over-represented among households with a low net equivalised income from employment (27%). Five years after obtaining their qualification, their situation had improved markedly: their income was close to that of the general population of the same age (CHF 5 200 per month), their employment rate stood at 80%, and they were, overall, under-represented among households with a low equivalent net income (17%). These are the main findings of a new publication from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO).

The Producer and Import Price Index rose in August 2026 by 0.7% compared with the previous month, reaching 100.4 points (December 2025 = 100). In particular, petroleum products, chemical products, and petroleum and natural gas saw higher prices. Compared with August 2025, the price level of the whole range of domestic and imported products fell by 0.7%. These are the results of the Federal Statistical Office (FSO).

Switzerland numbered a record 70 000 cultural organisations in 2024. This is 27% more than in 2011. By way of comparison, the number of enterprises in the economy as a whole grew by 16% in the same period. Nevertheless, the number of jobs in the cultural sector fell in 2024, as did the size of cultural organisations. These are some of the new findings from the Cultural Economy Statistics of the Federal Statistical Office (FSO).

On 1 June 2026, there were 45 493 vacant dwellings in Switzerland. This was 0.93% of the total dwelling stock (including single-family houses). There were thus 2962 fewer vacant dwellings compared with the previous year, a decrease of 6.1%. The downward trend in the vacancy rate observed since 2021 therefore continues. These are the latest results from the Federal Statistical Office's (FSO) Empty Dwellings Census.

A similar trend was observed in market sector activities across the Swiss economy in the 2nd quarter 2026: turnover rose by 5.3% compared with the same quarter of the previous year and employment in these same market sector activities rose by 2.0% (total employment +2.0%).

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased by 0.4% in August 2026 compared with the previous month, reaching 101.5 points (December 2025 = 100). Inflation was +0.8% compared with the same month of the previous year. These are the results of the Federal Statistical Office (FSO).

In the economy as a whole (private and public sectors), the overall wage gap between women and men continued to narrow, falling to 15.7% in 2024, down from 16.2% in 2022. This is a finding from the detailed report analysing the gender wage gap based on data from the 2024 Swiss Earnings Structure Survey (ESS), carried out by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO).

In the 2nd quarter 2026, total employment (excluding agriculture) in Switzerland rose by 2.0% compared with the same quarter of the previous year (seasonally adjusted, +0.5% over previous quarter). Enterprises reported 2.7% more job vacancies than a year earlier and difficulties recruiting skilled workers have increased compared with the previous quarter. The employment outlook remains positive. These are some of the latest findings from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO).

Between 2023 and 2025, the unemployment rate (based on the ILO definition) one year after graduation rose among graduates of Swiss universities and institutes of technology (UIT) and universities of applied sciences (UAS). It rose from 3.9% to 6.4% among holders of a UIT master’s degree and from 3.4% to 4.9% among holders of a UAS bachelor’s degree. Among graduates of universities of teacher education (UTE), it remained low at just 0.7%. These are some of the results of the Swiss Graduate Survey, conducted by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO).

Switzerland’s gross domestic product (GDP) increased by 1.6% in 2025 at the previous year’s prices. This continued growth compared with 2024 (+1.5%) is linked to strong domestic demand (+2.5 %). Investment in particular (+3.5 per cent) was the main driver of this GDP growth. Gross national income (GNI) at current prices registered an increase of 2.5%, reflecting an improved balance of income with other countries. These initial estimates for 2025 from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) are accompanied by a revision of 2024 GDP growth at previous year's prices, which is now set at 1.5% compared with 1.4% in the initial estimates.