Economic profile
Switzerland
Europe & Central AsiaHigh income
The key economic indicators of Switzerland over the years — each with a summary on top and a “see more” below: where it comes from, how it is calculated and what it is useful for.
GDP growth
+1.3%as of 2025
weak
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- Source
- World Bank, series NY.GDP.MKTP.KD.ZG — annual real growth of gross domestic product (%).
- How it is produced
- National statistics offices measure the country’s output; the World Bank harmonises it into a comparable annual series.
- How it is calculated
- GDP is measured in chain-linked volumes (real, inflation-adjusted); growth is the percentage change versus the previous year.
- Why it is calculated this way
- Real growth shows whether the economy produces more goods and services, not just whether prices rose. Two consecutive negative years is usually called a recession.
- What it is useful for
- A quick pulse of the economy — growing, stalling or shrinking.
- Comparison across countries and through the 2009 and 2020 crises.
- Context for the expected return of local assets.
GDP per capita
114,769 $as of 2025
high
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- Source
- World Bank, series NY.GDP.PCAP.CD — GDP per capita (current US$).
- How it is produced
- Nominal GDP in US dollars is divided by the year’s population.
- How it is calculated
- GDP (current prices, USD) ÷ population = average output per person.
- Why it is calculated this way
- A rough gauge of average wealth and living standards, comparable across countries. It ignores inequality and price differences (purchasing-power parity handles those).
- What it is useful for
- The order of magnitude of average incomes in a country.
- A rough comparison of living standards across countries.
- A starting point for how “developed” an economy is.
Inflation
0.2%as of 2025
low
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- Source
- World Bank, series FP.CPI.TOTL.ZG — annual consumer-price inflation (%).
- How it is produced
- Statisticians track the prices of a basket of typical goods and services and build an index (CPI); the World Bank reports its annual change.
- How it is calculated
- Inflation = the percentage change of the CPI versus the previous year.
- Why it is calculated this way
- Inflation erodes the purchasing power of money. Moderate and predictable (around 2%) is considered healthy; very high or negative (deflation) signals trouble.
- What it is useful for
- How fast the cost of living rises in the country.
- The real (after-inflation) return on savings and investments.
- Context for interest rates and monetary policy.
Unemployment
4.9%as of 2025
low
See more
- Source
- World Bank, series SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS — unemployment as % of the labour force (modelled ILO estimate).
- How it is produced
- Derived from household labour surveys; the International Labour Organization models it for cross-country comparability.
- How it is calculated
- Unemployed (seeking and available for work) ÷ labour force × 100.
- Why it is calculated this way
- A measure of how many people who want a job cannot find one. Low unemployment signals a healthy economy, but very low can fuel wage inflation.
- What it is useful for
- The health of the country’s labour market.
- An early recession signal (unemployment rises in downturns).
- Context for consumption and social spending.
Government debt
39.4%as of 2025
low
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- Source
- IMF (World Economic Outlook), series GGXWDG_NGDP — general government gross debt as % of GDP.
- How it is produced
- The IMF harmonises data from national finance ministries and Eurostat into a comparable series for ~190 economies; the most recent year or two are often WEO estimates.
- How it is calculated
- General government gross debt (all levels of government) ÷ GDP × 100.
- Why it is calculated this way
- Shows how indebted a state is relative to the size of its economy. “General” covers central and local government plus social security — a fuller picture than central-government debt alone. A higher share means more future interest and less flexibility in a crisis; but the “tolerable” level varies greatly by country.
- What it is useful for
- The fiscal sustainability of the state.
- Risk in the next crisis or if rates rise.
- Context for the credit rating and bond yields.
Budget balance
+0.5%as of 2024
surplus
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- Source
- World Bank, series GC.NLD.TOTL.GD.ZS — government net lending/borrowing as % of GDP.
- How it is produced
- The difference between government revenue and spending for the year, related to GDP.
- How it is calculated
- Revenue − spending ÷ GDP × 100. Positive = surplus, negative = deficit.
- Why it is calculated this way
- Shows whether the state spends within its income. Persistent deficits pile up debt; surpluses build a buffer but can also mean under-investment.
- What it is useful for
- The country’s budget discipline.
- Whether debt is rising or falling.
- Context for taxes and public investment.
Current account
+7.0%as of 2025
See more
- Source
- World Bank, series BN.CAB.XOKA.GD.ZS — current-account balance as % of GDP.
- How it is produced
- From the balance of payments: trade in goods and services, income and transfers with the rest of the world.
- How it is calculated
- (Exports − imports + net income and transfers) ÷ GDP × 100.
- Why it is calculated this way
- Shows whether a country earns or spends relative to the rest of the world. A persistent deficit means reliance on external financing; a surplus means it accumulates claims abroad.
- What it is useful for
- The economy’s external dependence/resilience.
- Currency pressure when the deficit is large.
- Context for foreign investment.
Trade
147.2%as of 2025
See more
- Source
- World Bank, series NE.TRD.GNFS.ZS — trade (exports + imports) as % of GDP.
- How it is produced
- The sum of exports and imports of goods and services, related to GDP.
- How it is calculated
- (Exports + imports) ÷ GDP × 100.
- Why it is calculated this way
- A measure of how open an economy is to the world. A high value (often above 100% for small countries) means strong reliance on external trade — an advantage in good times, a vulnerability in bad.
- What it is useful for
- How “open” the economy is.
- Sensitivity to global supply chains and shocks.
- Context for the impact of the exchange rate.
Market capitalisation
240.9%as of 2025
high
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- Source
- World Bank, series CM.MKT.LCAP.GD.ZS — market capitalisation of listed domestic companies as % of GDP.
- How it is produced
- The combined market value of companies listed on the domestic exchange, related to GDP. Data is sparser for small markets.
- How it is calculated
- Market capitalisation of listed companies ÷ GDP × 100.
- Why it is calculated this way
- Shows how large and developed the capital market is relative to the economy. A low value (as in Bulgaria) means a shallow exchange and few public companies.
- What it is useful for
- The depth of the local stock market.
- How much of the economy is investable via the exchange.
- Context for liquidity and asset choice.
Population
9.1 Mas of 2025
See more
- Source
- World Bank, series SP.POP.TOTL — total population.
- How it is produced
- From national censuses and ongoing demographic estimates.
- How it is calculated
- The number of permanent residents at mid-year.
- Why it is calculated this way
- The size and dynamics of the population sit behind the labour market, consumption and long-run growth. A shrinking population is a headwind for the economy.
- What it is useful for
- The scale of the domestic market.
- A demographic head/tailwind for growth.
- The denominator behind the “per capita” figures.
Life expectancy
84.4 yrsas of 2024
high
See more
- Source
- World Bank, series SP.DYN.LE00.IN — life expectancy at birth (years).
- How it is produced
- Computed from age-specific mortality tables for the given year.
- How it is calculated
- The average years a newborn would live under current mortality rates.
- Why it is calculated this way
- Summarises health and quality of life in a country. Not a purely economic figure, but it correlates strongly with income and matters for pension and health planning.
- What it is useful for
- A summary of health and quality of life.
- Context for the retirement horizon.
- An indirect sign of development and infrastructure.
Tools with Switzerland’s numbers
Apply the country’s real data to a concrete question. Education, not advice.
Purchasing power
Inflation eats money. See how much in Switzerland:
What 100 bought in 2005, today (2025) costs about 110.
Cumulative inflation 2005–2025: +10%
If you save every month
Hypothetical: monthly contributions at the economy’s historical average pace.
Assumed pace: +2.0% — Switzerland’s average real GDP growth
Invested 24,000 · projected value 29,465
An educational projection at the ECONOMY’s historical pace — not a promised investment return. Real markets differ.
Run the numbers for Switzerland
Apply the data to a concrete question — inflation, compound interest, returns.
Source: World Bank & IMF · updated 2026-07-13
The figures describe direction and order of magnitude from publicly available data — education, not investment advice.