Economy - overview:
Switzerland, a country that espouses neutrality, is a prosperous and modern market economy with low unemployment, a highly skilled labor force, and a per capita GDP among the highest in the world. Switzerland's economy benefits from a highly developed service sector, led by financial services, and a manufacturing industry that specializes in high-technology, knowledge-based production. Its economic and political stability, transparent legal system, exceptional infrastructure, efficient capital markets, and low corporate tax rates also make Switzerland one of the world's most competitive economies.The Swiss have brought their economic practices largely into conformity with the EU's to enhance their international competitiveness, but some trade protectionism remains, particularly for its small agricultural sector. The fate of the Swiss economy is tightly linked to that of its neighbors in the euro zone, which purchases half of Swiss exports. The global financial crisis of 2008 and resulting economic downturn in 2009 stalled demand for Swiss exports and put Switzerland into a recession. During this period, the Swiss National Bank (SNB) implemented a zero-interest rate policy to boost the economy, as well as to prevent appreciation of the franc, and Switzerland's economy began to recover in 2010.The sovereign debt crises unfolding in neighboring euro-zone countries, however, coupled with ongoing economic instability in Russia and other eastern European economies continue to pose a significant risk to the Swiss economy, driving up demand for the Swiss franc by investors seeking a safe-haven currency. In January 2015, the SNB abandoned the Swiss franc’s peg to the euro, roiling global currency markets and making active SNB intervention a necessary hallmark of present-day Swiss monetary policy. The independent SNB has upheld its zero interest rate policy and conducted major market interventions to prevent further appreciation of the Swiss franc, but parliamentarians have urged it to do more to weaken the currency. The franc's strength has made Swiss exports less competitive and weakened the country's growth outlook; GDP growth fell below 2% per year from 2011-17.In recent years, Switzerland has responded to increasing pressure from neighboring countries and trading partners to reform its banking secrecy laws, by agreeing to conform to OECD regulations on administrative assistance in tax matters, including tax evasion. The Swiss government has also renegotiated its double taxation agreements with numerous countries, including the US, to incorporate OECD standards, and is openly considering the possibility of imposing taxes on bank deposits held by foreigners.
GDP (purchasing power parity): GDP (official exchange rate): GDP - real growth rate: GDP - per capita (PPP): Gross national saving: GDP - composition, by end use: GDP - composition, by sector of origin: Agriculture - products: Industries: Industrial production growth rate: Labor force: Labor force - by occupation: Unemployment rate: Population below poverty line: Household income or consumption by percentage share: Distribution of family income - Gini index: Budget: Taxes and other revenues: Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-): Public debt: Fiscal year: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Central bank discount rate: Commercial bank prime lending rate: Stock of narrow money: Stock of broad money: Stock of domestic credit: Market value of publicly traded shares: Current account balance: Exports: Exports - commodities: Exports - partners: Imports: Imports - commodities: Imports - partners: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Debt - external: Stock of direct foreign investment - at home: Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad: Exchange rates:
$516.7 billion (2017 est.)
$511.5 billion (2016 est.)
$504.5 billion (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 40
$680.6 billion (2016 est.)
[see also: GDP (official exchange rate) country ranks ]
1% (2017 est.)
1.4% (2016 est.)
1.2% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 187
[see also: GDP - real growth rate country ranks ]
$61,400 (2017 est.)
$61,400 (2016 est.)
$61,200 (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 17
33.5% of GDP (2017 est.)
33.6% of GDP (2016 est.)
34.5% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 18
[see also: Gross national saving country ranks ]
household consumption: 53.7%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - household consumption country ranks ]
government consumption: 11.5%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - government consumption country ranks ]
investment in fixed capital: 24%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in fixed capital country ranks ]
investment in inventories: -0.7%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in inventories country ranks ]
exports of goods and services: 67.5%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - exports of goods and services country ranks ]
imports of goods and services: -56% (2017 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - imports of goods and services country ranks ]
agriculture: 0.7%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 25.6%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - industry country ranks ]
services: 73.7% (2017 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - services country ranks ]
grains, fruits, vegetables; meat, eggs, dairy products
machinery, chemicals, watches, textiles, precision instruments, tourism, banking, insurance, pharmaceuticals
2% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 133
[see also: Industrial production growth rate country ranks ]
5.159 million (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 81
[see also: Labor force country ranks ]
agriculture: 3.3%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 19.8%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - industry country ranks ]
services: 76.9% (2015)
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - services country ranks ]
3% (2017 est.)
3.3% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 35
[see also: Unemployment rate country ranks ]
6.6% (2014 est.)
[see also: Population below poverty line country ranks ]
lowest 10%: 7.5%
[see also: Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10% country ranks ]
highest 10%: 19% (2007)
29.5 (2014 est.)
33.1 (1992)
country comparison to the world: 128
[see also: Distribution of family income - Gini index country ranks ]
revenues: $223.5 billion
[see also: Budget - revenues country ranks ]
expenditures: $222.1 billion
[see also: Budget - expenditures country ranks ]
note: includes federal, cantonal, and municipal budgets (2017 est.)
32.8% of GDP (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 70
[see also: Taxes and other revenues country ranks ]
0.2% of GDP (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 29
[see also: Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) country ranks ]
32.9% of GDP (2017 est.)
32.6% of GDP (2016 est.)
note: general government gross debt; gross debt consists of all liabilities that require payment or payments of interest and/or principal by the debtor to the creditor at a date or dates in the future; includes debt liabilities in the form of Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), currency and deposits, debt securities, loans, insurance, pensions and standardized guarantee schemes, and other accounts payable; all liabilities in the GFSM 2001 system are debt, except for equity and investment fund shares and financial derivatives and employee stock options
country comparison to the world: 153
[see also: Public debt country ranks ]
calendar year
0.5% (2017 est.)
-0.4% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 20
[see also: Inflation rate (consumer prices) country ranks ]
0.5% (31 December 2016)
0.75% (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 133
[see also: Central bank discount rate country ranks ]
2.6% (31 December 2017 est.)
2.65% (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 175
[see also: Commercial bank prime lending rate country ranks ]
$619.4 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$555.7 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 11
[see also: Stock of narrow money country ranks ]
$1.335 trillion (31 December 2017 est.)
$1.232 trillion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 16
[see also: Stock of broad money country ranks ]
$1.267 trillion (31 December 2017 est.)
$1.166 trillion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 16
[see also: Stock of domestic credit country ranks ]
$1.519 trillion (31 December 2015 est.)
$1.495 trillion (31 December 2014 est.)
$1.541 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 10
[see also: Market value of publicly traded shares country ranks ]
$67.33 billion (2017 est.)
$70.54 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 8
[see also: Current account balance country ranks ]
$336.8 billion (2017 est.)
$318.1 billion (2016 est.)
note: trade data exclude trade with Switzerland
country comparison to the world: 16
[see also: Exports country ranks ]
machinery, chemicals, metals, watches, agricultural products
Germany 14.4%, US 12.1%, UK 10.7%, China 9%, Hong Kong 6.1%, France 5.8%, Italy 4.9%, India 4.8% (2016)
$286.7 billion (2017 est.)
$264.9 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 18
[see also: Imports country ranks ]
machinery, chemicals, vehicles, metals; agricultural products, textiles
Germany 19.4%, US 9%, Italy 7.4%, UK 7.1%, UAE 6.2%, France 6.1%, China 4.7% (2016)
$679.3 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$679.3 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 4
[see also: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold country ranks ]
$1.664 trillion (31 March 2016 est.)
$1.663 trillion (31 March 2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 13
[see also: Debt - external country ranks ]
$1.23 trillion (31 December 2017 est.)
$1.217 trillion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 9
[see also: Stock of direct foreign investment - at home country ranks ]
$1.556 trillion (31 December 2017 est.)
$1.528 trillion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 7
[see also: Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad country ranks ]
Swiss francs (CHF) per US dollar -
0.9875 (2017 est.)
0.9852 (2016 est.)
0.9852 (2015 est.)
0.9627 (2014 est.)
0.9152 (2013 est.)