Unemployment rate,Percent in Switzerland

Switzerland: Unemployment rate,Percent was 3.0% in 2026. ▼ Falling

Latest (2026)
3.0%
Change on year
up 7.1%
World rank
60th
of 71 countries
All-time high
5.2%
in 1997
All-time low
0.5%
in 1990
Years of data
37
1990–2026

Unemployment rate,Percent in Switzerland, 1990–2026

123451990200820261990: 0.5011991: 1.11992: 2.61993: 4.51994: 4.71995: 4.21996: 4.71997: 5.21998: 3.81999: 2.72000: 1.82001: 1.72002: 2.62003: 3.72004: 3.92005: 3.82006: 3.32007: 2.82008: 2.62009: 3.72010: 3.52011: 2.82012: 2.92013: 3.22014: 32015: 3.22016: 3.32017: 3.12018: 2.52019: 2.32020: 3.22021: 32022: 2.22023: 22024: 2.42025: 2.82026: 3

Source: World Bank.

Analysis

In 2026, unemployment rate,percent in Switzerland stood at 3.0%.

The figure is up 7.1% on the previous year and down 8.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, unemployment rate,percent in Switzerland peaked at 5.2% in 1997 and was at its lowest, 0.5%, in 1990.

That places Switzerland 60th out of 71 countries with data for 2026, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 37 years of available data.

Unemployment rate,Percent in Switzerland, year by year

Annual values for Unemployment rate,Percent,,, in Switzerland, 1990 to 2026.
Year Value Change
1990 0.5% —
1991 1.1% +117.5%
1992 2.6% +135.1%
1993 4.5% +76.2%
1994 4.7% +4.5%
1995 4.2% -10.3%
1996 4.7% +10.2%
1997 5.2% +11.5%
1998 3.8% -26.2%
1999 2.7% -29.3%
2000 1.8% -33.0%
2001 1.7% -6.5%
2002 2.6% +50.0%
2003 3.7% +45.0%
2004 3.9% +4.8%
2005 3.8% -2.9%
2006 3.3% -11.5%
2007 2.8% -17.1%
2008 2.6% -6.8%
2009 3.7% +44.3%
2010 3.5% -5.3%
2011 2.8% -19.3%
2012 2.9% +2.5%
2013 3.2% +8.7%
2014 3.0% -3.7%
2015 3.2% +4.5%
2016 3.3% +4.5%
2017 3.1% -7.1%
2018 2.5% -17.7%
2019 2.3% -9.3%
2020 3.2% +38.3%
2021 3.0% -6.4%
2022 2.2% -27.6%
2023 2.0% -8.3%
2024 2.4% +20.5%
2025 2.8% +18.9%
2026 3.0% +7.1%

Switzerland compared with similar countries

  • Switzerland's 3.0% is below the median for high income countries, which is 5.0%, 61% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
  • Switzerland's 3.0% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 5.2%, 58% of the median. (35 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Unemployment rate,Percent in Switzerland changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
1992 +135.1% 1.1% 2.6%
1991 +117.5% 0.5% 1.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 3.4% 0.5% 5.2% 10
2000s 3.0% 1.7% 3.9% 10
2010s 3.0% 2.3% 3.5% 10
2020s 2.7% 2.0% 3.2% 7

Countries ranked near Switzerland

  1. 57 Romania 3.3% compare
  2. 58 Saudi Arabia 3.2% compare
  3. 59 Malta 3.1% compare
  4. 61 Israel 2.9% compare
  5. 62 Denmark 2.9% compare
  6. 63 Czechia 2.9% compare

See the full ranking of 80 places →

More reference data data for Switzerland

All data for Switzerland →

Frequently asked questions

What is unemployment rate,percent in Switzerland?
Unemployment rate,percent in Switzerland was 3.0% in 2026, according to the World Bank.
What is the highest unemployment rate,percent recorded in Switzerland?
The highest recorded value was 5.2% in 1997.
What is the lowest unemployment rate,percent recorded in Switzerland?
The lowest recorded value was 0.5% in 1990.
How does Switzerland rank for unemployment rate,percent?
Switzerland ranks 60th out of 71 countries with data for 2026.
Is unemployment rate,percent rising or falling in Switzerland?
Over the last ten years it is down 8.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Switzerland data come from?
The figures come from the World Bank, published as part of Unemployment rate,Percent,,,. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Unemployment rate,Percent,,,
Source
World Bank
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
80 places, 2,236 data points, 1990–2026
Last refreshed