The FSO provides reliable figures on the population, its different nationalities, its age structure and employment. In so doing, it not only describes the past but provides an essential foundation for the future to plan for public infrastructure such as schools and old people′s homes or roads and railways.

How many people live in Switzerland?




How many marriages and registered partnerships were entered into?



What are the most common first names in the population?

The FSO provides reliable figures on the population, its different nationalities, its age structure and employment. In so doing, it not only describes the past but provides an essential foundation for the future to plan for public infrastructure such as schools and old people′s homes or roads and railways.

How many people are dependent on social assistance benefits because of their income?



How high is annual social services expenditure?




What is the ratio of total social expenditure to gross domestic product (GDP)?

The FSO keeps a record of how our social security is doing, how much social benefits cost as well as where the money comes from and where it goes. This creates transparency, enabling policy makers to distribute resources correctly. Findings can also help predict where funding bottlenecks might occur in future.

The FSO keeps a record of how our social security is doing, how much social benefits cost as well as where the money comes from and where it goes. This creates transparency, enabling policy makers to distribute resources correctly. Findings can also help predict where funding bottlenecks might occur in future.

What is the percentage of women in the National Council? How has this percentage changed since the introduction of the right to vote for women in 1971?



How many federal popular votes have there been since the creation of the Federal State in 1848?



What was the voter turnout of the past five years?

Switzerland depends on its direct democracy. The FSO documents and analyses elections and referendums and publishes the latest figures on the Sunday of the federal vote and elections. The FSO also maintains historical overviews with many dating as far back as 1848.

Switzerland depends on its direct democracy. The FSO documents and analyses elections and referendums and publishes the latest figures on the Sunday of the federal vote and elections. The FSO also maintains historical overviews with many dating as far back as 1848.

What percentage of the Swiss economy is accounted for by agriculture, industry and services?



How high is the Swiss gross national income in absolute figures and per capita?



How much do private households have left to save at the end of the month?

The FSO compiles important information on the Swiss economy – on such diverse topics as inflation, business statistics and the National Accounts. These data help provide consumers with fair prices and help the Swiss economy to recognise sectoral trends in good time.

The FSO compiles important information on the Swiss economy – on such diverse topics as inflation, business statistics and the National Accounts. These data help provide consumers with fair prices and help the Swiss economy to recognise sectoral trends in good time.

How many children attend compulsory education in Switzerland?




How many teachers teach in compulsory education?




How much money does Switzerland spend on educating its population?

Education is the foundation of every society. The FSO provides the necessary information on all levels of education. This enables the education authorities and policy makers to plan educational programmes ahead, to set them up and strengthen them – from kindergarten, through compulsory education to the higher education institutes and continuing education.

Education is the foundation of every society. The FSO provides the necessary information on all levels of education. This enables the education authorities and policy makers to plan educational programmes ahead, to set them up and strengthen them – from kindergarten, through compulsory education to the higher education institutes and continuing education.

What percentage of the Swiss population say they are in good health?




How many people are dependent on hospital treatment?




What does our health system cost?

With comprehensive surveys on health and health care provision, the FSO makes an important contribution to the recording of disease, treatment and the population′s health behaviour. This also reveals where and for what reason health costs are increasing and where bottlenecks in health care provision can be expected.

With comprehensive surveys on health and health care provision, the FSO makes an important contribution to the recording of disease, treatment and the population′s health behaviour. This also reveals where and for what reason health costs are increasing and where bottlenecks in health care provision can be expected.

What is the proportion of recycled waste in total material consumption in Switzerland?



What percentage of the Swiss population lives in urban communes?



How much surface area have glaciers and firn fields lost in the Swiss Alps?

The land use statistics provide data that is essential for spatial planning. The environmental satellite account provides an important basis for decision making in Swiss policy. Furthermore, large amounts of data from the federal statistics are fed into an indicator system which measures Switzerland′s progress with regard to sustainable development.

The land use statistics provide data that is essential for spatial planning. The environmental satellite account provides an important basis for decision making in Swiss policy. Furthermore, large amounts of data from the federal statistics are fed into an indicator system which measures Switzerland′s progress with regard to sustainable development.

How many cars drive on Swiss roads?




What trends can be seen in goods transport by road and rail?




How far do commuters in Switzerland travel to their place of work?

The federal statistics data series provide information on people′s behaviour towards mobility and their use of the infrastructure as well as providing figures on the resulting costs and environmental damage. This information is an important basis for decisionmaking with regard to investments in transport infrastructure and security improvements.

The federal statistics data series provide information on people′s behaviour towards mobility and their use of the infrastructure as well as providing figures on the resulting costs and environmental damage. This information is an important basis for decisionmaking with regard to investments in transport infrastructure and security improvements.

How many new businesses are founded in one year?





How many jobs are there in Switzerland?





How much does Switzerland export? How much are its imports worth?

Economic statistics are useful to every business: when choosing new locations, for comparisons with rival companies, for calculating personnel costs or the availability of specialists. Economic statistics are also a basis on which to make important decisions. The Swiss National bank uses them for its monetary policy.

Economic statistics are useful to every business: when choosing new locations, for comparisons with rival companies, for calculating personnel costs or the availability of specialists. Economic statistics are also a basis on which to make important decisions. The Swiss National bank uses them for its monetary policy.

How can official statistics reduce the burden on businesses and individuals when answering questionnaires? Good question! By creating the necessary infrastructure and processes for the exchange of harmonised data within the administration so that they only have to be collected once and can be used multiple times.





For data to be reusable, they must be “interoperable”. This means they must be described in a uniform way, so that everyone understands what they are about. And they depend on a technical basis that enables exchange. The Confederation′s new interoperability platformI14Y ensures exactly this.





The FSO is rising to current and future challenges with innovations in digitalisation and new data science methods, techniques and practices. A new centre of excellence for data science has been launched for this purpose. It began operations in 2021 and advises other federal agencies on data science and artificial intelligence.






Federal statistics should also be able to make greater use of the possibilities of artificial intelligence. Various projects using methods from machine learning and the field of artificial intelligence have been initiated for this purpose. This is the case, for example, for evaluating aerial photographs in the area of statistics, for plausibility checks or for automating the coding of the economic activity of companies. A new competence network for artificial intelligence makes it possible to share knowledge gained within the federal administration, use synergies and avoid redundancies.

How can official statistics reduce the burden on businesses and individuals when answering questionnaires? Good question! By creating the necessary infrastructure and processes for the exchange of harmonised data within the administration so that they only have to be collected once and can be used multiple times.





For data to be reusable, they must be “interoperable”. This means they must be described in a uniform way, so that everyone understands what they are about. And they depend on a technical basis that enables exchange. The Confederation′s new interoperability platformI14Y ensures exactly this.




The FSO is rising to current and future challenges with innovations in digitalisation and new data science methods, techniques and practices. A new centre of excellence for data science has been launched for this purpose. It began operations in 2021 and advises other federal agencies on data science and artificial intelligence.





Federal statistics should also be able to make greater use of the possibilities of artificial intelligence. Various projects using methods from machine learning and the field of artificial intelligence have been initiated for this purpose. This is the case, for example, for evaluating aerial photographs in the area of statistics, for plausibility checks or for automating the coding of the economic activity of companies. A new competence network for artificial intelligence makes it possible to share knowledge gained within the federal administration, use synergies and avoid redundancies.