An overview about Switzerland and its country data.

Economic cycle

Industrial development in most countries started with the exploitation of natural resources such as iron and coal. Switzerland has no such traditional raw materials - only hydroelectricity is available plentiful. Yet, Switzerland has recorded strong economic growth for over 150years. One secret of its success is its well-trained, highly qualified work-force, which favours the development of efficient industrial and service-sector companies.

Switzerland is area-wise and market size-wise limited and rather small. Therefore industries in Switzerland realised in a early stage that they need to be qualified and specified to be able to work with surrounding countries. The basic structure, primary sector, secondary sector and tertiary sector, of the Swiss economy hasn't changed much over the past years.

As its name implies, the Swiss Confederation is based on a federal system. The present form was established by the Constitution of 1848. It superseded the previous confederation of independent states and recognized that the country‘s unity could only be preserved if full  consideration was given to the diversity of its regions.

Over 850’000 EU nationals are currently working in Switzerland, making up over 20% of the workforce. As a trading partner, Switzerland is the third largest goods supplier and second largest customer of the EU, and 44% of Swiss direct investment occurs in the EU area.

Switzerland is strategically well situated in the centre of Western Europe at the intersection of major international trade routes communication borders as well as cultural differences. It borders on Italy in the South, Austria and the Principality of Liechtenstein in the East, Germany in the North and France in the West.

Since the beginning of the 20th century, the Swiss population has more than doubled, increasing from 3.3 million in 1900 to 7.7 million in 2008. The most important growth was recorded between 1950 and 1970, during which period the annual growth rate was on average over 1.4%.

The centuries of development that shaped Switzerland as we know it today is one of the reasons why there are four recognised national languages. As official languages count German (native language 64%), French (20%), Italian (8%) and Romansh (1%).

Switzerland divides its education system into primary, secondary and tertiary levels. At every level there are educational possibilities open to foreigners.

The traditional religion of Switzerland as a central European country is Christianity. The reformation split Switzerland into two blocks: while the big free cities of northern and western Switzerland (Zurich, Basel, Bern, Geneva, Schaffhausen, St. Gallen) converted to the new creed and forced their subject territories to do the same, the more rural areas of central Switzerland including their inofficial capital Lucerne remained catholic.

How to do business in Switzerland