Public sector employment as a share of total employment in Switzerland
Switzerland: Public sector employment as a share of total employment was 27.5% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Public sector employment as a share of total employment in Switzerland, 2007–2020
Source: World Bank (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2020, public sector employment as a share of total employment in Switzerland stood at 27.5%. That is the highest value across all 14 years on record.
That represents a change of up 3.7% on the previous year and up 16.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, public sector employment as a share of total employment in Switzerland peaked at 27.5% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 20.9%, in 2008.
That places Switzerland 14th out of 79 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 14 years of available data.
Public sector employment as a share of total employment in Switzerland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 24.5% | — |
| 2008 | 20.9% | -14.6% |
| 2009 | 22.0% | +4.9% |
| 2010 | 23.7% | +8.0% |
| 2011 | 23.3% | -1.7% |
| 2012 | 24.2% | +3.9% |
| 2013 | 24.8% | +2.3% |
| 2014 | 23.8% | -3.7% |
| 2015 | 24.4% | +2.2% |
| 2016 | 25.1% | +3.2% |
| 2017 | 25.4% | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 26.5% | +4.3% |
| 2019 | 26.5% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 27.5% | +3.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 22.5% | 20.9% | 24.5% | 3 |
| 2010s | 24.8% | 23.3% | 26.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 27.5% | 27.5% | 27.5% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Switzerland
More work & labour data for Switzerland
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.0651 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.0485 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.0817 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.4 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.6452 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 8,038 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 1,842 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 4,568 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 4,558 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 9,126 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is public sector employment as a share of total employment in Switzerland?
- Public sector employment as a share of total employment in Switzerland was 27.5% in 2020, according to World Bank (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest public sector employment as a share of total employment recorded in Switzerland?
- The highest recorded value was 27.5% in 2020.
- What is the lowest public sector employment as a share of total employment recorded in Switzerland?
- The lowest recorded value was 20.9% in 2008.
- How does Switzerland rank for public sector employment as a share of total employment?
- Switzerland ranks 14th out of 79 countries with data for 2020.
- Is public sector employment as a share of total employment rising or falling in Switzerland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 16.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Switzerland data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Public sector employment as a share of total employment. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 14 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of all employed people who are paid employees of the public sector, including government, the armed forces, public services, and state-owned enterprises.