Employee compensation as share of government spending in Switzerland
Switzerland: Employee compensation as share of government spending was 7.0% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Employee compensation as share of government spending in Switzerland, 1972–2023
Source: International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of expense.
Analysis
Switzerland recorded 7.0% for employee compensation as share of government spending in 2023.
That represents a change of up 0.5% on the previous year and up 1.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employee compensation as share of government spending in Switzerland peaked at 8.7% in 1972 and was at its lowest, 5.6%, in 1999.
That places Switzerland 150th out of 155 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 47 years of available data.
Employee compensation as share of government spending in Switzerland, year by year
| Year | % of expense | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 8.7% | — |
| 1973 | 8.0% | -8.5% |
| 1974 | 7.8% | -2.0% |
| 1975 | 7.3% | -6.8% |
| 1976 | 6.7% | -7.7% |
| 1977 | 6.4% | -4.4% |
| 1978 | 6.5% | +1.1% |
| 1979 | 6.5% | +0.4% |
| 1980 | 6.5% | -0.9% |
| 1981 | 6.8% | +5.2% |
| 1982 | 6.6% | -2.7% |
| 1983 | 6.6% | -0.5% |
| 1984 | 6.4% | -2.5% |
| 1990 | 7.4% | +15.7% |
| 1991 | 7.1% | -3.7% |
| 1992 | 7.2% | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 6.7% | -6.2% |
| 1994 | 6.6% | -1.2% |
| 1995 | 6.5% | -1.8% |
| 1996 | 6.3% | -2.8% |
| 1997 | 6.0% | -5.4% |
| 1998 | 5.8% | -3.0% |
| 1999 | 5.6% | -4.4% |
| 2000 | 5.9% | +5.8% |
| 2001 | 6.4% | +9.2% |
| 2002 | 6.1% | -5.1% |
| 2003 | 6.6% | +7.7% |
| 2004 | 6.6% | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 6.4% | -2.4% |
| 2006 | 6.4% | -0.4% |
| 2007 | 6.5% | +1.8% |
| 2008 | 6.6% | +1.3% |
| 2009 | 6.7% | +1.9% |
| 2010 | 6.8% | +1.0% |
| 2011 | 6.8% | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 6.9% | +2.2% |
| 2013 | 6.9% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 7.1% | +1.8% |
| 2015 | 7.1% | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 6.9% | -1.8% |
| 2017 | 7.0% | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 7.0% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 7.1% | +1.3% |
| 2020 | 6.3% | -10.9% |
| 2021 | 6.3% | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 7.0% | +10.2% |
| 2023 | 7.0% | +0.5% |
Switzerland compared with similar countries
- Switzerland's 7.0% is below the median for high income countries, which is 18.9%, 37% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
- Switzerland's 7.0% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 16.4%, 43% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 7.2% | 6.4% | 8.7% | 8 |
| 1980s | 6.6% | 6.4% | 6.8% | 5 |
| 1990s | 6.5% | 5.6% | 7.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 6.4% | 5.9% | 6.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.0% | 6.8% | 7.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.7% | 6.3% | 7.0% | 4 |
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 employee compensation as share of government spending in Switzerland?
- Employee compensation as share of government spending in Switzerland was 7.0% in 2023, according to International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest employee compensation as share of government spending recorded in Switzerland?
- The highest recorded value was 8.7% in 1972.
- What is the lowest employee compensation as share of government spending recorded in Switzerland?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.6% in 1999.
- How does Switzerland rank for employee compensation as share of government spending?
- Switzerland ranks 150th out of 155 countries with data for 2023.
- Is employee compensation as share of government spending rising or falling in Switzerland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Switzerland data come from?
- The figures come from International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Employee compensation as share of government spending. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Employee compensation includes wages, in-kind payments, and government contributions to social insurance schemes such as social security and pensions.