Germany and Switzerland
Germany and Switzerland maintain labor, trade and cultural connections across their border. Sectoral agreements between Switzerland and the European Union organize market access and mobility.
Analysis reviewed: 2026-10-07 · Indicators updated: 2026-10-07A neighborly relationship
Ministerial and regional contacts bring together economic, social and foreign affairs issues.
Market access through agreements
Sectoral agreements between the European Union and Switzerland sustain reciprocal economic access.
Language and cultural contacts
The German language shared in part of Switzerland facilitates cultural exchanges.
Bilateral indicators
Blank cells: data unavailable.
| Indicator | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Goods trade | ||
| Goods: Germany to Switzerland | ||
| Goods: Switzerland to Germany | ||
| Services trade | ||
| Export share: Germany to Switzerland | ||
| Export share: Switzerland to Germany | ||
| Investment stock: Germany in Switzerland | ≈49,000 M CHF | 2024 · FDFA |
| Investment stock: Switzerland in Germany | ≈82,000 M CHF | 2024 · FDFA |
Definitions and sources
Trade adds both directions. Shares refer to the country’s total goods exports; investment is an accumulated stock, not an annual flow. Every figure retains the currency and period of its source. BEA positions are historical-cost estimates based on the immediate counterpart, not market values or investment by ultimate owner. ‘More than’ indicates a lower bound, not an exact amount. A recorded stock does not establish new activity or authorisation to operate under sanctions.
- Investment stock: Germany in Switzerland
- 2024 · Swiss FDFA · German direct investment position in Switzerland: around CHF49,000 million at the end of 2024. It is not an annual flow.
- Investment stock: Switzerland in Germany
- 2024 · Swiss FDFA · Swiss position in Germany: almost CHF82,000 million at the end of 2024. The publication's approximate nature is retained.
Country comparison
Period and source beside each figure · est. = estimate by the stated institution.
| Indicator | Germany | Switzerland |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal GDP | 5.05 trillion USD2025 · WB | 1.04 trillion USD2025 · WB |
| GDP per capita | 60,496.44 USD2025 · WB | 114,769.01 USD2025 · WB |
| GDP growth | 0.24 %2025 · WB | 1.3 %2025 · WB |
| Policy interest rate | 2.5 %2026-09-16 · BCE | |
| Inflation · annual average | 2.17 %Annual average · 2025 · WB | 0.15 %Annual average · 2025 · WB |
| Inflation · latest year-on-year figure | 3.3 %provisionalprovisionalYear-on-year · Sept. 2026 · Destatis | |
| Unemployment | 3.71 %ILO est.2025 · WB | 4.87 %ILO est.2025 · WB |
| Budget balance (% of GDP) | -2.7 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | 0.5 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Gross public debt (% of GDP) | 62.9 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | 39.4 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Current account balance (% of GDP) | 4.51 %2025 · WB | 6.98 %2025 · WB |
| Population | 83,491,2492025 · WB | 9,092,436World Bank est.2025 · WB |
| Area | 357,680 km²2023 · WB | 41,291 km²2023 · WB |
| Military expenditure | ||
| Military expenditure (% of GDP) |
Definitions, dates and sources
Blank cells are not zero. Average annual inflation and the latest year-on-year figure appear in separate rows: they are not the same measure. Every annual indicator retains its reference year; when the years differ, the figures are identified as not directly comparable. When a figure is unavailable from the World Bank, an annual IMF estimate is used and identified as such. The latest year-on-year figure is the latest official release verified as of 7 October 2026. This includes advance releases marked as provisional. Mexico may have a fortnightly figure before the full month is published; it is not automatically compared with a monthly figure. The publication date is retained in each source’s details; it does not replace the observation period or the annual average. Policy rates carry their own dates and represent different instruments. Spain and France share the ECB rate. Balances are positive for surpluses and negative for deficits. The IMF may use fiscal years; unemployment retains each source’s definition (ILO estimates, IMF WEO or PCBS), as stated in the details. For Palestine, debt and the fiscal balance cover central government and retain the PCBS definition; they are not presented as consolidated general government. These are economic magnitudes, not measures of relationship quality.
Area retains each source’s territorial coverage; it does not determine sovereignty or effective control. Canada uses an archived national geographic reference. Military expenditure retains the 2024 SIPRI sample distributed by the World Bank: the amount and percentage of GDP use that same definition, which differs from NATO’s. It is not an approved budget or a 2026 figure. Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Military expenditure database · Terms of use0
Indicators reviewed: 2026-10-07. Each source retains its original access date; this review does not turn all the data into 2026 observations. Figures may be revised.
- Nominal GDP
- Current USDGermany: 2025 · World BankSwitzerland: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- GDP per capita
- Current USD per personGermany: 2025 · World BankSwitzerland: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- GDP growth
- Annual real change (%)Germany: 2025 · World BankSwitzerland: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Policy interest rate
- Central bank instrument (%)Germany: 2026-09-16 · ECB: deposit facility; shared euro-area rate · European Central Bank
- Inflation · annual average
- Average annual change in headline CPI (%)Germany: 2025 · Annual average change in the CPI (%) · World BankSwitzerland: 2025 · Annual average CPI change (%) · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Inflation · latest year-on-year figure
- Headline CPI relative to the same period of the previous year (%); monthly or fortnightly frequency statedGermany: 2026-09 · Change in headline CPI from the same month of the previous year (%) · Destatis · Published: 2026-09-30 · provisional · Provisional · National headline CPI, year-on-year, not monthly inflation or an annual average. Provisional data or an official advance release; subject to revision.
- Unemployment
- % of the labour force; definition used by the stated institutionGermany: 2025 · World Bank · ILO est.Switzerland: 2025 · ILO modelled estimate; percentage of the labour force · World Bank · ILO est. · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Budget balance
- General government (% of GDP)Germany: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.Switzerland: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · WEO general-government estimate, % of GDP. Not an observed balance for the current month.
- Gross public debt
- General government (% of GDP)Germany: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.Switzerland: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · WEO general-government estimate, % of GDP. Not an observed balance for the current month.
- Current account balance
- % of GDPGermany: 2025 · World BankSwitzerland: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Population
- PeopleGermany: 2025 · World BankSwitzerland: 2025 · World Bank · WB est. · The World Bank indicates a population extrapolation; this is not a 2025 census count.
- Area
- Total area in km²; territorial coverage of the sourceGermany: 2023 · Area according to the series' coverage; does not determine sovereignty or effective control · World BankSwitzerland: 2023 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Military expenditure
- Current USD per year; SIPRI series
- Military expenditure (% of GDP)
- Percentage of GDP; SIPRI definition, not NATO’s definition
Other data specific to this relationship
What they buy and sell
Documented selection, not an exhaustive list. Cells without a figure do not mean zero value; some products are identified without a verified amount.
Germany to Switzerland
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
Switzerland to Germany
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
Connections between people
The border connects workers and students as well as residents. Trade records for Switzerland together with Liechtenstein are not silently presented as Switzerland alone. [1]
Residents, study and travel
Blank cells: data unavailable. Each measure retains its definition and period.
| Indicator | Value | Period / source |
|---|---|---|
| Residents from Germany living in SwitzerlandNationality; residents | 338,584 | 2025 · FDFA |
| Residents from Switzerland living in GermanyNationality; residents | 100,956 | 2024 · FDFA |
| Study and training: Germany in Switzerland | ||
| Study and training: Switzerland in Germany | ||
| Academic stays: Germany in Switzerland | ||
| Academic stays: Switzerland in Germany | ||
| Travel: Germany to Switzerland | ||
| Travel: Switzerland to Germany |
What each figure measures
Residents are counted by nationality and the coverage of the stated register, not as people born in the other country or as new arrivals in one year. PERE includes dual nationals and people born outside Spain. Study with OPT and stays carrying academic credit are different measures. Travel may include several visits by the same person; FRONTUR arrivals require an overnight stay, whereas the Canadian survey includes day visits. These figures are neither added together nor automatically compared across directions.
- Residents from Germany living in Switzerland
- German nationals residing in Switzerland at the end of 2025 according to the FDFA. 2025 · FDFA
- Residents from Switzerland living in Germany
- Swiss nationals resident in Germany at the end of 2024 according to FDFA. 2024 · FDFA
Mobility data added or reviewed: 2026-10-07. Reference periods may be earlier.
Underlying ties
History, institutions and long-standing issues.
A neighborly relationship
Ministerial and regional contacts bring together economic, social and foreign affairs issues. Cross-border cooperation carries its own weight for nearby communities and administrations. [1]
Market access through agreements
Sectoral agreements between the European Union and Switzerland sustain reciprocal economic access. They do not amount to Swiss membership in the European Union or identical application of all EU rules. [1]
Cross-border work, science and studies
Free movement facilitates German citizens working or studying in Switzerland. Cross-border workers, residents and students have different circumstances and should not be added together without a common statistical basis. The Swiss profile describes excellence scholarships and researcher collaboration funded through competitive programs. It also documents cooperation in mediation and training for peace processes, with international institutions participating: these programs do not amount to a mutual defense alliance or automatic enrollment for all citizens. [2]
The scale of both economies
Nominal GDP for Germany is 5,050.9 billion USD (2025), compared with 1,043.5 for Switzerland (2025). The reference populations are 83.49 and 9.09 million, respectively. In the same year, the economy of Germany was 4.84 times that of Switzerland in nominal GDP. The comparison provides context on market size, but does not, on its own, measure influence, well-being or diplomatic closeness. Estimates and their sources retain their labels in the tables. [3] [4] [5] [6]
Recent developments
Recent developments and latest available data · Reviewed: 2026-10-07
Language and cultural contacts
The German language shared in part of Switzerland facilitates cultural exchanges. Everyday ties and cultural events broaden the relationship beyond trade; a linguistic connection does not imply shared citizenship. [1]
Direct investment position
Germany's direct investment position in Switzerland was CHF 49,000 million (2024). German direct investment position in Switzerland: around CHF49,000 million at the end of 2024. It is not an annual flow. [2]
Direct investment position
Switzerland's direct investment position in Germany was CHF 82,000 million (2024). Swiss position in Germany: nearly CHF82,000 million at the end of 2024. The publication's approximate nature is retained. [2]
Documented mobility and communities
Residents from Germany in Switzerland: 338,584 (2025). Nationality; residents. German nationals residing in Switzerland at the end of 2025 according to the FDFA. [2]
Residents from Switzerland in Germany: 100,956 (2024). Nationality; residents. Swiss nationals resident in Germany at the end of 2024 according to FDFA. [2]
Milestones and consequences
- 2026
Bilateral profile consulted
The official profile identifies markets, mobility and regional cooperation; this is not a new political event. [1]
Sources and data
Periods and scope of the figures
Institutional sources and periods accompany each figure. Annual trade, investment positions, residents and visits are distinct measures. Empty cells do not mean zero. Statements of intent are not presented as project implementation or treaties in force.
- Bilateral relations: DEU-CHE
Germany's Federal Foreign Office · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Bilateral document DEU-CHE
www.eda.admin.ch · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Official statistics
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- NY.GDP.MKTP.CD; ISO and reference year; no military dataset expansion
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Official statistics
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- SP.POP.TOTL; ISO and reference year; no military dataset expansion
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07