Our market research agency conducts market research in Switzerland and internationally. We have therefore acquired extensive experience with the specific characteristics of the Swiss market. These characteristics make primary data collection more complex. However, access to secondary sources is also more difficult to navigate, notably because of Switzerland’s federal structure and the large number of organizations providing data. In this guide, we review the 10 best data sources to support your desk research, whether you are looking for macroeconomic statistics, corporate financial data, or sector-specific information. And as always, if you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us.
Key takeaways
- The Federal Statistical Office (FSO / BFS) is the essential starting point for any market research project in Switzerland: demographics, economy, prices, and employment.
- As Switzerland is not a member of the EU, international benchmarking relies on the OECD rather than Eurostat.
- Swiss federalism requires analysis at the cantonal level: cantonal statistical offices (Geneva, Vaud, Zurich, etc.) provide regional data that federal sources do not detail.
- For competitive analysis, Zefix (commercial register) and the Swiss Official Gazette of Commerce (SOGC) make it possible to map market players and monitor company creations, changes, and bankruptcies.
- Sector-specific data are spread across several specialized federal offices (FOPH, FSVO, FOAG, SFOE): every market research project in Switzerland must identify the relevant sources according to its sector.
- IntoTheMinds has been conducting market research in Switzerland for many years, enabling it to master these sources and use them effectively for its clients.
Why do Swiss data sources deserve special attention?
The Swiss market cannot be analysed like a standard European market. Two structural characteristics fundamentally change the way data are collected and interpreted.
- Federalism: Switzerland has 26 cantons, each with its own powers in taxation, regulation, and even economic policy. A “Swiss” market often covers very different realities between French-speaking Switzerland, German-speaking Switzerland, and Ticino. Purchasing power levels, consumer behaviour, and pricing structures vary significantly from one canton to another. Any serious market research project must therefore analyse data at the cantonal level to avoid misleading generalisations.
- Position outside the EU: unlike France, Belgium, or Germany, Switzerland does not benefit from Eurostat databases for benchmarking purposes. The OECD effectively replaces Eurostat for harmonised international comparisons. This methodological point is often overlooked by companies approaching the Swiss market from an EU member state.
These two constraints explain why IntoTheMinds, drawing on its experience in conducting market research in Switzerland, has structured its data collection protocols around a dual perspective: federal and cantonal, national and international.
The 10 best data sources for your market research in Switzerland
The table below summarises the 10 priority sources. The following sections detail their content, practical value, and the most common use cases in Swiss market research.
| Source | Organisation | Main use for market research | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| FSO / BFS, National Statistics | Federal Statistical Office | Macroeconomic overview, demographics, prices, employment | Federal |
| STAT-TAB | FSO | Custom data extraction by municipality, canton, and industry | Federal |
| Zefix / SOGC | FOTCR / Federal Chancellery | Competitive analysis, monitoring company creations and bankruptcies | Federal |
| SECO | State Secretariat for Economic Affairs | Economic outlook, labour market, sector prospects | Federal |
| SNB / FINMA | Swiss National Bank / Supervisory Authority | Financial data, credit markets, regulated entities | Federal |
| Swiss-Impex (FOCBS) | Federal Office for Customs and Border Security | Foreign trade, import and export flows by product | Federal |
| opendata.swiss | Swiss Public Administration | Open data, geolocated data, multi-institutional cross-analysis | Multi-level |
| Cantonal statistical offices | Cantons (GE, VD, ZH…) | Detailed regional data, cantonal disparities | Cantonal |
| OECD | Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development | International benchmarking, comparison with developed economies | International |
| Sector-specific sources (FOPH, FSVO, FOAG, SFOE, Innosuisse…) | Specialised federal offices | Sector-specific data and regulations | Federal / sectoral |
1. The FSO / BFS: the cornerstone of Swiss national statistics
The Federal Statistical Office (FSO, or BFS in German) is the mandatory starting point for any market research project in Switzerland. This federal body produces data on population, economy, society, education, territory, and the environment. Results are available through data cubes, interactive tables, and indicators accompanied by charts and maps.
For market research, its uses are numerous:
- Defining a catchment area using regional demographic and economic data
- Analysing Swiss consumer purchasing behaviour
- Identifying active competitors in a market through the business register
- Supporting PESTEL analysis, particularly the political, economic, and social dimensions
- Understanding legislative restrictions applicable to a sector
The FSO also provides STAT-TAB, its interactive database (pxweb.bfs.admin.ch), which allows users to extract customised tables and tailor-made time series. This tool is particularly useful for producing granular analyses by municipality, canton, or economic sector, which perfectly matches the needs of regional market research in Switzerland.
2. Zefix and the SOGC: mapping market players
Zefix is the central index of business names, managed by the Federal Office of the Commercial Register (FOCR). It provides access to data from the central legal entities database: company name, legal form, equity capital, and authorised signatories. A REST API is available for automated use.
The Swiss Official Gazette of Commerce (SOGC / SHAB) complements Zefix by publishing legally required company registrations and notices. These two sources are complementary: Zefix for searching and identifying market players, and the SOGC for dynamically tracking company creations, changes, and bankruptcies within a market.
For competitive analysis or due diligence projects, these tools make it possible to establish a precise map of companies active in a given sector without relying on paid commercial databases. Companies preparing to enter the Swiss market will find a reliable source of information for their market research.
3. SECO: economic outlook and labour market
The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) publishes official economic forecasts, Swiss labour market data, and sector-specific economic analyses. It is the reference source for assessing the macroeconomic environment surrounding a business project.
Three uses are particularly relevant in the context of market research in Switzerland:
- Unemployment rates by canton and industry through the Amstat portal (labour market statistics published by SECO)
- Sector growth forecasts to estimate a market’s medium-term potential
- Vacancy data, useful for assessing recruitment tensions in a target sector
4. SNB and FINMA: financial data and regulated markets
The Swiss National Bank (SNB) Swiss National Bank (SNB) publishes, via its data portal, all monetary and financial statistics: credit, interest rates, real estate prices, and financial markets. These data are essential for any market research project related to finance, real estate, or any sector sensitive to financing conditions.
The FINMA, the federal financial markets supervisory authority, oversees banks, insurance companies, and asset managers. It publishes statistics, annual reports, and registers of licensed institutions. These resources make it possible to map regulated players and accurately size the Swiss financial markets.
For companies operating in B2B in the financial or insurance sectors, the SNB + FINMA combination provides a solid analytical foundation. One can also add publications from the Swiss Bankers Association (SBA / SwissBanking) and the Swiss Insurance Association (SIA / SVV), which publish the Banking Barometer and detailed sector studies on employment and value added in the Swiss financial sector respectively.
5. Swiss-Impex: detailed foreign trade data
The Swiss-Impex portal, managed by the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS / BAZG), provides access to detailed Swiss foreign trade statistics: imports and exports by product and partner country.
This source is essential for companies planning to import products into Switzerland or export from this territory. It makes it possible to size market flows for goods, identify main supplier and customer countries, and track changes in market shares over several years. The government website ch.ch also provides summary information on customs procedures and import restrictions.
6. opendata.swiss: the open data platform
opendata.swiss is the central open data portal of the Swiss public administration. It provides access to a vast collection of datasets covering federal, cantonal, and municipal levels. Its value lies in the ability to cross-reference data from different institutional levels and use it in reusable formats (CSV, JSON, API).
For market research in Switzerland, this portal is particularly useful for geospatial analysis, mapping business locations, or studying mobility flows. The data is freely accessible and regularly updated.
7. Cantonal statistical offices: going to the right level of analysis
Swiss federalism imposes a clear methodological rule: national data is not enough. Cantonal statistical offices produce detailed regional data that has no equivalent at federal level. Among the most active:
- Geneva: ge.ch/statistique
- Vaud: vd.ch/statistique
- Zurich: zh.ch/statistik-daten
These sources are essential for any market research targeting a specific region of Switzerland. Cantonal disparities in taxation, disposable income, and demographic structure are significant enough that regional analysis is systematically integrated into IntoTheMinds protocols when a client wants to analyse the Swiss market.
8. OECD: the reference for international benchmarking
The statistical database of the OECD replaces Eurostat for international comparisons involving Switzerland. It provides harmonised data on GDP, prices, employment, and sector structures, making it possible to position the Swiss market relative to other developed economies.
For companies assessing Switzerland’s attractiveness compared to other target countries, the OECD is the most consistent benchmarking source. The data also covers R&D expenditure, education levels, and competitiveness indicators, which are useful variables in a full PESTEL analysis.
9. Specialised sector sources
Several federal offices produce sector-specific data not covered by general sources. Here are the main ones to know for market research in Switzerland:
| Sector | Main source | Key content |
|---|---|---|
| Health | FOPH + Swissmedic | Public health statistics, regulations, marketing authorisations |
| Agri-food | BLV + Swiss Wine | Food safety, imports/exports, Swiss nutrition bulletin |
| Agriculture | FOAG | Agricultural market by segment, organic market bulletin, agricultural policies |
| Housing | FOH + IMPI (FSO) | Market trends, developments, residential property prices |
| Energy | SFOE + ElCom | Energy statistics, Energy Strategy 2050, electricity tariffs by provider |
| Innovation / startups | Innosuisse + IPI | Grants, coaching, trademark and patent registers (Swissreg) |
| Tourism / HORECA | FSO Tourism | HESTA statistics (accommodation), tourism satellite account, international benchmarking |
| Finance / insurance | SBA + SIA | Banking barometer, sector employment, insurance premiums |
For the health sector, the FOPH publishes dossiers on nutrition, medical professions, and insurance. Swissmedic, the Swiss agency for therapeutic products, complements this with data on marketing authorisations and medical devices. These two sources are essential for any market research in healthcare or life sciences in Switzerland.
10. Company financial data: Moneyhouse, FSO, and FINMA
Understanding sector profitability and the financial situation of its players is a key step in any market research project. In Switzerland, several tools provide access to this data.
Moneyhouse offers subscription-based access to Swiss company financial data. The Register of Enterprises and Establishments of the FSO provides official information on registered companies. The UID register allows companies to be searched via their unique identification number and verifies VAT status or commercial register registration.
For B2B companies, these tools are direct allies in defining target audiences and building prospect lists. Financial analysis of competitors also helps assess market health and attractiveness before allocating resources.
How to structure data collection for market research in Switzerland?
Identifying sources is not enough. The value of market research in Switzerland lies in how data is combined to answer specific questions. IntoTheMinds follows a three-step approach, tested across numerous projects in the Swiss market.
Define objectives and geographic scope
Before collecting anything, it is necessary to determine whether the study covers the entire Swiss territory or specific linguistic regions. This decision directly determines source selection: cantonal statistical offices become a priority when the analysis is regional.
Key questions at this stage:
- Does the project target French-speaking, German-speaking, Italian-speaking Switzerland, or the entire country?
- Which customer segments are targeted: end consumers (B2C) or businesses (B2B)?
- Does the product or service involve import/export flows?
- Are there any sector-specific regulations in Switzerland?
Combine quantitative and qualitative data
The sources listed in this article mainly provide quantitative secondary data. They define the framework: market size, competitive structure, consumption trends. But they do not answer questions about customer motivations, purchase barriers, or perception of an offer.
This is where qualitative methods come in: individual interviews, focus groups, ethnographic observation. These approaches complement statistical data and transform numbers into actionable insights. For companies wishing to outsource this phase to an experienced partner, IntoTheMinds conducts B2B market research and B2C market research with specific expertise on the Swiss market.
Analyse results in their Swiss context
Interpreting Swiss data requires local contextual knowledge. A low unemployment rate can hide significant sector-specific recruitment tensions. High consumer prices reflect a different real purchasing power compared to neighbouring countries. The federal structure creates tax differences between cantons that directly influence business location decisions.
These nuances are integrated into every market research project conducted by IntoTheMinds in Switzerland, ensuring recommendations are grounded in local reality rather than generic analysis.
Summary table of data sources
| Thematic area | Main source | Relevance for market research |
|---|---|---|
| National statistics | FSO / BFS | Macroeconomic framing, demographics, PESTEL analysis |
| Custom data by commune/canton | STAT-TAB (FSO) | Custom tables, time series, regional analysis |
| Business register | Zefix + FOSC | Competitive analysis, monitoring company creation and bankruptcies |
| Economic conditions and labour market | SECO + Amstat | Sector forecasts, unemployment rate, vacancies |
| Financial data | Moneyhouse + FINMA + SNB | Sector profitability, regulated players, financial markets |
| Foreign trade | Swiss-Impex (FOCBS) | Import/export flows by product and country |
| Multi-institutional open data | opendata.swiss | Geospatial data, federal/cantonal/municipal cross-analysis |
| Regional data | Cantonal statistical offices (GE, VD, ZH…) | Cantonal disparities, regional market analysis |
| International benchmarking | OECD | Comparison of Switzerland with other developed economies (outside Eurostat) |
| Health | FOPH + Swissmedic | Health statistics, regulations, authorisations |
| Agri-food | BLV | Food safety, imports, nutrition bulletin |
| Agriculture | FOAG | Agricultural market by segment, policies and legislation |
| Housing / real estate | FOH + IMPI (FSO) | Market trends, developments, residential prices |
| Energy | SFOE + ElCom | Energy statistics, tariffs, Energy Strategy 2050 |
| Innovation / intellectual property | Innosuisse + IPI | Grants, trademark and patent registers |
| Consumer protection | FRC | Product comparisons, consumption trends |
Also see
- Top 10 data sources in France
- Top 10 data sources in Belgium
- Top 10 data sources in Luxembourg
- Top 10 data sources in Germany
- Top 10 data sources in the United Kingdom
- Top 10 data sources in Italy
- Top 10 data sources in Spain
- Top 10 data sources in Portugal
- Top 10 data sources in the Netherlands
- Top 10 data sources in the EU
FAQ: Questions you may have
What is the cost of a market research study in Switzerland?
The cost of a market research study in Switzerland varies depending on the methodology used, the geographic scope, and the expected depth of analysis. A desk-based study relying on the public sources listed in this article can be carried out at low cost. A primary study combining qualitative interviews and quantitative surveys represents a more significant investment, varying according to the scale of the project and the methodologies used. IntoTheMinds offers B2B market research and B2C market research adapted to different budgets and scopes.
Why can’t Eurostat be used for market research in Switzerland?
Switzerland is not a member of the European Union. Eurostat only covers EU member states and a few candidate countries. To compare Switzerland with other developed economies, the OECD is the appropriate benchmarking source, as it includes Switzerland in its harmonised databases alongside countries such as the United States, Japan, and Germany.
How to conduct regional market research in Switzerland?
Regional market research in Switzerland must rely on cantonal statistical offices, which provide more granular data than federal sources. The cantons of Geneva, Vaud, and Zurich each maintain comprehensive statistical portals. This approach is particularly important because differences between linguistic regions (French-speaking, German-speaking, and Italian-speaking Switzerland) can be significant in terms of consumer behaviour and market structure.
Can you conduct market research in Switzerland without a consultancy?
The public sources listed in this article are accessible to any individual or company. An SME or entrepreneur can build a solid desk-based analysis using data from the FSO (BFS), SECO, Zefix, and relevant sectoral offices. However, primary data collection (customer interviews, satisfaction surveys, opinion polling) requires methodological expertise and dedicated infrastructure. For these phases, working with a consultancy such as IntoTheMinds ensures rigorous data collection and reliable results. IntoTheMinds also offers satisfaction surveys and opinion polls adapted to the Swiss market.
Which sources should be used to analyse competition in the Swiss market?
Competitive analysis in Switzerland relies on several complementary sources. Zefix and the FOSC allow identification of active companies and tracking of legal changes. Moneyhouse provides financial data to assess competitors’ economic health. Sectoral offices (FOPH, BLV, FOAG depending on the sector) provide market data useful for estimating market shares. Finally, the FRC publishes product comparisons that help position offerings in the Swiss consumer market.
How to measure brand awareness in the Swiss market?
Measuring brand awareness in Switzerland requires a primary survey conducted on a representative sample of the target population. Secondary data available on public portals cannot answer this question. IntoTheMinds offers brand awareness studies specifically designed to assess the perception of a brand, product, or service among Swiss consumers or professionals.
