What does medicine mean for Switzerland?
Medicine drives our lives – economically more than any other industry.
The pharmaceutical industry is a key pillar of the Swiss economy. It drives innovation, secures jobs, and makes a significant contribution to Switzerland’s prosperity.
With a strong pharmaceutical industry, Switzerland safeguards not only its economic engine, but also its role as an innovation leader.
However, under the current framework conditions, less is being invested in Switzerland as a pharmaceutical location, putting jobs at risk and slowing growth.
Contribution to value creation
Pharmaceutical companies are a key economic factor for Switzerland.
Interpharma’s 23 member companies generate CHF 4.4 billion in revenue in Switzerland – and already contribute more through taxes and levies (CHF 5 billion) than they receive via the healthcare system. In addition, the companies invest CHF 9 billion annually in research & development, thereby securing jobs and Switzerland’s position as an innovation hub. Overall, for every franc of revenue, around CHF 3.20 flows back in taxes and investments – a net benefit of almost CHF 10 billion per year for Switzerland as a business location.
Pharmaceutical companies bring CHF 10 billion a year in taxes and investments to Switzerland as a business location.
Since 1996, the real value added of the Swiss pharmaceutical industry has risen sharply and is now 15 times higher than it was then.
Contribution to employment
The pharmaceutical industry secures jobs far beyond its own sector.
In 2022, the pharmaceutical industry employed around 50,600 people in Switzerland. In its activities, the industry sources intermediate inputs such as machinery, chemical substances, cleaning and security staff, insurance services, or energy, thereby creating an additional roughly 250,200 jobs for people in other sectors.
More than 40,000 people are employed directly and over 250,000 indirectly along the value chain in Switzerland.
5.8% of Switzerland’s gross value added is generated by the pharmaceutical industry. When indirect effects are taken into account, the share of value added rises to 9.8%.
Production in Switzerland
The pharmaceutical industry is Switzerland’s central productivity engine. More than 10,000 people work at 19 high-tech production sites in Switzerland and manufacture over 190 medicines.
This benefits not only patients in terms of security of supply, but the entire economy – for example through higher incomes, investments, and tax revenues.
More than 10,000 people work every day at 19 high-tech production sites in Switzerland and produce 190 medicines for various diseases.
Since 1996, the value generated by the pharmaceutical industry in Switzerland has grown fifteenfold.
Contribution to export strength
No other sector influences Switzerland’s export performance as strongly as the pharmaceutical industry.
Over the past 20 years, the pharmaceutical industry has significantly increased its share of exports and is Switzerland’s driving economic engine.
With exports worth around CHF 114 billion and a 41.3% share (2025) of total exports, the pharmaceutical industry is Switzerland’s most important export sector.
In 2024, around 46% of pharmaceutical exports went to the European Union, making the EU the most important sales market for pharmaceutical products. The USA is the most important buyer country, with a share of 28%.
Contribution to Switzerland as a life sciences hub
Switzerland’s competitiveness depends directly on its innovative strength.
This innovative strength attracts investment, highly skilled jobs, and international partnerships – and is therefore a key foundation for prosperity and competitiveness.
This position must be strengthened in order to ensure the supply of new therapies and medicines in the future as well.
Switzerland remains one of the world’s most innovative countries and has ranked at the top for years in life sciences patents per capita.
Switzerland remains one of the world’s most innovative countries and has ranked at the top for years in life sciences patents per capita.
Switzerland’s strength as a business location is not a given.
Without the right framework conditions, Switzerland will lose its innovative strength – and with it its economic strength.