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activity to increase by almost two percent in 2026. are stimulating residential construction activity.
Despite the recent memorandum of understanding between The Swiss Contractors' Association expects 44,000 new
the US and Switzerland on tariffs and foreign trade, economic apartments to be built in the current year.
uncertainty remains high. The association expects the upturn to continue until
The commercial construction sector has been struggling the end of the second quarter of 2026. Factors that could
for two years. Its turnover has fallen from CHF 0.8 billion to prevent the boom from continuing beyond this point include
CHF 0.7 billion per quarter. According to the construction persistently high construction costs, the recent decline in
index, this slump is set to continue until 2026. building applications, and the expected reduction in rents for
Swiss GDP is expected to grow by 0.9 percent next year, existing apartments.
slower than in 2025 (1.2 percent), while the unemployment Builders achieved sales of CHF 17.6 billion (+0.6 percent)
rate is likely to be higher (3.2 percent next year, 2.9 percent in the first three quarters of 2025. Order intake even rose by
in 2025). 3.3 percent to CHF 17.9 billion.
Inflation is 0.2 percent in the current year. Forecasters' For 2025 as a whole, the construction index points to an
estimates for consumer price inflation next year range from increase in sales of 0.6 percent, and for 2026 even 1.9 percent.
0.2 percent to 0.5 percent. Residential construction and civil engineering are driving
The residential construction sector, on the other hand, growth. In public building construction, the signs are generally
continues to grow. pointing to positive growth, but the sector has fluctuated
Since January 2025, its turnover has been CHF 6 billion sharply in recent quarters. Commercial construction is not
(+7 percent). Higher asking rents and recent interest rate cuts providing any positive impetus.

