Switzerland defies the COVID-19 crisis - the number of incorporations continues to grow

Fri, 01.10.2021, 00:00

St. Gallen/Zürich/Lausanne, 30. September 2021: Switzerland is heading for another record year in terms of the number of new company incorporations. After the year 2020, marked by the COVID 19 pandemic, already went down in history as a record year, the incorporation boom continues in the current year. In the first three quarters of 2021, 37,693 new companies were entered in the commercial register. This corresponds to an increase of +12.1% compared to the same period last year. The sharp increase compared to the previous year is partly due to the containment measures taken at the time, but not only. The Swiss incorporation scene is in good shape and looks to the future with great confidence.

In which regions is the start-up scene booming?
Most start-ups took place in the cantons of Zurich (6,661), Vaud (3,606), Bern (3,366) and Geneva with 3,106 new registrations. These four cantons account for almost half of all new incorporations in Switzerland. But which cantons are among the percentage winners compared to the previous year? The canton of Schaffhausen recorded a remarkable increase of +36.3% compared to the previous six months. It is followed by Uri with +29.9%, Zug with +28.5% and Bern with an increase of +18.9%. With the exception of Appenzell Innerrhoden (-19.6%) and Obwalden (-8.0%), all cantons recorded positive growth. The exact figures for foundations and percentage changes are shown in the following table.
 
(Source: Swiss Official Gazette of Commerce SOGC; analysis and graph: IFJ Institut für Jungunternehmen AG) 

(Source: Swiss Official Gazette of Commerce SOGC; analysis and graph: IFJ Institut für Jungunternehmen AG)

Comparison of Q1 to Q3 of the last 5 years
Comparing the last five years, the Commercial Registry Office has seen a steady increase in new registrations. While the growth in the first three quarters was still in the lower percentage range of the years between 2017 (31,901), 2018 (31,967), 2019 (32,858) and 2020 (33,634), a significant increase was recorded in the current year with 37,693 new incorporations.(Source: Swiss Official Gazette of Commerce SOGC; analysis and graph: IFJ Institut für Jungunternehmen AG) 

Comparison of legal forms
In Switzerland, 14,458 new limited liability companies (LLCs) were founded in the first three quarters of the current year, which corresponds to a growth of +10.6%. This is followed by the sole proprietorship with 12,177 new registrations (+11%), the public limited company (AG) with 7,637 new registrations (+17.9%) and the general partnership with 1,114 registrations (+8.9%).
 (Source: Swiss Official Gazette of Commerce SOGC; analysis and graph: IFJ Institut für Jungunternehmen AG)
 
Incorporations by sector
In terms of incorporations by sector, it is clear that all but three sectors recorded positive accents compared to the same period last year. The three main growth sectors are agriculture and forestry (+35.4%), other services (including video production, photography, facilities management, horticulture) with +34.6% and retail trade with +27.8%. The largest percentage decreases were recorded in the sectors of high technology (-11.9%), transport and logistics (-6.8%) and marketing and communication with -1.6%.

 

 (Source: Swiss Official Gazette of Commerce SOGC; data partner: Dun & Bradstreet Switzerland Ltd. Analysis and graphics: IFJ Institut für Jungunternehmen AG) 

We are happy to provide media representatives with analyses specifically prepared on regions, cantons or sectors. Please contact us.

 
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