Switzerland

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Switzerland
Overview of the education system (EAG 2026)
  • In Switzerland, the share of adults with tertiary attainment reaches 46.2% (OECD average : 42.7%), while the share of adults with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary attainment stands at 39.9% (OECD average : 39.9%) and 13.9% of 25-64 year-olds reached below upper secondary education (OECD average : 17.9%).
  • Some 2.2% of children aged 3 are enrolled in early childhood education (OECD average : 81.5%), while 50.2% of children aged 3 to 5 are enrolled in early childhood education (OECD average : 86%).
  • In upper secondary education, 73.7% complete their education within the theoretical programme duration (OECD average : 76.2%), while 90.2% of new entrants complete a general or vocational programme within two years after the end of the theoritical programme (OECD average : 84.9%).
  • Government expenditure on educational institutions, before transfers, on primary to tertiary education equalled 4.4% of GDP in 2023 (OECD average : 4%), while private expenditure equalled 0.3% (OECD average : 0.6%).
  • In 2023, Switzerland allocated an average of 13.7% of total government expenditure to education from primary to tertiary levels (OECD average : 9.8%), equivalent to 4.4% of GDP (OECD average : 4.2%).
  • The unemployment rate among tertiary-educated young adults stands at 4.5% in 2025 (OECD average : 5%), while it is equal to 13.3% for 25-34 year-olds without an upper secondary education (OECD average : 13.9%).
  • Some 10% of all 18-24 year-olds were not in employment, education or training (NEET) in 2025 (OECD average : 14.1%), while 9.9% of 25-29 year-olds were NEET (OECD average : 16.3%).
  • On-site work varies with the level of education, while 61.7% of tertiary-educated workers sometimes or usually work from home in Switzerland (OECD average : 42.5%), 28.2% of workers with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary attainment did so (OECD average : 17.7%).
  • In Switzerland, annual typical teaching hours were 788 hours in primary education (OECD average : 770 hours) and 750 hours in lower secondary education (OECD average : 710 hours).
  • Women represent 96.6% of pre-primary teaching staff in Switzerland (OECD average : 95.9%) and 57.2% in lower secondary education (OECD average : 68.2%).
  • In Switzerland, there are 88.5% of fully qualified teachers in primary and secondary schools (OECD average : 90.9%).
    • | Education at a Glance 2026 (EAG 2026): OECD Indicators | Country note | Annexes from Education at a Glance 2026 | OECD Handbook for Internationally Comparative Education Statistics 2018 | Schweizerische Konferenz der kantonalen Erziehungsdirektoren/Conférence suisse des directeurs cantonaux de l'instruction publique/Conferenza svizzera dei direttori cantonali della pubblica educazione (Swiss Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education) | Staatssekretariat für Bildung, Forschung und Innovation/Secrétariat d'Etat à la formation, à la recherche et à l'innovation/Segreteria di Stato per la formazione, la ricerca e l'innovazione (State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation) | Statistik Schweiz/Statistique suisse/Statistica svizzera (Swiss Statistics) |

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    The following list displays indicators for which your selected country shows the highest and lowest values among countries. The list can be sorted by level of education or by age group. All rankings are calculated including available data from OECD and partner countries. Find out more about the methodology here.

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    Attainment

    The proportion of 25-34 year-olds who have attained a general degree at the upper secondary or post-secondary level is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (10.5 %, rank 28/37 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the share of 25-34 year-olds who attained a doctoral or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the largest among countries with available data. (1.9 %, rank 1/31 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Entrance

    The share of new entrants younger than 25 in bachelor's or equivalent programmes is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (72.6 %, rank 35/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of women among tertiary education new entrants is one of the smallest compared to OECD and partner countries with available data. (50.8 %, rank 34/34 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of female students entering bachelor's programmes in Switzerland is relatively small. (50.4 %, rank 39/41 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the average age of new entrants in doctoral programmes is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (28.5 Years, rank 36/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the percentage of new entrants in short-cycle tertiary programmes younger than 25 is relatively low. (25.4 %, rank 33/34 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the percentage of first-time entrants into tertiary education younger than 25 is relatively low. (72.7 %, rank 26/30 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The proportion of women among the new entrants in master's programmes in Switzerland is relatively low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (52.5 %, rank 39/42 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the share of first-time entrants in short-cycle tertiary programmes is one of the lowest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (2.2 %, rank 25/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the share of first-time entrants in master's programmes is one of the lowest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (0 %, rank 24/25 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Entrance by field of education and gender

    In agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary, the share of female new entrants to bachelor’s programmes in Switzerland was among the smallest internationally. (30.3 %, rank 28/29 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of female new entrants to bachelor’s programmes in business, administration and law was among the smallest in Switzerland compared to other countries. (47.7 %, rank 27/29 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of female new entrants in master’s programmes in agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary was among the smallest in Switzerland compared to other countries. (46 %, rank 27/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of female new entrants to master’s programmes in arts and humanities was one of the smallest internationally. (59.5 %, rank 24/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the share of female new entrants to master’s programmes in business, administration and law was among the smallest across countries. (47.9 %, rank 27/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of female new entrants in tertiary education in agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary placed Switzerland among the smallest internationally. (39 %, rank 23/24 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of female who enter tertiary education in the field of education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (72.5 %, rank 21/24 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of female who enter tertiary education in the field of arts and humanities is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (60.5 %, rank 20/24 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of female who enter tertiary education in the field of business, administration and law is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (48.2 %, rank 24/24 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of female who enter tertiary education in the field of natural sciences, mathematics and statistics is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (48.7 %, rank 20/24 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of female who enter tertiary education in the field of information and communication technologies (ICTs) is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (18.4 %, rank 19/24 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of female who enter tertiary education in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (21.7 %, rank 23/24 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the share of female among new entrants in doctoral programmes enrolled in the field of natural sciences, mathematics and statistics is relatively small. (44.2 %, rank 25/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the share of female among new entrants in doctoral programmes enrolled in the field of health and welfare is relatively small. (58.4 %, rank 24/27 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the share of women among new entrants in bachelor's programmes in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (18.7 %, rank 29/29 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the share of women among new entrants in bachelor's programmes in the field of health and welfare is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (74.4 %, rank 25/29 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the share of women among new entrants in bachelor's programmes in the field of information and communication technologies is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (17.4 %, rank 25/29 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of female students entering master's or equivalent programmes in education in Switzerland is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (68.9 %, rank 26/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of female students entering master's or equivalent programmes in engineering, manufacturing and construction in Switzerland is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (27.4 %, rank 25/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of female students entering master's or equivalent programmes in information and communication technologies in Switzerland is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (19.6 %, rank 23/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of female students entering master's or equivalent programmes in natural sciences, mathematics and statistics in Switzerland is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (47.6 %, rank 23/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of female students entering master's or equivalent programmes in Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in Switzerland is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (34 %, rank 23/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of female students entering short cycle tertiary programmes in engineering, manufacturing and construction in Switzerland is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (9.4 %, rank 22/25 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of female students entering short cycle tertiary programmes in information and communication technologies in Switzerland is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (0 %, rank 23/24 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of female students entering short cycle tertiary programmes in Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in Switzerland is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (8.9 %, rank 25/25 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of male students entering short-cycle tertiary programmes in education in Switzerland is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (2.4 %, rank 16/20 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of male students entering short-cycle tertiary programmes in health and welfare in Switzerland is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (13.8 %, rank 21/23 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of female in short-cycle tertiary programmes in the field of arts and humanities is one of the lowest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (40.2 %, rank 23/24 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of female in short-cycle tertiary programmes in the field of social sciences, journalism and information is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (58 %, rank 15/16 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Participation in education

    Enrolment in early childhood education (ISCED 0) among 3- to 5-year-olds placed Switzerland among the lowest across countries. (50.2 %, rank 37/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The proportion of upper secondary students enrolled in vocational programmes is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (60.7 %, rank 8/41 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of three-year-olds in early childhood education in Switzerland is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (2.2 %, rank 41/44 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of four-year-olds in early childhood and primary education in Switzerland is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (49 %, rank 40/43 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Enrolment in pre-primary education (ISCED 02) among 3- to 5-year-olds in Switzerland was among the lowest internationally. (50.2 %, rank 40/43 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the enrolment rate of children under 3 is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0 %, rank 35/36 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the percentage of students enrolled in private institutions at all early childhood education level is comparatively low. (5 %, rank 31/34 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the percentage of students enrolled in private institutions at pre-primary level is comparatively low. (5 %, rank 39/42 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The enrolment rate among students aged 15-19 in upper secondary vocational programmes in Switzerland is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (37 %, rank 10/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of two-year-olds in early childhood education in Switzerland is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0 %, rank 35/36 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Graduation

    The share of tertiary graduates younger than 30-years-old is one of the smallest among countries with available data. (75.8 %, rank 25/29 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the percentage of first-time short-cycle tertiary graduates younger than 30 is relatively low. (46.5 %, rank 25/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the percentage of first-time bachelor's graduates younger than 30 is relatively low. (75.9 %, rank 28/32 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of first-time short-cycle graduates is relatively low in Switzerland. (0.7 %, rank 25/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of first-time master's graduates is relatively low in Switzerland. (0 %, rank 23/23 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the share of first-time graduates in general programmes at upper secondary level is comparatively low. (36.4 %, rank 31/36 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Graduation by gender

    The share of female graduates from upper secondary general programmes is one of the largest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (57.3 %, rank 10/42 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Among OECD and partner countries with available data, Switzerland has one of the smallest shares of women graduates from tertiary programmes. (50.6 %, rank 32/32 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the share of female first-time bachelor's graduates is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (50.6 %, rank 30/32 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Graduation by field of education

    The percentage of tertiary graduates in the field of social sciences, journalism and information is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (6.6 %, rank 33/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of tertiary graduates in the field of information and communication technologies is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (3.4 %, rank 34/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of doctoral graduates in the field of arts and humaties in Switzerland is relatively small. (7.4 %, rank 33/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Graduation by field of education and gender

    In Switzerland, the proportion of male tertiary graduates in the field of social sciences, journalism and information is relatively small. (4.3 %, rank 34/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the proportion of female graduates from upper secondary vocational programmes in the field of services is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries. (37.2 %, rank 29/30 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the share of female graduates in tertiary education in all fields is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (50.3 %, rank 34/34 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the share of female graduates in tertiary education in the field of education is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (68.2 %, rank 32/34 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the share of female graduates in tertiary education in the fields of arts and humanities is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (60.4 %, rank 29/34 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the share of female graduates in tertiary education in the fields of business, administration and law is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (47.1 %, rank 34/34 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the share of female graduates in tertiary education in the fields of natural sciences, mathematics and statistics is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (45.9 %, rank 32/34 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the share of female graduates in tertiary education in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (26.1 %, rank 33/34 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the share of female graduates in tertiary education in the fields of information and communication technologies is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (16.2 %, rank 31/34 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the share of female graduates in tertiary education in the fields of engineering, manufacturing and construction is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (19.3 %, rank 34/34 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the share of female graduates in tertiary education in the fields of agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (40.1 %, rank 34/34 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Completion rates

    A relatively high share of students in upper secondary vocational programmes complete their studies within the theoretical programme duration. (49.6 %, rank 2/26 , 2022) Download Indicator

    A relatively low share of students in upper secondary general programmes complete their studies within the theoretical programme duration. (24.1 %, rank 25/26 , 2022) Download Indicator

    A relatively high share of upper secondary students complete their studies up to two years later than the theoretical programme duration. (90.2 %, rank 4/24 , 2024) Download Indicator

    A relatively high share of students in upper secondary vocational programmes complete their studies up to two years later than the theoretical programme duration. (61.1 %, rank 1/24 , 2024) Download Indicator

    A relatively low share of students in upper secondary general programmes complete their studies up to two years later than the theoretical programme duration. (29.1 %, rank 23/24 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Fields of education

    In Switzerland, the percentage of new entrants to tertiary education in the field of information and communication technologies (ICTs) is relatively low. (4.7 %, rank 24/27 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the share of new entrants in short-cycle tertiary programmes in the field of information and communication technologies is relatively small. (0.4 %, rank 25/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the percentage of new entrants to doctoral programmes in the field of services is relatively low, compared to other countries with available data. (0 %, rank 26/31 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the percentage of new entrants to doctoral programmes in the field of social sciences, journalism and information is relatively low, compared to other countries with available data. (6.6 %, rank 27/31 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the share of new entrants in arts and humanities bachelor's programmes is especially low, compared to OECD and partner countries with available data. (6.4 %, rank 30/32 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the proportion of new entrants in social sciences, journalism and information bachelor's programmes is slightly low, compared to OECD and partner countries with available data. (5.7 %, rank 31/32 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of new entrants in short-cycle tertiary programmes in the field of science, technology, engineering and mathematics is comparatively low in Switzerland, compared to OECD and partner countries with available data. (7.1 %, rank 26/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the share of new entrants in short-cycle tertiary programmes in the field of services is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (0 %, rank 24/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the percentage of new entrants in Services master's programmes is comparatively low among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.6 %, rank 27/32 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Student mobility

    Switzerland has one of the largest proportion of international or foreign students enrolled in tertiary education among OECD and partner countries with available data. (20.1 %, rank 6/42 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of international students entering short-cycle tertiary programmes is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0 %, rank 28/31 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the share of international and foreign students enrolled in doctoral or equivalent programmes is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (58.9 %, rank 2/41 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the proportion of new international entrants in master's long first degree (LFD) programmes is relatively low. (0 %, rank 21/23 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the proportion of international graduates among first-time short-cycle tertiary first-time graduates is relatively low. (0 %, rank 22/27 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the proportion of international graduates among first-time master's graduates is relatively high. (29.1 %, rank 7/30 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the proportion of international graduates among first-time doctorate graduates is relatively high. (59.3 %, rank 2/29 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the proportion of international or foreign students enrolled in master's programmes is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (32.6 %, rank 7/42 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the proportion of international or foreign students enrolled in short-cycle tertiary programmes is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0 %, rank 29/35 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Student mobility by field of education

    In Switzerland, the share of students enrolled in the field of science, technology, engineering and mathematics among all international or foreign students is relatively high compared to other OECD and partner countries. (42.3 %, rank 5/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the share of students enrolled in the field of agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary among all international or foreign tertiary students is relatively low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (0.5 %, rank 36/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Adult participation in non-formal education

    Among unemployed adults aged 25-64, the share participating in non-formal education or training in Switzerland was among the highest across countries with available data. (43.1 %, rank 7/30 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Among adults aged 25-64 with tertiary attainment, the share reporting never having participated in non-formal education or training in Switzerland was among the largest across countries with available data. (13 %, rank 9/29 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Expenditure per student

    Annual expenditure per student on research and development in tertiary education is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (22470 USD Equivalent, rank 2/33 , 2023) Download Indicator

    From 2012 to 2018, the average annual growth in total expenditure on primary to tertiary education in Switzerland is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (36822 USD Equivalent, rank 2/41 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Expenditure in education and national wealth

    The public expenditure as a percentage of GDP from initial source of funds at primary to tertiary education is relatively high in Switzerland. (4.4 %, rank 10/38 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Government and private expenditure in education

    In Switzerland, total public expenditure on primary through tertiary educational institutions as a percentage of total public expenditure is comparatively high. (13.7 %, rank 3/42 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Teachers

    The number of hours per year pre-primary teachers spend teaching in public institutions is comparatively low in Switzerland. (788 Hours, rank 26/33 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Who the teachers are

    The share of women among teaching staff in lower secondary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (57.2 %, rank 35/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of women among teaching staff in upper secondary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (47.2 %, rank 40/42 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of women among teaching staff in tertiary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (39.9 %, rank 34/41 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of women among teaching staff in general upper secondary education in Switzerland is relatively small. (49.1 %, rank 35/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the share of women among teaching staff in vocational upper secondary education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (46.3 %, rank 32/32 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of female teachers aged 50 or more in lower secondary education is especially low in Switzerland. (54.1 %, rank 34/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of female teachers aged 50 or more in upper secondary education is especially low in Switzerland. (42.7 %, rank 39/41 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of female teachers aged 50 or more in tertiary education is especially low in Switzerland. (33.2 %, rank 34/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the share of bachelor's, master's and doctoral level teachers younger than 30 is relatively low, compared to other countries with data available. (2.7 %, rank 32/36 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the share of tertiary teachers younger than 30 is relatively low, compared to other countries with data available. (2.7 %, rank 32/36 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the share of bachelor's, master's and doctoral level female teachers older than 50 is relatively low, compared to other countries with data available. (33.2 %, rank 34/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Teacher shortages

    Between 2015 and 2024, Switzerland reported an increase in the number of students enrolled in education. (115 Index, rank 3/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Between 2015 and 2024, Switzerland reported an increase in the number of full-time equivalent classroom teachers. (121 Index, rank 8/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Organisation of the education system

    Classes in lower secondary public institutions are comparatively small in Switzerland. (19 Students, rank 33/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Employment and educational attainment

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds without upper secondary education is comparatively high. (68.1 %, rank 3/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively high. (83.1 %, rank 7/41 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-34 year-olds with below upper secondary education is comparatively high in Switzerland. (66.6 %, rank 8/39 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-34 year-olds with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively high in Switzerland. (85.5 %, rank 4/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-34 year-olds with a vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively high compared to other OECD and partner countries. (87.9 %, rank 7/32 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-34 year-olds with a general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively high compared to other OECD and partner countries. (78.5 %, rank 9/36 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Employment by gender and educational attainment

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-old men without upper secondary education is comparatively high. (74 %, rank 8/39 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-old women without upper secondary education is comparatively high. (62.5 %, rank 4/39 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Inactivity and educational attainment

    The inactivity rate of 25-34 years-old adults with below upper secondary education is low in Switzerland. (23.2 %, rank 35/39 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The inactivity rate of 25-34 years-old adults with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is low in Switzerland. (9.1 %, rank 36/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The inactivity rate of 25-34 years-old adults with tertiary education is low in Switzerland. (5.9 %, rank 33/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the inactivity rate of 25-34 year-olds with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low. (7.2 %, rank 28/32 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the inactivity rate of 25-34 year-olds with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low. (14.2 %, rank 31/36 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-olds with below upper secondary education is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (25.9 %, rank 34/39 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the inactivity rate of 25-34 year-olds with a doctoral or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (2.1 %, rank 12/12 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-olds with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (13.3 %, rank 35/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-olds with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low. (15.4 %, rank 31/36 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-olds with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low. (12.8 %, rank 28/33 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Inactivity by gender and educational attainment

    In Switzerland, the inactivity rate 25-64 year-old women without an upper secondary education is relatively low compared to other countries with available data. (32.1 %, rank 35/39 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the inactivity rate of 25-34 year-old women with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low. (16 %, rank 34/36 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-old women with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low. (17.9 %, rank 33/36 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the inactivity rate of 25-34 year-old women with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low. (10.4 %, rank 31/31 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-old women with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low. (16.3 %, rank 28/32 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the inactivity rate of 25-34 year-old women with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low. (11.9 %, rank 39/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-old women with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low. (16.6 %, rank 36/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the inactivity rate of 25-34 year-old women with tertiary education is relatively low. (7.1 %, rank 35/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Earnings and educational attainment

    In Switzerland, the share of worker earning more than twice the median among those with a master's or doctoral or equivalent education degree is comparatively small. (20.6 %, rank 19/24 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-64 year-old workers with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education earning more than twice the overall median in Switzerland is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (2 Index, rank 27/29 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Among workers with below upper secondary education in Switzerland, the proportion earning between 1.5 and 2 times the median is comparatively low . (2 Index, rank 26/29 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Among workers with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education in Switzerland, the proportion earning between 1.5 and 2 times the median is comparatively low. (5 Index, rank 30/30 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Earnings and skill level

    In Switzerland, the share of high earners aged 25-64 with low numeracy, literacy and adaptive problem-solving skills in the Adult Skills Survey was among the smallest across countries with available data. (8.4 %, rank 29/29 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of high earners aged 25-64 with high numeracy, literacy and adaptive problem-solving skills in the Adult Skills Survey was among the smallest in Switzerland compared with other countries with available data. (58.2 %, rank 19/21 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Earnings, gender and educational attainment

    Earnings of women as a percentage of men's earnings (among 25-64 year-olds with upper secondary education or post-secondary non-tertiary education and income from employment) are one of the highest among countries with available data. (85.3 %, rank 3/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Earnings of women as a percentage of men's earnings (among 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education and income from employment) are one of the highest among countries with available data. (84.6 %, rank 5/29 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, women's earnings as a percentage of men's earnings among 25-64 year-olds with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education (full- and part-time workers) are among the lowest across countries with available data. (65.7 %, rank 26/30 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the proportion of young women's earnings as a percentage of men's earnings (25-34 year-olds with tertiary education working full-time full-year), is relatively high compared to OECD and other members with available data (93 %, rank 3/29 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Neither in education nor employed

    The share of unemployed youth neither in formal education nor training among 18-24 year-olds in Switzerland is one of the smallest among countries with available data. (10 %, rank 32/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of women without an upper secondary education neither in employment nor in education and training (25-29 year-olds) in Switzerland is relatively low (39.7 %, rank 27/31 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-29 year-olds neither in employment nor in education and training without an upper secondary in Switzerland is relatively low. (29.7 %, rank 30/35 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of women with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education neither in employment nor in education and training (25-29 year-olds) in Switzerland is relatively low (8.7 %, rank 25/26 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of men with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education neither in employment nor in education and training (25-29 year-olds) in Switzerland is relatively low (7.9 %, rank 24/27 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-29 year-olds neither in employment nor in education and training with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education in Switzerland is relatively low (8.2 %, rank 31/32 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of women with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education neither in employment nor in education and training (25-29 year-olds) in Switzerland is relatively low (12.9 %, rank 23/28 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-29 year-olds neither in employment nor in education and training with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education in Switzerland is relatively low. (9.6 %, rank 27/31 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of women with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education neither in employment nor in education and training (25-29 year-olds) in Switzerland is relatively low. (11.6 %, rank 33/36 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-29 year-olds neither in employment nor in education and training with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary in Switzerland is relatively low. (9.2 %, rank 34/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-29 year-olds neither in employment nor in education and training with tertiary education in Switzerland is relatively low. (6.5 %, rank 30/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of women who are inactive NEET (15-29 year-olds) in Switzerland is relatively low. (5.9 %, rank 34/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of inactive NEET (15-29 year-olds) in Switzerland is relatively low. (5.4 %, rank 34/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the share of 18-29 year-olds with literacy proficiency at Level 2 or below in the Adult Skills Survey who were NEET was among the lowest across countries with available data. (12.2 %, rank 24/29 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of 18-29 year-olds with literacy proficiency at Level 3 or above in the Adult Skills Survey who were NEET was among the smallest in Switzerland compared with other countries with available data. (3.6 %, rank 29/29 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of youth neither employed nor in education or training among 25-29 year-olds in Switzerland is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (9.9 %, rank 35/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The proportion of youth neither employed nor in education or training among 15-29 year-olds in Switzerland is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (9.1 %, rank 33/39 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the share of women neither employed nor in education among 15-29 year-olds is relatively low. (9.2 %, rank 34/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Among 25-29 year-old men in Switzerland, a small share of them are neither employed nor in education or training. (8 %, rank 35/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the percentage of women neither employed nor in education or training among 20-24 year-olds is relatively low. (9.7 %, rank 32/36 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of young women neither employed nor in education or training (25-29 year-olds) in Switzerland is comparatively low . (12 %, rank 34/37 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The proportion of 18-24 year-olds who are neither employed nor in education or training is comparatively small in Switzerland. (10 %, rank 32/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The percentage of 18-24 year-old men neither employed nor in education or training is one of the lowest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (11 %, rank 29/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The percentage of 18-24 year-old women neither employed nor in education or training is one of the lowest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (9.1 %, rank 32/37 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Social outcomes

    In Switzerland, the share of employed men aged 25-64 with tertiary education reporting high or very high flexibility in their main job was among the highest across countries with available data. (61.3 %, rank 3/30 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the share of employed women aged 25-64 with tertiary education reporting high or very high flexibility in their main job was among the highest across countries with available data. (45.4 %, rank 3/30 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of employed adults aged 25-64 with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary attainment who sometimes or usually work from home was among the highest in Switzerland compared with other countries with available data. (28.2 %, rank 9/32 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, the share of employed adults aged 25-64 with tertiary attainment who sometimes or usually work from home was among the largest across countries with available data. (61.7 %, rank 6/32 , 2023) Download Indicator


    The data table will display up to six selected countries.
    General findings
    
                        
    
                            
    
                                
    • Educational attainment remains at an all-time high in 2025 as more people obtain advanced qualifications. Across the OECD, 43% of working-age adults have a tertiary qualification, while the share of adults with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary attainment is slightly lower at 39%.
    • On a similar note, the share of young adults without upper secondary attainment continues to decline across the OECD, standing at 12% in 2025. Therefore, while more young adults obtain a tertiary qualification, the share of individuals whose highest qualification is upper secondary with a vocational orientation is decreasing in almost all OECD countries. 
    • Regarding the share of young people being neither in employment nor in education or training, it stood at 14% as of 2025 across OECD countries. However, cross-country comparisons reveal a wide variety of trends, ranging from large falls in Croatia or Ireland to increases in Germany or Latvia.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Attainment | Education policies: Labour market outcomes | 
    
                            
    
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    • Most children aged 3 to 5 are enrolled in early childhood education, with an average participation rate of 86% across the OECD in 2024. Participation in early childhood education increases with age and tends to be higher in countries with stronger institutional support for participation.
    • 76.2% of students complete upper secondary programmes within the theoretical programme duration. This rises to 84.9% with two additional years on average across the OECD.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Access and Participation  | 
    
                            
    
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    • In 2023, OECD countries allocated an average of 9.8% of total government expenditure to education, equivalent to 4.2% of GDP.
    • Total expenditure on education tends to rise with the level of education. In primary education, expenditure per student was USD 13 552 in 2023 on average across the OECD. This amount rises to USD 14 923 in secondary education and to USD 22 402 in tertiary education.
    • Tertiary education continues to expand, placing pressure on public budgets. Private sources represent a larger share of total funding at the tertiary level than at any other level of education. However, as a whole most investment in education comes from public sources. On average, across the OECD, government expenditure on primary to tertiary education corresponded to 4% of GDP in 2023, while private expenditure corresponded to 0.6%. Both of these figures are measured as initial source of funds, which implies that we are tracking the original provider.
    • Research and development represents around one-third of total expenditure across the OECD on tertiary educational institutions, underlining their dual role in both teaching and research. On average across the OECD, in 2023, USD 8 060 were invested annually into research and development for every student enrolled in tertiary education.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Finance and Funding | 
    
                            
    
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    • Compulsory teaching time averages 770 hours per year for primary students and 710 hours for lower secondary students (general programmes), a difference of about 60 hours annually.
    • The ratio of children to teachers in primary education has slightly fallen across most OECD countries, decreasing from an average of 15 children per teacher in 2015 to 14 in 2024.
    • Teachers’ statutory salaries increase with the level of education taught. On average, across OECD countries and economies, the salaries of teachers with the most prevalent qualifications with 15 years of experience range from USD 60 437 at pre-primary level to USD 68 928 at upper secondary level.
    • Teachers’ actual salaries at primary and general secondary levels of education are 87-95% of the average earnings of tertiary-educated workers across OECD countries. School heads' actual salaries are usually higher than those of tertiary-educated workers.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Teachers | Education policies: Learning environment | OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS)  | 
    
                            
    
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    • On average across OECD countries, 9.1% of teachers in primary and secondary education are non-fully qualified, with shares exceeding 18% in Chile, Denmark, Estonia and Germany.
    • Furthermore, the share of fully qualified teachers leaving the profession in primary and secondary schools stands at 6.4% of the total teaching workforce.
    • The ratio of children to teachers in primary education has slightly fallen across most OECD countries, decreasing from an average of 15 children per teacher in 2015 to 14 in 2024.
    • Regarding job satisfaction among teachers, participating countries show wide differences. Japan, Spain and Czechia reported that teachers tend to be much more satisfied with their jobs than other employed adults. On the other hand, teachers in Hungary, Chile or Latvia tend to be less satisfied with their jobs than other employed adults.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Teachers | Education policies: Teacher working conditions | Education policies: Teacher employment | 
    
                            
    
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            Diagram of funding flows - Switzerland
            
    
            
    
        
    


        
		
    
            
    
			Click on the coverpage to see the full OECD iLibrary version
			
    
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            Country Reviews for Switzerland
            
    
            
    
			
    
        
    
		
              
              
              
              
              
              
              
        
    
            Note: These values should be interpreted with care since they are influenced by countries' specific contexts and trade-offs. In education, there is often no simple
            most- or least-efficient model. For instance, the share of private expenditure in education must be read against other measures designed to mitigate inequities, 
			such as loans and grants; longer learning time is an opportunity to convey more and better content to students, but may hinder investments in other important
            areas. If you want further information on the nature of different variables, please take the time to read the analysis and contextual information, available at the website
            for each publication.
    
            All rankings for individual variables are compiled on the basis of OECD and G20 countries for which data are available. The OECD average includes only OECD countries which are listed here: https://www.oecd.org/en/about/members-partners.html
            

    
			
            Reference years displayed in the Education GPS correspond to the most common year of reference among countries for which data is available on each variable. Data for the latest available year is preferred and some 
			countries may have provided data refering to a more recent or late year. 
			However, OECD averages from Education at a Glance coming from the OECD database are the averages for the indicator reference year appearing in the Education GPS and may differ from averages in the book where averages can include data from multiple reference years, based on countries' data availability.
			

    
			To know more about possible exceptions on data please click on the "Download Indicator" link on each variable. When a year of reference corresponds to a school year encompassing two years, the reference reads as follows: 2026 for school year 2025/2026 in the Northern Hemisphere.
			

    
	    *TALIS averages are based on all countries participating in the TALIS survey, including partner countries and economies. 
		This explains the difference between the OECD average and the TALIS averages.
		Data from the TALIS survey and Education at a Glance (EAG) may differ. See Annex E of the TALIS technical report and 
		Sources Methodologies and Technical Notes 
		of EAG 2025 for more details about the data collections.
		

    
        For additional notes, please refer to annexes in the list of links below the introductory country profile text.