Businesses: Record creation of businesses last year in Switzerland

Switzerland recorded an unprecedented level of business creation last year, mainly in the craft, consulting and real estate sectors. The cantons of Fribourg, Vaud and Valais have been particularly active in the field.

The number of newly created businesses increased in 2024 to beat the previous year’s record. The Swiss commercial register recorded 52,978 new entities registered, an increase of 2.6%, indicated the online platform STARTUPS.CH and the IFJ institute for young businesses.

It is above all the strong return of the cryptocurrency market which has given start-ups momentum. On an overall regional level, French-speaking Switzerland remains on the path of growth, while the canton of Zurich has experienced solid development, as usual. The sector is expected to continue to develop positively in 2025.

Stimulating rates

Moderate interest rates have also given a boost to young entrepreneurs. “Demand in crafts, real estate and construction is high, which artisans are taking advantage of to embark on the adventure of independence,” notes Michele Blasucci, founder and director of STARTUPS.CH, quoted in the press release.

In crafts and commerce, the number of new registrations increased by almost a fifth, the same for the real estate sector. As in the past, most companies were founded in the consumer and trade as well as IT sectors, with shares of 11 and 9% respectively.

Friborg ahead

In detail, growth is evident in almost all regions. It is especially in French-speaking Switzerland that the number of young companies increased (+6.4%), while the canton of Zurich, economically strong and widely diversified in terms of sectors, posted solid growth of around 1.2 %.

Beyond that, with respective increases of 11.5% and 10.7%, the cantons of Friborg and Valais are among the champions of business creation, followed by Zug (+6%), Vaud (+5 .5%) and St. Gallen (+5.1%). Thurgau (-7.6%), Basel-City (-4.9%) and Lucerne (-3%) on the other hand recorded a contraction.

If the number of new registrations has stagnated in the north-west of Switzerland, “this is notably due to the strength of the Swiss franc and the contraction of the German economy, with which the north-west of Switzerland, in particular , is closely linked on a commercial level,” the organizations further note.