Economy, jobs and prices in Zürich, Switzerland: official figures
The unemployment rate in Zürich was 6.2% in 2021 (6.1% for women, 6.2% for men).
What are the main jobs in Zürich?
744,832 jobs were based in Zürich in 2023; the biggest employers were public administration, education and health (24% of jobs) and professional, scientific and administrative services (24%).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many people commute to Zürich?
238,202 people commuted into Zürich for work in 2024 and 62,485 commuted out.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many tourists visit Zürich?
Tourist accommodation in Zürich recorded 5,739,471 nights in 2024, 67% by visitors from abroad.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow do people get to work in Zürich?
In 2024, 60% of journeys to work in Zürich were by public transport, 27% by car, 7% by bicycle and 5% on foot.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many cars are there in Zürich?
There were 408 registered cars per 1,000 residents in 2024.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyMore figures
- 94% of people in Zürich were satisfied with public transport (EU quality of life in European cities survey, 2023). Source: Eurostat · saved copy
- 50% of people in Zürich agreed that it is easy to find a good job in the city (EU quality of life in European cities survey, 2023). Source: Eurostat · saved copy
How Zürich compares with other cities in Switzerland
Unemployment rate (2021)
Zürich ranks 4 of 5, highest first.
| Rank | City | Unemployment rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lausanne | 9.7% |
| 2 | Lugano | 8.3% |
| 3 | St. Gallen | 6.9% |
| 4 | Zürich | 6.2% |
| 5 | Winterthur | 6.0% |
Journeys to work by public transport (2024)
Zürich ranks 1 of 6, highest first.
| Rank | City | Journeys to work by public transport |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zürich | 60.4% |
| 2 | Lausanne | 47.1% |
| 3 | Winterthur | 40.1% |
| 4 | St. Gallen | 39.9% |
| 5 | Biel/Bienne | 32.4% |
| 6 | Lugano | 27.8% |
Cars per 1,000 residents (2024)
Zürich ranks 3 of 6, highest first.
| Rank | City | Cars per 1,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lugano | 593 |
| 2 | St. Gallen | 439 |
| 3 | Zürich | 408 |
| 4 | Biel/Bienne | 401 |
| 5 | Lausanne | 386 |
| 6 | Winterthur | 383 |
Tourist nights (2024)
Zürich ranks 1 of 6, highest first.
| Rank | City | Tourist nights |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zürich | 5,739,471 |
| 2 | Lausanne | 1,084,116 |
| 3 | Lugano | 775,178 |
| 4 | St. Gallen | 304,036 |
| 5 | Winterthur | 221,329 |
| 6 | Biel/Bienne | 129,242 |
More on Zürich: overview · health · all cities in Switzerland
Sources
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset urb_ctour: Urban Audit: culture and tourism (cities), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 235d13e6125c…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset urb_clma: Urban Audit: labour market (cities), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 be050965f9c6…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset urb_percep: Quality of life in European cities survey 2023: perception (cities), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 81bd3e277f3e…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset urb_ctran: Urban Audit: transport (cities), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 c4e74aa07496…)
Each saved copy is the file exactly as downloaded, kept so the figures can be checked even if the source changes. Report an error.