Public education expenditure

In 2017, the Confederation, cantons and communes spent CHF 38.1 billion on education. This amount corresponds to 17,6% of the total public expenditure and 5,7% of the gross domestic product.

Key figures

In Switzerland 91% of expenditure on education is incurred as current expenses, the remaining 9% as investments.
With CHF 25 billion, 66% of total education expenditure is spent on staff salaries.
In the distribution of public expenditure on education according to the degree of education compulsory schooling represents the most important part.

Public education expenditure by the administrative level making the expenditure and the educational level, 2017

in CHF millions	Switzerland		Confederation	Cantons	Communes
Total	38 110	100%	4 081	23 760	10 269
of which salaries	25 328	66%	2 214	17 210	5 904
Compulsory education and special schools	18 760	49%	21	8 699	10 041
Upper secondary level	5 936	16%	68	5 690	179
Tertiary level	8 596	23%	1 151	7 440	5
Research	4 260	11%	2 831	1 428	2
Non-attributable expenditure	557	1%	11	504	42

Sources: FSO - Public education expenditure (ÖBA); FFA - Financial Statistics

Financial flows

Education is not always funded directly, but also in the form of contributions towards the expenditure undertaken by other administrative levels. In 2017, for example, the Confederation invested a total of CHF 6.9 billion for education, of which CHF 4.1 billion have been spent directly and CHF 2.8 billion via the cantons.

Data source

At national level the public education expenditure of the financial statistics of the Federal Finance Administration is the only data source that enables a uniform analysis of education finance from primary to university. It is completed with the higher education funding statistics (Finances and costs of higher education) that covers both public and private funding.