Road infrastructure account

The road infrastructure account provides detailed data on the costs and funding of public road infrastructure:

It shows the total costs borne by the public authorities (Confederation, cantons and communes) for the provision of road infrastructure.

Switzerland's road infrastructure cost the public authorities a total of CHF 9.0 billion in 2021, of which 58% were capital costs (depreciation and interest costs) and 42% operating costs. National roads accounted for 32% of the total costs, cantonal roads 33% and communal roads 35%.

It shows what proportion of these costs is generated by motorised road traffic.

If we consider only the road infrastructure costs incurred by the public authorities due to motorised road traffic, these amounted to CHF 7.7 billion in 2021. Compared to the total costs of road infrastructure, the expenditures for pedestrian and bicycle traffic in particular were not taken into account.

It compares the infrastructure costs of motorised road traffic with the revenue generated by public authorities from motorised road traffic (cost coverage ratio).

Public revenue from motorised road traffic was approx. CHF 8.5 billion in 2021. 52% came from petroleum tax and 29% from cantonal motor vehicle tax. Other sources of revenue included the heavy vehicle charge, car tax and the motorway tax sticker.

If we compare the revenue of CHF 8.5 billion with the above-mentioned infrastructure costs generated by motorised road traffic (CHF 7.7 billion), the cost coverage rate is 110%.

Road infrastructure account, 2021

Road infrastructure costs1 borne by the public authorities
Total infrastructure costs1, 2	CHF 9.0 billion
Change since 2010	–2.4%
Infrastructure costs1 due to motorised road traffic	CHF 7.7 billion
Change since 2010	–3.7%
Road revenue of public authorities
Revenue from motorised road traffic	CHF 8.5 billion
Change since 2010	–3.0%
Degree of coverage of infrastructure costs
Degree of coverage of motorised road traffic infrastructure costs	110%

1) Costs according to the capital account: unlike the expenditure account, investments in road infrastructure are amortised over several years.
2) Motorised road traffic, pedestrian traffic, bicycle traffic, agricultural traffic Source: FS0 – Road infrastructure account (STR)

How does the road infrastructure account differ from the total costs?

Unlike the total costs or road transport, the road infrastructure account does not take into consideration the costs of means of transport, nor the costs of accidents and damage to the environment and health caused by road traffic. The costs of building and maintaining private roads and spaces are also not taken into account.