In 2021, some eight out of ten employed persons in Switzerland were commuters, i.e. people who leave their dwelling to get to their place of work. This is equal to roughly 3.5 million people. Of this number, 71% worked outside the commune in which they live - considerably more than in 1990 (58%). This means that much larger commuter flows are travelling through the Swiss Mittelland and alpine valleys than just a few decades previously. A comparison of cantons shows that in relation to their size, the cantons of Basel-Stadt and Zug attract the most commuters from other cantons.
In 2021, just over half of commuters (53%) used the car as main means of transport for their commute. 27% used public transport to go to work, 18% travelled by foot or by bike. On average, commuters covered 14 km during their trip to work (one way), taking them 29 minutes.
