Inflation calculator Switzerland - How to calculate inflation
Shopping, rent, restaurants: almost everything costs more now than it did a few years ago. The reason behind this is the Inflation, in Switzerland usually Inflation ... is called.
But how much have prices actually risen in Switzerland? And has your Wages Kept up? You can find out with our Inflation calculator Switzerland in seconds. The inflation calculator uses the official data from the National Consumer Price Index (LIK) provided by the Federal Statistical Office and goes back as far as 1921.
How high is inflation in Switzerland at the moment?
The Federal Office for Statistics (FSO) publishes inflation figures every month, at the start of the following month. You will always find the latest figure there. The inflation calculator above uses the data specified under «Status».
For the previous financial years, the Annual inflation in Switzerland as follows:
| Year | Inflation rate in Switzerland |
|---|---|
| 2025 | +0,2% |
| 2024 | +1,1% |
| 2023 | +2,1% |
| 2022 | +2,8% |
| 2021 | +0,6% |
Following the surge in 2022 and 2023, inflation in Switzerland has once again fallen significantly. By international standards, it remains low.
Inflation in Switzerland in 2026
For 2026, the Swiss National Bank (SNB) with inflation at 0,6% on an annual average. That is its inflation forecast for June 2026. This is slightly higher than in 2025, mainly due to higher prices for heating oil and fuel. The SNB also expects 0.6% for 2027.
Inflation therefore remains well within the SNB’s target range of 0 to 2%. The FSO will publish the final annual inflation figure for 2026, based on the national consumer price index, in early 2027.
How is inflation calculated in Switzerland?
Inflation in Switzerland is measured by the National consumer price index (CPI) calculated. It is also colloquially known as the inflation index. The Federal Statistical Office compiles it every month and publishes it at the beginning of the following month.
As the index is recalculated monthly, it can be compared directly with the previous month and the same month of the previous year. When people talk about inflation or price rises, they are almost always referring to the Inflation compared to the same month last year That is, compared with the same month last year. The change from the previous month fluctuates more widely, partly due to seasonal prices for clothes or package holidays.
We’ll show you how to calculate inflation yourself using the LIK below, with a formula and a sample calculation.
National consumer price index (CPI)
The LIK measures changes in the prices of goods and services that Swiss households purchase on a regular basis. Since the 2025 revision, the basket of goods has been 13 main groups ... has been divided into these categories; previously there were 12. A new addition is a separate group for private insurance and financial services.
- Food and non-alcoholic drinks
- Alcoholic beverages and tobacco
- Clothing and shoes
- Housing and energy
- Household effects and ongoing housekeeping
- Health
- Transport
- Information and Communication
- Leisure, sport and culture
- Education
- Restaurants and hotels
- Insurance and financial services
- Personal care and other goods and services
These groups make up a virtual shopping basket. Each group is weighted differently, depending on how much households spend on it on average. Housing and energy, for example, carry much greater weight than clothing. The FSO adjusts these weights every year. The 2025 revision also saw the inclusion of new products, such as e-scooters, plant-based milk and electricity from public charging stations.
At the start of each month, the Federal Statistical Office publishes the LIK figures for the previous month. The change compared with the same month of the previous year corresponds to inflation. Here you will find the current results.
The LIK will reset to 100 points approximately every 5 years, most recently in December 2025. To enable you to carry out calculations over long periods of time, there is a linked series, which links all the index bases. Our inflation calculator also uses this series. Please note: one index point does not simply correspond to 1%. This only applies as long as the index is close to 100.
The Formula for calculating inflation is calculated as follows: (LIK end ÷ LIK start − 1) × 100 = inflation rate in per cent. You’ll find a calculation example below. It’s much easier to do this using our inflation calculator.
The FSO itself offers a LIK Inflation Calculator . It is designed to handle indexation, for example in relation to rent or maintenance payments. Our inflation calculator uses the same FSO data, but also shows you purchasing power, historical trends and a wage check.
Important: The LIK forms a Average household ... Your personal experience of inflation may differ. People who drive a lot, live in rented accommodation or have just moved house will feel the impact of price changes differently.
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Inflation Switzerland last 20 years
Inflation in the last 20 years in Switzerland an average of 0.51 TP3T per year. Between 2005 and 2025, prices rose by a total of 10,4% has risen.
In other words: something that cost CHF 100 in 2005 would cost around CHF 110 in 2025. Conversely, CHF 100 in 2025 would only buy what cost CHF 90.60 in 2005.
That’s not a typo. The average annual inflation rate over 20 years was lower than it has been over the last 5 or 10 years. The reason for this is six years of falling prices: 2009, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2020. These have partly offset the rise in prices.
The table shows inflation in Switzerland for the key periods, with annual averages for each:
| Period | Total prices | On average per year | Purchasing power |
|---|---|---|---|
| Last 5 years (2020 to 2025) | +6,9% | 1,3% | −6.5% |
| Last 10 years (2015 to 2025) | +7,6% | 0,7% | −7.1% |
| The last 20 years (2005 to 2025) | +10,4% | 0,5% | −9.4% |
| The last 30 years (1995 to 2025) | +19,5% | 0,6% | −16.3% |
| Since 2000 (2000 to 2025) | +15,2% | 0,6% | −13.2% |
| Since 1990 (1990 to 2025) | +39,6% | 1,0% | −28.4% |
With the inflation calculator, you can select any time period and find out by how much inflation has risen. It calculates up to the month of its data cut-off, so the figures may differ slightly from those in the table.
Inflation in Switzerland over the last 5 years
Since 2020, prices in Switzerland have risen by 6,9% has risen, on average 1.31 TP3T per year (2020 to 2025). This is higher than the long-term average. The main drivers were the higher energy prices in 2022 and 2023.
Inflation in Switzerland over the last 10 years
Between 2015 and 2025, prices in Switzerland rose by 7,6% has risen, on average 0.71 TP3T per year. Between 2015 and 2020, prices remained virtually static, rising by a total of just 0.7%. Around two-thirds of the inflation seen over the last 10 years occurred in 2022 and 2023.
Inflation in Switzerland over the last 30 years
Between 1995 and 2025, prices rose by 19,5% has risen, on average 0,6% per year. The purchasing power of a franc has fallen by 16,3% fallen.
Inflation in Switzerland since 1990
Between 1990 and 2025, prices rose by 39,6% has risen, on average 1.0% per year. CHF 1,000 from 1990 thus becomes CHF 1,396. Looking even further back, the effect is significant: since 1921, prices have more than five times as much. The highest annual inflation rate since 1961 was recorded during the oil crisis in 1974, at 9,8%.
When will inflation in Switzerland fall?
Our system needs a certain amount of inflation. Deflation, so when prices fall and money gains in value, it can serious consequences on the economy. Anyone who expects things to be cheaper tomorrow will buy less today. Companies sell less, invest less and take on fewer staff. The extent to which this can become a persistent problem is illustrated by the Example Japan.
What is a healthy inflation? The Swiss National Bank (SNB) refers to price stability when inflation between 0% and 2% per year. Many other central banks, such as the European Central Bank, are targeting 2%. Switzerland is therefore deliberately aiming for a lower figure.
If inflation rises above 2%, the SNB usually raises interest rates. This curbs demand, and inflation falls. This is exactly what happened after 2022: inflation rose to 2.8% due to higher energy prices, but had already fallen back to 1.1% by 2024.
Over the past 20 years, Switzerland has experienced six years of slightly falling prices, without any significant adverse effects. Since 1994, inflation has exceeded 2% in only three years: 2008, 2022 and 2023.
My view: Low inflation is good for you as a saver. However, it is not zero. Even 0.5% per year will erode almost a tenth of your purchasing power over 20 years if your money is sitting in an interest-free account.
Inflation calculator Switzerland
With our Inflation calculator Could you not just look at inflation in Switzerland over the last 20, 30 or even 100 years not only calculate, but also work out by how much your pay should actually increase. The data comes from the Federal Statistical Office and dates back to 1921.
How the calculator works:
- Enter amount: for example, CHF 1,000.
- Select a period: one year for «From» and one for «To». Select «Today» to calculate up to the current date. There are quick-select options for the most common time periods: 5, 10, 20, 30 years or since 1990.
- Read the result: The calculator will show you straight away how much your money is worth today.
You’ll see three key figures here:
- Prices: by what percentage prices have risen overall
- Average per year: the average annual inflation rate
- Purchasing power: how much less you can buy with the same amount
The banknote in the results shows this at a glance: the hatched section represents the purchasing power your money has lost. The line below it shows how much you would have needed each year to be able to afford the same amount. This also shows you how much your The value today of money from 1990 is, or conversely, what a sum today would have been worth in the past.
It is easy to explain why prices and purchasing power show different percentages: from 1990 to 2025, prices rose by 39.6%. However, with CHF 1,000 today, you can only buy what cost CHF 716 in 1990. That is 28.4% less purchasing power. Both figures are correct; it is the same change viewed from two different perspectives.
How to calculate inflation
To work out inflation yourself, you only need two figures and the Period. This works just as well with the LIK as it does with the The starting and ending price of a product or a service.
Calculating inflation: Formula
You calculate the total inflation between two points in time as follows:
Inflation in % = (Value at end ÷ Value at start − 1) × 100
The average annual inflation You calculate it as follows:
Annual inflation rate in % = ((Ending value ÷ Starting value) ^ (1 ÷ Number of years) − 1) × 100
Please note: You must not simply calculate the annual average by dividing the figures. Inflation works like compound interest; each year builds on the previous one. This is precisely the mistake many calculators make.
Example calculation using the LIK
The FSO’s chained LIK series stood at an annual average of 1,001.6 points in 2005 and 1,105.9 points in 2025.
- Inflation: (1,105.9 ÷ 1,001.6 − 1) × 100 = 10,4%
- Per year: ((1,105.9 ÷ 1,001.6) ^ (1 ÷ 20) − 1) × 100 = 0,5%
Important: Always take both values from the same index series. You must not divide values with different bases directly.
Example calculation involving a product
Let us assume that 1 kg of potatoes cost CHF 2.03 in 2001 and CHF 3.05 in 2023.
- Inflation: (3.05 ÷ 2.03 − 1) × 100 = 50,2%
- Per year: ((3.05 ÷ 2.03) ^ (1 ÷ 22) − 1) × 100 = 1,9%
A single product is only a small part of the shopping basket and therefore does not reflect overall inflation. However, this allows you to find out which goods more expensive than average or less expensive than average have become. In this example, potatoes were well above the average.
Wage inflation calculator
For the Wage inflation calculator Use the «Has your pay kept pace?» chart in the calculator above. It automatically uses the time period you’ve selected under «From» and «To».
For example, if you for 10 years If you are employed by your employer, you choose your Start of work as the starting year. Then follow these steps:
- Enter starting salary: The calculator will show you straight away how much your pay would need to be today for you to be able to afford the same amount.
- Enter today’s wage: Now you’ll see whether your pay adjusted for inflation and whether you actually earn more or less.
An example using annual averages:
- You were born in 2015 CHF 6’000 earned per month.
- To maintain the same purchasing power, you would need, in 2025 CHF 6,458.
- If you earn CHF 6,300 in 2025, your salary will have risen by CHF 300. However, in real terms, you will earn 2.5% less.
That’s exactly what happens to many people: their wages go up a little, yet they still end up with less to spend. The effects of inflation are felt immediately when spending, but often only years later when it comes to wages.
Cost-of-living adjustment: Does my pay have to go up?
An automatic Inflation adjustment is not required by law in Switzerland. Whether your pay increases as a result of inflation, and by how much, depends on your employer and any collective labour agreement (CLA) that may apply.
Many employers set pay rises every autumn, often following negotiations with employers’ organisations and trade unions. Inflation is an important factor here, but not the only one. If your pay rise is lower than the rate of inflation, your real earnings will be lower than in the previous year.
The figure from the calculator is a good starting point for your next pay review. You can see how your salary compares across Switzerland on our page about Median wage in Switzerland.
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Conclusion
Inflation in Switzerland is low, but it is rising steadily. Since 1990, prices have risen by around 40%. With our Inflation calculator Switzerland You can see in a matter of seconds what this means for your money, for any period since 1921.
You can also work out whether you have enough Wage increases in the past years in order to be able to work with the Inflation to keep pace. If so, you shouldn’t notice any difference.
However, the reality is often quite different: the effects of inflation are felt immediately when spending money, whilst income rises more slowly. And anyone who leaves money in a non-interest-bearing account quietly loses purchasing power year after year. Even 0.5% per year amounts to almost a tenth over 20 years.
The exception: over short periods, inflation in Switzerland can be almost zero or even negative. In that case, your money loses hardly any of its value.
Your next step: work out what your pay should be today, and take that figure with you to your next pay review. As for your savings, it’s worth looking into how you can protect them from inflation in the long term, for example by ETF Savings Plan. Our guide shows you how a savings plan can grow over the years ETF Calculator.
Do you find such Calculators practical? You can find more here:
- Median wage calculator
- Rent-salary calculator
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- Overview of all Swiss banknotes
No investment advice.