According to the latest study by the IFJ Institut für Jungunternehmen, ”National Analysis of Swiss Company Formations 2024", 52'978 new companies have been registered in Switzerland in 2024. This represents an increase of 2.6% compared to 2023, which had already set a new record. Year-on-year growth was particularly strong in the 2nd and 4th quarters.
Among the larger cantons, St. Gallen (+5.1%), Vaud (+5.5%) and Zug (+6.0%) stand out. By contrast, growth was significantly lower in the cantons of Zurich and Aargau at 1.2% and 0.5% respectively. In the two cantons of Basel, the figures declined by 0.8% in Basel-Stadt and 4.9% in Basel-Landschaft.
In Switzerland, sole proprietorships are the fastest-growing legal form in 2024, with growth of +3.4% compared to the same period last year. The public limited company (AG or SA) follows with solid growth of +2.7%, while the limited liability company (LLC) grew by +1.5% and remains the most popular legal form for startups.
The top three sectors this year are craft (5'555 startups), consultancy (5'256 startups) and real estate (4'883 startups). They are closely followed by retail trade (4'585 startups) and B2B & B2C services (4'379 startups).
Simon May, IFJ Co-Managing Director, explains: The continued growth in business startups reflects the desire of many people for professional fulfilment and independence. In particular, the growth of part-time self-employment offers many founders the opportunity to take a low-risk step into self-employment. Switzerland also offers various government and private support programmes to help founders on their way to becoming self-employed.
(Press release / SK)