http://www.tradingeconomics.com/RSS Feed60http://www.tradingeconomics.com/switzerland/balance-of-tradeSwitzerland reported a trade surplus equivalent to 1.3 Billion CHF in April of 2012. Historically, from 1989 until 2012, Switzerland Balance of Trade averaged 0.4600 Billion CHF reaching an all time high of 3.2900 Billion CHF in May of 2011 and a record low of -1.6700 Billion CHF in March of 1989. Trade has been the key to prosperity in Switzerland. Switzerland's annual trade balance is habitually in arrears, owing to the economy's reliance on large quantities of imported raw materials for industry. Swiss main exports are: medicinal and pharmaceutical products, watches and clocks, machinery for special industry and tools. The country imports mostly machinery, chemicals, vehicles, metals; agricultural products and textiles. European Union is by far its largest trading partner accounting for about 62% of exports and 79% of imports. This page includes a chart with historical data for Switzerland Balance of Trade.Federal Customs AdministrationThu, 24 May 2012 15:35:00 GMThttp://www.tradingeconomics.com/switzerland/importsSwitzerland imports were worth 13.9 Billion CHF in April of 2012. Historically, from 1989 until 2012, Switzerland Imports averaged 10.6100 Billion CHF reaching an all time high of 17.3500 Billion CHF in October of 2007 and a record low of 5.7700 Billion CHF in January of 1993. Switzerland imports mostly machinery, chemicals, vehicles, metals; agricultural products and textiles. Its main import partners are: European Union countries (Germany, Italy, France, Netherlands, Austria) and United States. This page includes a chart with historical data for Switzerland Imports.Federal Customs AdministrationThu, 24 May 2012 15:34:00 GMThttp://www.tradingeconomics.com/switzerland/exportsSwitzerland exports were worth 15.2 Billion CHF in April of 2012. Historically, from 1989 until 2012, Switzerland Exports averaged 11.0700 Billion CHF reaching an all time high of 19.3800 Billion CHF in July of 2008 and a record low of 5.6200 Billion CHF in August of 1989. Trade has been the key to prosperity in Switzerland. Exports accounts for 50% of its GDP. Swiss main exports are: medicinal and pharmaceutical products, watches and clocks, machinery for special industry and metalworking machinery and tools. Swiss main export partners are Germany, United States, Italy and France. This page includes a chart with historical data for Switzerland Exports.Federal Customs AdministrationThu, 24 May 2012 15:33:00 GMThttp://www.tradingeconomics.com/switzerland/consumer-confidenceIn Switzerland, consumer confidence remained improved to -8 in April from -19 in January of 2012. Historically, from 1972 until 2012, Switzerland Consumer Confidence averaged -8.6900 reaching an all time high of 25.0000 in January of 1989 and a record low of -54.0000 in October of 1992. In Switzerland, the consumer confidence survey is conducted every year, in the months of January, April, July and October. 1,100 households are questioned for State Secretariat for Economic Affairs regarding their subjective evaluation of the economic situation, financial situation of the household in question, inflation, job security etc. Generally consumer confidence is high when the unemployment rate is low and GDP growth is high. Measures of average consumer confidence can be useful indicators of how much consumers are likely to spend. This page includes a chart with historical data for Switzerland Consumer Confidence.Swiss National BankMon, 21 May 2012 10:33:00 GMThttp://www.tradingeconomics.com/switzerland/business-confidenceIn Switzerland, business confidence improved to 0.08 in March of 2012 from -0.11 in February of 2012. Historically, from 2007 until 2012, Switzerland Business Confidence averaged 0.9700 reaching an all time high of 2.3000 in May of 2011 and a record low of -1.8300 in April of 2009. In Switzerland, the KOF Swiss Economic Institute economic barometer measures the level of optimism that people who run companies have about the performance of the economy and how they feel about their organizations’ prospects. The KOF economic barometer is based on a multi-sectoral design with three modules. The most important module is GDP, which excludes construction and banking sectors and accounts for more than 90% of Swiss GDP. This page includes a chart with historical data for Switzerland Business Confidence.KOF Swiss Economic InstituteThu, 17 May 2012 17:32:00 GMThttp://www.tradingeconomics.com/switzerland/unemployment-rateThe unemployment rate in Switzerland was last reported at 3.1 percent in April of 2012. Historically, from 1995 until 2012, Switzerland Unemployment Rate averaged 3.3700 Percent reaching an all time high of 5.4000 Percent in March of 1997 and a record low of 1.6000 Percent in November of 2000. The unemployment rate can be defined as the number of people actively looking for a job as a percentage of the labour force. This page includes a chart with historical data for Switzerland Unemployment Rate.State Secretariat for Economic AffairsMon, 07 May 2012 10:54:00 GMThttp://www.tradingeconomics.com/switzerland/inflation-cpiThe inflation rate in Switzerland was recorded at 1.00 percent in April of 2012. Historically, from 1956 until 2012, Switzerland Inflation Rate averaged 2.7000 Percent reaching an all time high of 11.9200 Percent in December of 1973 and a record low of -1.3700 Percent in June of 1959. Inflation rate refers to a general rise in prices measured against a standard level of purchasing power. The most well known measures of Inflation are the CPI which measures consumer prices, and the GDP deflator, which measures inflation in the whole of the domestic economy. This page includes a chart with historical data for Switzerland Inflation Rate.Federal Statistics Office of SwitzerlandMon, 07 May 2012 10:48:00 GMThttp://www.tradingeconomics.com/switzerland/retail-salesRetail Sales in Switzerland increased 2.20 percent in March of 2012 over the previous month. Historically, from 2002 until 2012, Switzerland Retail Sales averaged 0.1600 Percent reaching an all time high of 7.8000 Percent in June of 2011 and a record low of -5.4000 Percent in December of 2005. A Retail sales report provides an aggregated measure of sales of retail goods over a specific time period. Retail sales are both seasonal and volatile and their importance to the overall gross domestic product varies with each country. However, the retail sales data is widely followed by investors because is only a few weeks old. This page includes a chart with historical data for Switzerland Retail Sales.BFSFri, 04 May 2012 13:30:00 GMThttp://www.tradingeconomics.com/switzerland/retail-sales-annualRetail Sales in Switzerland increased 4.20 percent in March of 2012 over the same month in the previous year. Historically, from 2002 until 2012, Switzerland Annual Retail Sales averaged 1.7900 Percent reaching an all time high of 12.6000 Percent in April of 2006 and a record low of -8.7000 Percent in April of 2008. A Retail sales report provides an aggregated measure of sales of retail goods over a specific time period. Retail sales are both seasonal and volatile and their importance to the overall gross domestic product varies with each country. However, the retail sales data is widely followed by investors because is only a few weeks old. This page includes a chart with historical data for Switzerland Annual Retail Sales.BFSFri, 04 May 2012 13:29:00 GMThttp://www.tradingeconomics.com/switzerland/current-accountSwitzerland reported a current account surplus equivalent to 26.5 Billions CHF in the fourth quarter of 2011. Historically, from 1985 until 2011, Switzerland Current Account averaged 9.1500 Billion CHF reaching an all time high of 26.4700 Billion CHF in October of 2011 and a record low of -7.2400 Billion CHF in July of 2008. Current Account is the sum of the balance of trade (exports minus imports of goods and services), net factor income (such as interest and dividends) and net transfer payments (such as foreign aid). This page includes a chart with historical data for Switzerland Current Account.Swiss National BankFri, 30 Mar 2012 15:56:00 GMThttp://www.tradingeconomics.com/switzerland/government-budgetSwitzerland reported a Government Budget surplus equal to 0.40 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product in 2011. Historically, from 1990 until 2011, Switzerland Government Budget averaged -0.7000 Percent of GDP reaching an all time high of 2.4000 Percent of GDP in December of 2000 and a record low of -3.6000 Percent of GDP in December of 1993. Government Budget is an itemized accounting of the payments received by government (taxes and other fees) and the payments made by government (purchases and transfer payments). A budget deficit occurs when an government spends more money than it takes in. The opposite of a budget deficit is a budget surplus. This page includes a chart with historical data for Switzerland Government Budget.Swiss Federal Department of FinanceFri, 30 Mar 2012 15:42:00 GMThttp://www.tradingeconomics.com/switzerland/interest-rateThe benchmark interest rate in Switzerland was last reported at 0.00 percent. Historically, from 2000 until 2012, Switzerland Interest Rate averaged 1.3600 Percent reaching an all time high of 3.5000 Percent in June of 2000 and a record low of 0.0000 Percent in August of 2011. In Switzerland, interest rates decisions are taken by the Swiss National Bank. The official interest rate is the three-month Swiss franc Libor. The SNB regulates the three-month Libor indirectly through its main financing and liquidity-absorbing operations, which comprise short-term repo transactions. This page includes a chart with historical data for Switzerland Interest Rate.Swiss National BankThu, 29 Mar 2012 16:24:00 GMThttp://www.tradingeconomics.com/switzerland/industrial-productionIndustrial Production in Switzerland decreased 1.40 percent in December of 2011. Historically, from 1991 until 2011, Switzerland Industrial Production averaged 2.2400 Percent reaching an all time high of 12.3000 Percent in March of 2000 and a record low of -14.6000 Percent in June of 2009. Industrial production measures changes in output for the industrial sector of the economy which includes manufacturing, mining, and utilities. Industrial Production is an important indicator for economic forecasting and is often used to measure inflation pressures as high levels of industrial production can lead to sudden changes in prices. This page includes a chart with historical data for Switzerland Industrial Production.State Secretariat for Economic AffairsSat, 24 Mar 2012 15:58:00 GMThttp://www.tradingeconomics.com/switzerland/gdp-growthThe Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Switzerland expanded 0.10 percent in the fourth quarter of 2011 over the previous quarter. Historically, from 1980 until 2011, Switzerland GDP Growth Rate averaged 0.4000 Percent reaching an all time high of 2.1000 Percent in June of 1989 and a record low of -1.1000 Percent in December of 2008. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate provides an aggregated measure of changes in value of the goods and services produced by an economy. Switzerland's economy has low unemployment, a highly skilled labor force, and a per capita GDP among the highest in the world. Its policy of long-term monetary security and bank secrecy has made Switzerland a safe haven for investors, creating an economy that is increasingly dependent on a steady tide of foreign investment. Because of the country's small size and high labor specialization, industry and trade are the keys to Switzerland's economic livelihood. This page includes a chart with historical data for Switzerland GDP Growth Rate.State Secretariat for Economic AffairsSat, 24 Mar 2012 15:55:00 GMThttp://www.tradingeconomics.com/switzerland/gdp-growth-annualThe Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Switzerland expanded 1.30 percent in the fourth quarter of 2011 over the same quarter of the previous year. Historically, from 1981 until 2011, Switzerland GDP Annual Growth Rate averaged 1.6400 Percent reaching an all time high of 6.1700 Percent in March of 1990 and a record low of -3.3200 Percent in June of 2009. The annual growth rate in Gross Domestic Product measures the increase in value of the goods and services produced by an economy over the period of a year. Therefore, unlike the commonly used quarterly GDP growth rate the annual GDP growth rate takes into account a full year of economic activity, thus avoiding the need to make any type of seasonal adjustment. This page includes a chart with historical data for Switzerland GDP Annual Growth Rate.State Secretariat for Economic AffairsSat, 24 Mar 2012 15:53:00 GMThttp://www.tradingeconomics.com/switzerland/gdp-per-capitaThe Gross Domestic Product per capita in Switzerland was last reported at 37666.39 US dollars in 2010, according to a report published by the World Bank. The GDP per Capita in Switzerland is equivalent to 304 percent of the world's average. Historically, from 1960 until 2010, Switzerland GDP per capita averaged 29578.3300 USD reaching an all time high of 38240.7500 USD in December of 2008 and a record low of 18970.1500 USD in December of 1960. The GDP per capita is obtained by dividing the country’s gross domestic product, adjusted by inflation, by the total population. This page includes a chart with historical data for Switzerland GDP per capita.World BankWed, 04 Jan 2012 19:04:00 GMThttp://www.tradingeconomics.com/switzerland/gdp-per-capita-pppThe Gross Domestic Product per capita in Switzerland was last reported at 46580.91 US dollars in 2010, when adjusted by purchasing power parity (PPP), according to a report published by the World Bank. The GDP per Capita, in Switzerland, when adjusted by Purchasing Power Parity is equivalent to 212 percent of the world's average. Historically, from 1980 until 2010, Switzerland GDP per capita PPP averaged 28251.9200 USD reaching an all time high of 46580.9100 USD in December of 2010 and a record low of 13965.3600 USD in December of 1980. The GDP per capita PPP is obtained by dividing the country’s gross domestic product, adjusted by purchasing power parity, by the total population. This page includes a chart with historical data for Switzerland GDP per capita PPP.World BankWed, 04 Jan 2012 19:02:00 GMThttp://www.tradingeconomics.com/switzerland/population Historically, from 1960 until 2010, Switzerland Population averaged 6.6300 Million reaching an all time high of 7.7900 Million in December of 2010 and a record low of 5.3600 Million in December of 1960. The total population in Switzerland was last reported at 7.8 million people in 2010 from 5.4 million in 1960, changing 44 percent during the last 50 years. Switzerland has 0.11 percent of the world´s total population which means that one person in every 893 people on the planet is a resident of Switzerland. This page includes a chart with historical data for Switzerland's Total Population. This page includes a chart with historical data for Switzerland Population.World BankFri, 28 Oct 2011 13:56:00 GMThttp://www.tradingeconomics.com/switzerland/government-debt-to-gdpSwitzerland recorded a Government Debt to GDP of 55.00 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product in 2010. Historically, from 1982 until 2010, Switzerland Government Debt To GDP averaged 51.2700 Percent reaching an all time high of 72.2000 Percent in December of 2005 and a record low of 25.1000 Percent in December of 1982. Generally, Government debt as a percent of GDP is used by investors to measure a country ability to make future payments on its debt, thus affecting the country borrowing costs and government bond yields. This page includes a chart with historical data for Switzerland Government Debt To GDP.International Monetary Fund Fri, 28 Oct 2011 13:56:00 GMThttp://www.tradingeconomics.com/switzerland/gdpThe Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Switzerland was worth 523.77 billion US dollars in 2010, according to a report published by the World Bank. The GDP value of Switzerland is roughly equivalent to 0.84 percent of the world economy. Historically, from 1960 until 2010, Switzerland GDP averaged 174.6100 billion USD reaching an all time high of 523.7700 billion USD in December of 2010 and a record low of 9.5200 billion USD in December of 1960. The gross domestic product (GDP) measures of national income and output for a given country's economy. The gross domestic product (GDP) is equal to the total expenditures for all final goods and services produced within the country in a stipulated period of time. This page includes a chart with historical data for Switzerland GDP.The World Bank GroupFri, 28 Oct 2011 13:56:00 GMT