in CHF bn
The federal budget from a debt brake viewpoint
Note: data for 2025 to 2028 in accordance with 2025 federal decree with integrated task and financial plan for 2026 to 2028
Switzerland's economic capacity remained underutilized in 2024. The cyclical factor, which is a measure of economic capacity utilization, was 1.006, indicating underutilization of 0.6%. The debt brake thus permitted a cyclical financing deficit of 504 million in the ordinary budget (expenditure ceiling > ordinary receipts). In reality, there was an ordinary financing surplus of 817 million at the end of 2024, thanks to the better-than-expected trend of receipts. When combined, this results in a structural financing surplus (ordinary expenditure < expenditure ceiling) of 1,3 million, credited to the amortization account.
The structural financing surplus of 1.3 billion for 2024 was thus credited to the amortization account. In addition, extraordinary expenditure (1.2 bn) was debited to the amortization account, and extraordinary receipts (0.3 bn) were credited to it. Therefore, the amortization account's balance was -26.8 billion at the end of 2024. The amortization account has a large negative balance as a result of coronavirus-related expenditure. By contrast, the compensation account remained unchanged in 2024 and continues to show a high positive balance, as the debt brake requirements have been exceeded overall in the past in the ordinary budget.
COMPENSATION ACCOUNT AND AMORTIZATION ACCOUNT Both of these instruments for debt brake control statistics are updated based on the actual results in the financial statements. If there is a structural financing surplus in the ordinary budget, this is currently credited to the amortization account (FBA revision to reduce coronavirus-related debt; in force since February 1, 2023). Any structural financing deficit in the ordinary budget is debited to the compensation account. Extraordinary receipts are credited to the amortization account, extraordinary expenses are debited. |
Data
Detailed data for longer periods are available under the following links:
- Link data portal
- Link Open Government Data
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Last modification 13.05.2025