Indicator Economy and Consumption

At an average rate of around 45%, non-metallic minerals were the material category with the highest level of consumption between 2000 and 2021. They are mainly used in the construction industry (sand, gravel etc.).

Switzerland’s material footprint per capita fell by 3.9 tonnes between 2000 and 2021 and was approximately 15.8 tonnes in 2021. This reduction since 2019 is primarily attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic. The value is above the European average (EU 27).

The planetary boundary is estimated to be around 5 to 8 tonnes per capita (UBA 2015), although the varying relevance of different raw materials for the environment must be taken into account. In the 2030 Sustainable Development Strategy, the federal government’s aim is a considerable reduction in the per capita material footprint in line with Paris Climate Agreement target of keeping global warming to a maximum of 1.5 degrees Celsius. Although the trend is moving in the right direction, a reduction on the scale recorded up to now will still not achieve the target values. The trend is thus classed as unsatisfactory and the state as poor.

The total value of the material footprint decreased by 2.8% between 2000 and 2021 to reach 138.4 million tonnes in 2021.

Material efficiency, measured by dividing Switzerland’s gross domestic product and raw material consumption in tonnes, improved by 48% between 2000 and 2021. 

Switzerland's material footprint in 2021 was above the European average (EU-27, Eurostat 2024) and the global average  (SCP Hotspot Analysis).

This indicator describes the raw material consumption caused by domestic final demand. Raw materials are also used abroad to produce, transport, use and dispose of goods and services consumed in Switzerland. The indicator includes both resource consumption that occurs abroad and the percentage of domestic extraction that is used to cover Swiss final demand. All materials extracted from nature, with the exception of water and air, are taken into account.

The data concerning domestic raw material consumption are collected as part of the environmental accounts compiled by the Federal Statistical Office, which are satellite accounts of the national accounts. The environmental accounts are in line with the UN’s System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA). The data presented in this indicator are based on an adaptation of the Eurostat method, which involves converting a country’s imports and exports into raw material equivalents (RME). RME indicators are the result of modelling and entail greater uncertainty than direct flow indicators. They should therefore be considered as estimates.

Domestic final demand is calculated according to the national accounts and corresponds to the total final consumption expenditure of households and public administrations, gross fixed capital formation and changes in inventories.