Inflation at 1% in September 2026, national premiums 4.4%

Context

TL;DR

• In 2025, inflation was 0,2%
• In September 2026, it reached 1% annually
• In December 2025, the index stood at 106,9 points
• 2026 premiums: 4,4% in Switzerland, 7,1% in Ticino

Key facts

• National Consumer Price Index → 106,9 points
• Index base in December 2020 → 100
• Overall increase in the index → 6,9%
• National premiums, actual growth → 4,3%
• Housing and mobility indicator in Ticino → 3%

In 2025, inflation in Switzerland was 0,2%, while in September 2026 it reached 1% year on year. In international comparison, similar figures may appear moderate. The source nevertheless compares them with expenses that recur every month: rent, health insurance, taxes, fuel, food and bills.

The accumulated price level

The annual figure alone does not convey the full trajectory of prices. Starting from 100 points in December 2020, the National Consumer Price Index reached 106,9 in December 2025: the overall increase was 6,9%. Slower inflation indicates that prices are rising less quickly, not that they have automatically returned to their initial levels.

In 2026, forecasts indicated average growth in compulsory health insurance premiums of 4,4% in Switzerland and 7,1% in Ticino, the highest cantonal figure in the country. Subsequent surveys by the Federal Office of Public Health then put the actual national average growth at 4,3%, reducing it slightly.

The distinction between the announced figure and the subsequent one concerns the national average: the 7,1% referring to Ticino is the figure announced for the canton. The LAMal/KVG premium item thus remains an expense that is difficult to reduce in the household budget.

Operational details

Housing and mobility: the comparison that changes the interpretation

In the year-on-year comparison for August 2026, Comparis reported a 2,4% increase in Switzerland for the index dedicated to housing and mobility costs. Overall inflation for the same month, however, was 0,8%, a difference of 1,6 percentage points calculated on the same annual basis.

Basket components

In Ticino, the same indicator stood at 3%. The cantonal figure was therefore 0,6 percentage points higher than the national 2,4%. The comparison shows that housing- and mobility-related components can develop differently across the cantons, meaning that no single national index describes every household budget in the same way.

During the same period, petrol rose by 15,8% and diesel by 23,3%; vehicle insurance and repairs also increased. For an average Swiss family, the Comparis estimate amounted to approximately 1’066 francs in additional annual housing and mobility expenses, or nearly 89 francs per month.

This figure is not presented as an amount applicable to every household. It is an estimate based on a specific basket, which includes items such as rent, ancillary costs, electricity, heating, transport, car maintenance, insurance and fuel. The cost of living therefore also varies depending on the composition of the expenses considered.

The comparison between Switzerland and Ticino makes the gap between overall inflation and some actual expenses easier to see. However, it does not turn the cantonal 3%, nor the additional costs estimated by Comparis, into an automatically applicable measure for every family.

Key points

When the statistical average does not match the bill

Official inflation reflects average price increases, but does not indicate how much more expensive living has become for each individual household. The gap can be considerable when the budget is affected by items that follow a different trend from the national average.

Premiums and statistical methodology

In calculating the national consumer price index, compulsory health insurance premiums are not counted directly as insurance premiums. The index applies precise criteria and separately records the evolution of healthcare service prices. The methodological distinction is legitimate; for the household budget, however, the premium remains a bill to be paid, regardless of the classification.

For this reason, UST/BFS also publishes specific indicators on premium trends. General inflation data alone do not make it possible to assess the impact of this expense on disposable income. The same applies to housing and mobility, when rent, heating, fuel or repairs affect a household's basket to a different extent.

The source also cites taxes among the expenses that affect financial pressure, but does not provide a breakdown between direct federal tax, cantonal and municipal taxes, or VAT. Nor does it quantify the weight of each item for a specific household. The available material therefore makes it possible to compare national indicators, Ticino data and declared baskets, but not to calculate the individual cost increase for every household.

The difference between a statistical average and a concrete bill remains the central point of the comparison on the cost of living in Switzerland. To explore the topic further, consult cost of living in Switzerland.

Source: tio.ch