Summer 2026: over 2 billion francs of lost productivity (cross-border guide)

Context

In brief

• The 2026 summer caused productivity losses of 2 billion CHF
• Calculations based on the ETH model and MeteoSwiss data
• Smaller municipalities suffer the highest loss rates
• Birsfelden (BL) records the peak with a 2.47% loss

Key facts

• Loss amount: over 2 billion francs
• Affected cities: 1.3 billion francs
• Ratio: 3.2 times higher than the average
• Worst municipality: Birsfelden (2.47%)
• Data source: MeteoSwiss
• Institution: Swiss Cities Association

The study's figures

The 2026 heatwave had a profound impact on the Swiss economy, generating an estimated loss in labor productivity of over two billion francs. This figure emerges from calculations by the Swiss Cities Association, which are based on a model developed by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH). The publication was previewed by the NZZ am Sonntag newspaper and subsequently confirmed by Keystone-ATS. The analysis considered the months from June to August, a period during which anomalous temperatures reduced worker performance across the country.

The mechanism is clear: intense heat alters sleep quality and increases the sensation of fatigue, slowing down work rhythms. These heat stress effects are considered established parameters in occupational medicine. To quantify the damage, researchers used temperature data provided by MeteoSwiss. The reference value for an average summer, according to the 2022 ETH study, is 665 million francs. However, the 2026 summer showed values approximately 3.2 times higher than this baseline, justifying the record figure of two billion francs.

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Operational details

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Source: tio.ch

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