Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are associated with both health costs incurred within the healthcare system, and with production losses as a result of sufferers’ incapacity to work due to illness. In 2022, NCDs accounted for 72% of health costs (total: CHF 91,5 billion) and 61% of production losses (total: CHF 70,5 billion, not shown).
For Switzerland the total costs of NCDs in 2022 are estimated at CHF 109 billion, with CHF 66 billion due to health costs and CHF 43 billion due to production losses. The total costs of NCDs have risen since 2012.
The costs of NCDs per inhabitant amounted to CHF 12 370 in 2022 (health costs: CHF 7480, production losses: CHF 4890). When adjusted for inflation, the per-inhabitant costs of NCDs remained stable between 2017 and 2022.
More than half of the total costs of NCDs can be attributed to mental disorders, musculoskeletal diseases and cardiovascular diseases. The mandatory health insurance bears the majority of the health costs of NCDs, supplemented by self-payments and state contributions.
This indicator is part of the Monitoring System Addiction and NCD (MonAM) of the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH).
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are not only a burden on the person who is ill and those around them; they also entail significant health costs and production losses for society. A major objective of the NCD Strategy is to curb all costs attributable to non-communicable diseases.
Definition
The health costs comprise all costs that are incurred within the healthcare system. They not only include all expenditure for outpatient and inpatient care, medicinal products and medical devices, but also the expenses of health and accident insurance and of public health administration. Production losses occur if a sick person is fully or partially unable to work, which leads to a corresponding loss of production and income for society. There are no comprehensive statistics on annual production losses in Switzerland. The study by Stucki, M. et al. (2025) provides the first ever data-based estimation of these costs.
Sources
- Federal Statistical Office (FSO): Consumer Price Index (CPI)
- Federal Statistical Office (FSO): Population and Households Statistics (STATPOP)
- Stucki, M., et al. (2025). Kosten der übertragbaren und nichtübertragbaren Krankheiten sowie Kosten der Risikofaktoren Übergewicht/Adipositas und Bewegungsmangel in der Schweiz. Report commissioned by the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH). Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), Winterthur: Study (in German, Excecutive Summary in English).
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