public health
Swiss tuberculosis cases reach highest level since 2018
Switzerland recorded 544 tuberculosis infections in 2025, the highest total since 2018 and a sharp increase from the previous year. The Federal Office of Public Health says the rise was concentrated largely among people born abroad, with cases among teenagers aged 15 to 19 doubling.
Switzerland recorded 544 tuberculosis infections in 2025, the highest annual total since 2018, according to figures released by the Federal Office of Public Health on September 24, 2026. The figure includes Liechtenstein and marks a rise of 112 cases compared with 2024, when the total stood at 432.
The national reporting rate climbed from 4.8 to 6.0 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. The increase continues a trend visible since 2022, which accelerated sharply last year. Switzerland still recorded fewer cases than the European average of 8.4 per 100,000 inhabitants.
The figures matter because tuberculosis requires sustained detection, treatment and follow-up. The FOPH attributes the latest increase almost entirely to people born abroad, while the number of cases among Swiss nationals remained stable. It links the pattern to international migration, refugee movements and the global epidemiological situation.
The data does not point to a broad increase in local transmission, the FOPH said. It does show how quickly public health systems must identify infections and maintain treatment when patients move between countries or through the asylum system.
Teenage Cases Double as Demographic Pattern Shifts
Tuberculosis cases doubled among 15 to 19 year olds, increasing from 51 to 102 in a single year. That age group recorded Switzerland’s highest infection rate, at 22.3 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
The concentration among teenagers and young adults gives the latest figures a distinct demographic profile. The FOPH reported that the rise was largely concentrated among people born abroad. After Swiss nationals, the largest numbers of reported cases came from people originating from Eritrea, Somalia and Afghanistan, countries where tuberculosis remains more common.
The figures describe reported infections, not an assessment of individual risk based on nationality. Tuberculosis can be detected and treated through Switzerland’s healthcare system, but diagnosis may be complicated when people have recently moved, lack consistent medical records or face barriers to accessing care.
Men made up 366 of the reported cases, considerably more than women. The source data does not provide a canton-by-canton breakdown or explain the causes of the gender difference. It does establish that the increase among teenagers was large enough to shape the national trend.
Treatment Follow-Up Remains the Weak Link
The FOPH says the increase is not being driven by local transmission, a distinction that shapes how Switzerland should read the 2025 figures. The office linked the rise to international migration and refugee flows, alongside the wider global epidemiological situation.
That assessment places pressure on screening, diagnosis and continuity of care at the points where people enter or move through the Swiss system. Tuberculosis treatment can extend over months, so public health authorities need reliable contact with patients after diagnosis. Mobility in the asylum sector makes that work more difficult.
The FOPH reported that 14.6% of concluded cases lacked a corresponding notification. It cited incomplete data as one reason the recorded treatment rate may underestimate the true figure. Even so, the reported treatment rate was 70.6%, well below the 90% target set by the World Health Organization.
The surveillance figures therefore capture two separate challenges: identifying infections early and documenting what happens after diagnosis. Better notification and coordinated follow-up would give health authorities a clearer picture of treatment completion and help prevent avoidable interruptions.