OECD urges Switzerland to reform as growth outlook improves

The OECD now expects Switzerland’s economy to grow by 2% in 2026, a sharp upgrade from its June forecast of 1.1%. The revision followed a stronger than expected second quarter and gives the government more room to pursue difficult reforms while economic conditions remain supportive.

The Paris based organisation delivered its warning on September 15, 2026, alongside its more optimistic outlook. Switzerland’s prosperity remains exposed to trade barriers, a stronger franc and slowing demand in overseas markets. For a country where exports equal about 78% of GDP, currency and market access carry consequences well beyond the manufacturing sector.

The OECD said Switzerland’s debt brake and broader macroeconomic management have helped the country absorb repeated shocks. It also argued that past performance cannot substitute for structural changes. Housing shortages constrain workers and employers. An ageing population increases pressure on pensions and public spending. Tax rules can discourage the efficient use of property and limit future revenue.

The recommendations will test Switzerland’s preference for gradual, highly negotiated change. Pension age, property taxation and relations with the European Union all touch voters’ household finances or national sovereignty. The improved forecast makes the timing more favourable, while the political resistance remains intact.

Pension reform sits at the centre of the OECD’s fiscal warning. The organisation recommended linking the retirement age to gains in life expectancy, a measure it has also advocated for France. The proposal would make retirement rules respond automatically to demographic change rather than relying on repeated political battles.

Switzerland’s population is ageing, and longer lives create sustained pressure on pension financing and public budgets. The OECD did not present the recommendation as a single fix. It placed pension reform alongside stronger revenue collection, broader productivity growth and better control of long-term spending.

Any move to connect retirement age with life expectancy would face opposition from unions, left wing parties and workers in physically demanding jobs. Supporters would argue that a predictable formula could distribute the cost of longer lives more evenly between generations. The debate would also force Parliament to confront differences in working conditions, occupational pensions and the ability of older employees to remain in the labour market.

The recommendation arrives after years of Swiss pension referendums and negotiated packages. It is likely to reopen arguments over fairness, flexibility and the role of the state. The OECD’s message is clear: demographic pressure will continue even when annual growth improves.

The OECD wants Switzerland to use tax policy to free up housing and strengthen public finances. Its report singled out property taxation, recommending incentives for older and wealthier households to move out of large homes that no longer match their needs.

The proposal targets a structural problem. Housing shortages raise costs for families and make it harder for companies to recruit in productive centres. Encouraging turnover in the existing housing stock could create supply more quickly than relying only on new construction. The measure would also challenge the political protection surrounding homeowners, particularly in a country where property taxes and housing rules vary across cantons and municipalities.

The OECD linked the housing recommendation to the broader need to increase tax revenue as the population ages and spending pressures rise. That does not identify a single national tax package. Switzerland’s federal structure would require changes to pass through several political levels, with voters retaining a direct say over many fiscal decisions.

Property tax reform can therefore become a contest over intergenerational fairness. Younger households face high rents and limited access to ownership. Older owners may face higher costs or pressure to move. The design of exemptions, rates and support for lower income households will determine whether the policy gains public backing.

Almost 40% of Swiss shipments go to the European Union, and more than 20% go to the United States. The OECD therefore urged Bern to preserve access to the European single market while diversifying trading partners.

The warning arrives ahead of a vote on new treaties with the EU. Swiss exporters depend on stable rules covering goods, services, labour and investment, while many voters remain wary of closer institutional ties with Brussels. The OECD’s recommendation puts market access directly into the economic reform debate. Losing predictability in Europe would add pressure to companies already exposed to trade impediments and a renewed appreciation of the franc.

Diversification can reduce dependence on individual markets, but it takes time and cannot replace Switzerland’s geographic and commercial links with the EU. Manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies and service providers would face different risks from delays, regulatory divergence or higher transaction costs.

The report also backed the Swiss government’s strict stance on new capital requirements for UBS, aligning the OECD with the IMF and Swiss regulators. Together, the recommendations point to a strategy built around resilience: protect core market access, broaden trade relationships and keep the financial system able to absorb shocks.

The OECD also wants Switzerland to make lobbying more transparent. Its report called for a code of conduct and a register of lobbyists, adding governance reform to its economic recommendations.

The proposal would affect how interest groups present themselves to Parliament and the administration. Switzerland’s political system gives associations, businesses, unions and professional groups substantial access to decision makers. A public register could make those contacts easier to track and clarify who represents which interests. The OECD did not specify a detailed model in the source report, leaving Parliament to decide the register’s scope, enforcement and disclosure rules.

The larger reform agenda now spans household finances, business conditions and political institutions. Retirement rules could change the timing of work and pensions. Property taxes could influence where people live. EU agreements could shape the operating environment for exporters. Lobbying rules would address confidence in the process used to make those decisions.

Mathias Cormann, the OECD secretary general, said Switzerland must secure fiscal sustainability, spread productivity growth across more firms and sectors, and unlock housing supply. The government can point to the stronger growth forecast as evidence of resilience. It will still need parliamentary majorities, cantonal cooperation and public approval to convert the report into policy.