95.000 new homes planned to help ease Switzerland’s housing shortage

The extent of the housing shortage in Switzerland was recently brought into focus when the government announced that the country's vacancy rate had fallen below 1 percent. New forecasts show that Switzerland will build around 95.000 new apartments by the end of 2027, in an attempt to ease the situation.

Over 95.000 new apartments to be built by 2027

Swiss real estate agent Wüest Partner estimates that there will be a “significant increase in housing production” in Switzerland during the rest of 2026 and into 2027. Approximately 45.000 new apartments are due to be built this year and a further 50.000 in 2027. The planned new builds will be available both to rent and to buy, reports Blick.

While Swiss cities are suffering the most from a lack of housing, with the city of Zurich’s vacancy rate recorded at just 0,11 percent, rural areas will benefit the most from additional apartments rather than the country’s metropolitan hubs. 

“Construction is taking place primarily where there is still undeveloped building land,” explained Wüest Partner’s real estate expert Robert Weinert. “Construction is also happening wherever substantial vertical construction is possible.”

Which cantons will see the biggest construction surge?

Growth will be concentrated in the cantons of Glarus, Geneva, Neuchâtel, Solothurn and Thurgau. In particular, Thurgau, home to Frauenfeld and right on the border with Germany, is experiencing a “construction boom” thanks to strong demand from residents, more suitable land available to build on and lower construction costs.

Construction of new apartments is expected to increase by over 40 percent in Thurgau compared to previous yearly averages. In Solothurn, Neuchâtel, Geneva, Valais and Glarus, the increase will be between 20 and 40 percent. 

This will help ease the housing shortage slightly in concentrated areas, but “a nationwide easing of the situation is not in sight,” Blick added. Around 50 percent of cantons are predicted to see a decline in housing construction compared to long-term averages. 

For expats willing to commute for work, finding an apartment outside central Zurich, Geneva and Basel may soon be easier and more affordable.