Proportion of women managers in Switzerland up slightly in ten years

The cantons of Aargau and Basel-Country have the highest proportion of female managers, says the study. Keystone-SDA

Over the last ten years, the proportion of women in management positions and on the boards of directors of Swiss companies has risen slightly. However, there are significant differences between regions and sectors.

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Across Switzerland as a whole, women held 28.4% of all management positions entered in the commercial register at the beginning of February 2025. This means that the proportion of women in management has increased by 2.9 percentage points between 2014 and 2024, according to an analysis published on Monday by the business information service CRIF.

According to the study, the cantons of Aargau and Basel-Country have the highest proportion of female managers, who account for nearly a third of bosses. Immediately behind them are the cantons of Zurich and Glarus (29.8%) and Appenzell Inner-Rhodes and Thurgau (29.7%).

At the bottom of the list are the French-speaking cantons and Italian-speaking Ticino. The canton of Fribourg brings up the rear with 25.5%.

Women leaders in veterinary sector

According to the study, the proportion of women also depends heavily on the sector. With a share of 55%, women are most strongly represented in management positions in the veterinary sector. Around half of management positions in social services and personal services, such as hairdressing and beauty salons, are also held by women.

In contrast, the proportion of female managers in retail is comparatively low, at 35%. This is despite the fact that two-thirds of jobs in this sector are held by women.

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In civil engineering, mechanical engineering and building construction, women are clearly in the minority at 15% or less. Meanwhile, the percentage of women in management positions has risen the most in broadcasting, social services and the manufacture of chemical products.

More female board members

There are also more women on the boards of directors of Swiss companies today than in the past. Although the proportion is slightly lower than in management boards, it increased by 2.8 percentage points, to 24.7% in the period under review.

At 26.5%, the canton of Basel-City has the highest proportion of female board members in Switzerland, followed by the canton of Aargau (26%) and the canton of Zurich (25.9%). In contrast, the canton of Zug has the fewest women on boards of directors (19.5%).

For the study, CRIF took into account all persons entered in the commercial register as managers or board members. The data was collected on February 7, 2025.

Translated from German with DeepL/gw

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