Reference metadata describe statistical concepts and methodologies used for the collection and generation of data. They provide information on data quality and, since they are strongly content-oriented, assist users in interpreting the data. Reference metadata, unlike structural metadata, can be decoupled from the data.
Statistics on healthcare non-expenditure provide information on healthcare human resources, healthcare facilities, and healthcare utilisation.
The people active in the healthcare sector (doctors, dentists, nurses, etc.) and their status (graduates, practising, migration of doctors and nurses, etc.);
The available healthcare technical resources and facilities (hospital beds, beds in residential care facilities, medical technology, etc.);
The health activities or patient contacts undertaken (hospital discharges, surgical procedures, ambulatory care data, etc.).
Annual national and regional data are provided in absolute numbers or as a rate of a relevant population.
Data are based mainly on administrative records (see section 18.1 ‘Source data’ for more information).
3.2. Classification system
For the collection of data on healthcare non- expenditure, the classifications used in the System of Health Accounts (SHA) and its related set of International Classification for the Health Accounts are applied.
For Health Employment, the Directive 2005/36/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 September 2005 on the recognition of professional qualifications apply.
Definitions of mandatory variables are laid down in Commission Regulation (EU) 2022/2294.
Where possible, the statistics are separated by sex (male/female), age group and NUTS2 region.
National deviations: see Annex at the bottom of the page.
3.3. Coverage - sector
Public health.
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
The healthcare non-expenditure statistics describe the public health sector from a non-monetary perspective. The statistics explain the number or rate of different healthcare resources, facilities and utilisations. A wide range of indicators are collected from a multitude of sources and therefore, details pertaining to individual variables are given in the Annex.
Definitions of mandatory variables are laid down in Commission Regulation (EU) 2022/2294.
Joint Questionnaire on Non-Monetary Health Care Statistics, which is carried out by Eurostat, OECD and WHO-Europe.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
Federal Statistics Act of 9 October 1992 (FStatA) and related Ordinances.
Federal Act on Data Protection of 19 June 1992 (FADP) and related Ordinances.
Policy of the Swiss Federal Statistical Office on data protection (2017)
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
Extract from the FStatA (Art. 18, al. 3): Unless such publication is required by law, the results may not enable any conclusions to be drawn regarding the circumstances of individual natural persons or legal entities that the person or entity concerned has not already made generally available.
8.1. Release calendar
A release calendar is available. In principle, releases are announced on the FSO's website at least one month before the publication date.
The Single Integrated Metadata Structure (SIMS), which is the standard for quality reporting, is published in the Eurostat Database for every variable pertaining to the Joint, non-Monetary Health Care questionnaire, as from reference year 2021
11.1. Quality assurance
Quality guidelines follow European Statistics Code of Practice as well as a Charter of Swiss Official Statistics. These principles, laid down at both national and international level, can also be found in the Federal Statistics Act of 1992. To ensure that these principles are applied, the FSO’s products and processes are subject to different control mechanisms in addition to the regular assessment and continues improvement of its work. The FSO’s quality management system, for example, incorporates management by processes and risk analysis, enabling it to have an overview of its strengths but also to detect areas in need of improvement.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
Conclusion of the latest Peer Review's Compliance report (2014-2015): "The Peer Reviewers found that the Swiss Federal Statistical Office is largely compliant with the European statistics Code of Practice (CoP), but there is still scope to achieve and enhance compliance. As regards the Other National Authorities producing European statistics, there is more room for improvement in compliance with the CoP."
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
Government Offices (Federal Statistical Office, Federal Office of Public Health), Cantons, Researchers, Policy makers, Civil society, International Organisations (WHO, OECD and Eurostat).
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
There are no available national data on user satisfaction. Eurostat carries out an annual User satisfaction survey on a central level, see the latest results.
12.3. Completeness
All the requirements laid down in Commission Regulation (EU) 2022/2294 are fulfilled.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
For the following sources employed for this report, the data collections are exhaustive (full population covered/administrative data), with a response rate 100% (or close):
Federal Statistical Office: Medical Statistics of Hospitals, Hospital Statistics, Statistics of Ambulatory Patients in Hospitals, Statistics of medical-social institutions, Community Nursing Statistics,
For the Federal Statisical Office's Swiss Health Survey, the data is based on random samples. In most cases, information about sampling errors / consequential dispersion measures are publicly available in the disseminated results.
13.2. Sampling error
Not applicable.
13.3. Non-sampling error
Not applicable.
14.1. Timeliness
In general, data is made public with a lag of T+1: Data related to year T will be available end of year T+1.
14.2. Punctuality
Delivery date and target date coincide. There are no exceptions to report.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
There are no particular issues in terms of comparability over geographical units to be reported here.
15.2. Comparability - over time
There are no particular issues in terms of comparability over time to be reported here.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
There are no particular issues in terms of comparability over domains to be reported here.
15.4. Coherence - internal
There are no particular issues in terms of internal coherence to be reported here.
Information not available.
17.1. Data revision - policy
Main principles related to data revision:
The accuracy of statistical results is of great importance. Significantly erroneous results must be corrected.
Statistics must be designed in such a way that it is possible to rectify the results (revisions, replacement by a more up-to-date version, correction of errors) within a given framework.
Rules that specify in concrete terms when and how corrections are to be made should be defined for each individual statistic.
Any corrections must be communicated appropriately and documented in a way that is transparent and reproducible to the user.
17.2. Data revision - practice
There are no revisions to report.
18.1. Source data
Source data for the different variables are given in the Annex at the bottom of the page.
Federal Statistical Office (FSO), Neuchâtel; Medical statistics of hospitals; Hospital statistics; Neuchâtel; Statistics of medical-social institutions; Community nursing statistics; Administrative survey, data validation by cantonal authorities
Statistics on healthcare non-expenditure provide information on healthcare human resources, healthcare facilities, and healthcare utilisation.
The people active in the healthcare sector (doctors, dentists, nurses, etc.) and their status (graduates, practising, migration of doctors and nurses, etc.);
The available healthcare technical resources and facilities (hospital beds, beds in residential care facilities, medical technology, etc.);
The health activities or patient contacts undertaken (hospital discharges, surgical procedures, ambulatory care data, etc.).
Annual national and regional data are provided in absolute numbers or as a rate of a relevant population.
Data are based mainly on administrative records (see section 18.1 ‘Source data’ for more information).
14 May 2025
The healthcare non-expenditure statistics describe the public health sector from a non-monetary perspective. The statistics explain the number or rate of different healthcare resources, facilities and utilisations. A wide range of indicators are collected from a multitude of sources and therefore, details pertaining to individual variables are given in the Annex.
Definitions of mandatory variables are laid down in Commission Regulation (EU) 2022/2294.
National changes of statistical concepts and national definitions deviating from Regulation (EU) 2022/2294: see Annex at the bottom of the page.
Registered health professionals or health care facility categories.
All health care staff.
All available beds or equipment in hospitals or in nursing and residential care facilities.
All discharges or procedures performed in all hospitals.
Complete national territory
Calendar year.
See Annex for variable reference period.
For the following sources employed for this report, the data collections are exhaustive (full population covered/administrative data), with a response rate 100% (or close):
Federal Statistical Office: Medical Statistics of Hospitals, Hospital Statistics, Statistics of Ambulatory Patients in Hospitals, Statistics of medical-social institutions, Community Nursing Statistics,
For the Federal Statisical Office's Swiss Health Survey, the data is based on random samples. In most cases, information about sampling errors / consequential dispersion measures are publicly available in the disseminated results.
Absolute numbers at end of reference period/average
Average number during reference period.
Rate of phenomenon per reference population (e.g. per 100 000 inhabitants)
See Annex for variable specific units.
Data are based on administrative sources and no imputation or design weights are used.
Source data for the different variables are given in the Annex at the bottom of the page.
Yearly
In general, data is made public with a lag of T+1: Data related to year T will be available end of year T+1.
There are no particular issues in terms of comparability over geographical units to be reported here.
There are no particular issues in terms of comparability over time to be reported here.
