Facts and Figures
Canton of Glarus: these are the reasons
A place to live with plenty of tradition – an economic area undergoing radical change: that's the Glarnerland. Here in Glarus, innovation and tradition combine to create fertile ground for your company to flourish. Nowadays, the Canton of Glarus is home to leading companies in various sectors: mechanical engineering and plant construction, plastics and electrical engineering, as well as food and environmental technology. An attractive taxation system, affordable real estate, a central location and – not least – our open-minded approach: these are all good reasons for choosing Glarus as your business location. The following set of charts will give you the details.
1. Accessibility
The Canton of Glarus is located in the heart of Switzerland. In little more than an hour by car or public transport, travellers can reach the economic metropolis of Zurich and its international airport – the gateway to New York, Singapore and the entire rest of the world. The major A3 north-south artery runs through Glarus North, rail connections are excellent, and there is even a small airstrip for private jets at Mollis. It's true to say that the European single market is in our neighbourhood.
2. Population
Glarus is becoming more and more popular: our residential population is growing – slowly, but steadily. Well over half of the total population is aged between 20 and 64 – so they are in the group that are able to work. That places us in line with the Swiss average – and this is also true as regards the origins of our residential population: about three quarters of our residents are of Swiss origin.
3. Labour
Glarus is traditionally an industrial canton. Even today, the percentage of people employed in industry here is higher than in any other canton in Switzerland. However, many classical industrial businesses have evolved over time into cutting-edge high-tech enterprises. Nowadays, the Canton is home to leading companies specialising in mechanical engineering and plant construction, plastics and electrical engineering, and also in food and environmental technology. Nevertheless, in Glarus as elsewhere, the service sector accounts for the largest number of employees.
4. Tourism
Small is beautiful – this would be an apt title for Glarus as a tourism region. We might not be the biggest region for excursions, but we are certainly among those with the greatest variety and diversity. This is reflected in a renewed increase in overnight stays following several years of decline. Swiss visitors are especially fond of us: on a percentage basis, Glarus is the canton with the highest rate of overnight stays for guests from Switzerland.
5. Freely disposable income
Freely disposable income (FDI) is a comprehensive criterion for assessing the financial attractiveness of a canton as a residential location. The Canton of Glarus comes third in the ranking of financially attractive residential locations: as well as its low cost of living, Glarus offers a moderate tax burden and comparatively low health insurance premiums.
The chart shows the financial attractiveness of various regions as residential locations, using the RDI Credit Suisse indicator. As compared to the overall Swiss average, positive values indicate higher freely disposable income, while negative values show that freely disposable income is lower.
6. Tax
Glarus is among the selected regions of Switzerland that can also grant tax advantages at Federal level. Almost the entire territory of the canton is included in the area eligible for tax advantages under direct Federal taxation. At Cantonal level, newly-opened enterprises or those which significantly change their operational activities and serve economic interests can obtain tax advantages for the year of opening and the next nine years.
7. BAK taxation index for companies
The BAK taxation index shows which locations offer the best advantages in the competitive international tax environment. The index takes account of the effective tax rates for companies and highly qualified staff – the factors that determine tax burdens for target groups in the competitive global tax environment. In the Companies category of the BAK taxation index, Glarus is regularly ranked in the midfield of the Swiss cantons that are rated. Compared with other locations in Europe or the rest of the world, Glarus is actually among the front-runners. And Glarus is also attractive for highly qualified employees, with a placement in the top third.
8. Power prices
Power tariff structures can be complex and may vary from one provider to another. This is because many power providers do not have uniform prices for all customers: instead, their tariffs depend on the volume and timing of power consumption. The value shown here refers to consumption category C6: large-scale facilities with their own transformer station. Glarus is among the most favourably priced cantons here.
9. Land prices
Glarus is – and always was – an industrial canton. Many historic brownfield sites and former factories throughout the Glarnerland bear witness to this industrial past.
Foreigners from EU and EFTA countries with valid residence or short-stay permits can purchase land and real estate in just the same way as foreign companies (or those under foreign control) which need the land or real estate to achieve their business purposes. They do not need a special permit for this purpose.
The construction area planned for industry and commerce has not yet been used up in the canton of Glarus. Centrally located construction land with excellent transport access costs significantly less than the national average here – especially as compared to the Zurich agglomeration, which is so close.
You can find the directory of all vacant properties here – perhaps your new location is among them!
10. Goods exports
Over half of our export goods are sold to neighbouring countries, with a large percentage going to Germany. The EU is very clearly the most important export market for the Canton of Glarus. The vast majority of exported items originate from the mechanical industry, with goods from the chemical and vehicle sectors accounting for a substantial slice of the cake. The cotton industry (fabric printing, mechanical spinning and weaving mills) once supplied the entire world with famed Glarus cloths, but now it has only marginal importance in terms of exports.
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