Switzerland’s national financial equalisation system will reach a new high of CHF 6.9 billion in 2027, according to figures published on 9 June 2026 by the Federal Finance Administration (FFA), the federal body responsible for calculating and administering the equalisation system. Furthermore, the canton of Zug is contributing more per head than any other, amounting to roughly four times more per inhabitant than the next-highest payers.
The total represents an increase of CHF 527 million compared with 2026, driven by growing disparities in financial capacity between cantons.
Why Zug Carries The Heaviest Load?
Zug remains by far the largest donor canton in per-capita terms, a position it has held for many years. The small central Swiss canton will pay a net CHF 529 million into the system in 2027, equivalent to CHF 4,001 per inhabitant.
It is worth noting that for 2026, Geneva briefly overtook Zug to become the largest contributor in absolute terms, paying CHF 543 million to Zug’s CHF 467 million. For 2027, however, Zug has reclaimed the top position in absolute terms, with Geneva coming in second at just under CHF 497 million and Zürich third at CHF 369 million. In per-capita terms, Zug’s CHF 4,001 remains in a category of its own (roughly four times higher than any other donor canton).
Zug’s extraordinary tax revenues, rooted in its status as the preferred domicile for multinational holding companies and high-earning individuals, have grown substantially in recent years, mechanically increasing its obligation to poorer cantons year after year.
Read More: Job Vacancies Fall As Zurich Unemployment Holds At 2.9%
What Is The National Equalisation Fund System?
Switzerland’s Nationaler Finanzausgleich (NFA) is the mechanism by which the federal government redistributes financial resources between wealthier and poorer cantons. It has been in its current form since 2008, having been reformed to clarify which level of government is responsible for which public tasks, and last optimised through a cross-cantonal compromise in 2020.
The system has three pillars:
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Resource equalisation — the largest pillar, accounting for 78% of total payments. Cantons with below-average fiscal capacity receive transfers funded approximately 60% by the Confederation and 40% by the resource-rich donor cantons.
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Burden equalisation — compensates cantons that face disproportionately high costs due to geographic-topographic conditions (such as mountainous terrain) or socio-demographic factors (such as high urban poverty rates). This is funded entirely by the Confederation.
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Inter-cantonal cooperation with burden sharing — covers the cost of services that one canton provides on behalf of others, such as universities or hospitals used by residents across cantonal borders.
Crucially, payments received under the NFA come with no conditions attached. Cantons are free to use them as they see fit within their own budgets. The system currently has 10 donor cantons and 19 recipient cantons.
Bern Receives the Most
On the receiving end, Bern benefits most in absolute terms, drawing the largest single share from the equalisation pool, followed by Valais at CHF 897 million and Aargau at just under CHF 709 million. In per-capita terms, the highest beneficiaries are Valais, Jura and Uri, cantons with smaller economic bases and significant structural challenges.
