Switzerland's wine imports declined in both volume and value in 2024, reflecting a broader trend of cautious consumption and price sensitivity in one of Europe’s most wine-loving countries.
According to data from S&P Global (IHS), analyzed by the OIVE, Swiss wine imports totaled EUR 1.177 billion, a decrease of 7.1% compared to 2023. In volume terms, imports dropped 3.4%, amounting to 161.33 million liters—a reduction of EUR 89.8 million and 5.7 million liters from the previous year.
Declines Across All Wine Categories — Except Bulk Volume
All major wine categories saw declines in value in 2024:
- Sparkling wine suffered the most, falling 15.9% to EUR 225.44 million.
- Bottled wine dropped 4.8% to EUR 873 million.
- Bag-in-Box (BiB) wines declined 8.9% to EUR 19.1 million.
- Bulk wine fell 2.2% to EUR 59.48 million.
In volume, only bulk wine saw a slight increase, rising 1.84% to 45 million liters, despite a fall in average price. Bottled wine, the dominant category, declined 4.71%, just below 88 million liters.
Top Suppliers: France, Italy, and Spain
France and Italy remain Switzerland’s leading wine suppliers, nearly tied in export value:
- France: EUR 442 million (-12.1%), 35.6 million liters (-5.1%)
- Italy: EUR 437.2 million (-2.9%), 68+ million liters (-2.4%)
Spain ranks third, with 27 million liters exported (-8.6%) and a value of EUR 131.1 million—close to France in volume, but significantly lower in value due to lower average prices.
Other important but smaller players include Portugal, Germany, the United States, Austria, Argentina, Australia, and Chile, all far behind the top three. Interestingly, Australia overtook Chile to become Switzerland’s ninth-largest supplier, with exports surging 46.2%, while Chile also saw growth of 17.9%.
Long-Term Trends: Fewer Liters, Higher Prices
From 2017 to 2024, Switzerland's wine import value has increased at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 1.8%, while volume has declined by 1.7% CAGR, signaling a steady shift toward higher-quality or higher-priced wines.
Among categories:
- Bulk wine is the only one with a negative trend in value since 2017 (-2.4% CAGR).
- Bag-in-Box (BiB) shows the strongest growth, with a CAGR of 4.6%, despite its modest share.
Import Origins: 85 Countries, but a Few Dominate
Switzerland imported wine from 85 countries in 2024, but three nations dominate:
- France: 37.6% market share (value)
- Italy: 37.1% market share (value), and 42.5% in volume
- Spain: 11.1% market share (value), 16.8% (volume)
While all three saw year-over-year declines in volume—France (-5%), Italy (-2.4%), and Spain (-8.6%)—Spain stood out for raising its average wine price by 4.4%. Portugal (+3.7%) and Austria (+0.6%) also managed modest price gains, in contrast to France (-7.3%), Italy (-0.5%), Germany, and the U.S., which saw more pronounced declines.
Source: Vinetur