People in Zug drive the most expensive cars

A new study by AXA shows that people in the canton of Zug drive the most expensive cars. The average vehicle value there is over 30% higher than the Swiss average. Schwyz and Appenzell Innerrhoden also rank highly. The vehicles are less expensive in Jura, Neuchâtel, and Fribourg. However, cars are becoming increasingly expensive across Switzerland. The canton of Zug is also ahead in terms of vehicle weight, followed by Graubünden and Schwyz. The oldest cars on the road are found in the canton of Schaffhausen, the newest in Ticino.

The most expensive cars in Switzerland are found on the roads of the canton of Zug, as shown by the statistics of AXA, Switzerland’s largest motor vehicle insurer, for the year 2023. The average vehicle value there is around CHF 65,000. Schwyz ranks second with an average value of around CHF 58,000, while Appenzell Innerrhoden is third with just over CHF 55,000. Graubünden, Basel-Stadt, Zurich, Nidwalden, Basel-Land, Obwalden, Aargau, Valais, and Geneva are all above average as well.

More lower-cost vehicles on the roads in French-speaking Switzerland

The lowest-cost cars are to be found in the cantons of Jura, Neuchâtel, and Fribourg, where the average value is around CHF 43,000 to slightly over CHF 44,000, more than CHF 20,000 below that in canton Zug. The fact that people in Zug and Schwyz are fond of the latest, priciest models probably has something to do with their comparatively high level of wealth. At the same time, Zug has a larger proportion of company cars than other cantons, which also pushes the average up.

The league table is based on the average price of cars insured in each canton, but the range of prices is broad in all cantons. “The spectrum of insured cars goes from those bought for less than CHF 10,000 to luxury cars that can run into the millions,” says Jérôme Pahud, Head of Mobility Insurance at AXA and member of the AXA Mobility Competence Center.

Average vehicles value increases significantly

A look at the figures from 2019 shows that cars in Switzerland are becoming more expensive. At that time, a car cost an average of around CHF 44,000. Four years later, it is just under CHF 49,000, an increase of 11%. In the canton of Zug, the increase was 12%, from CHF 58,000 in 2019 to CHF 65,000 four years later. In Jura, the price increase is progressing at a somewhat slower pace: The average vehicle value there has increased by just over 9% from just under CHF 40,000 to CHF 43,000.

Drivers in Schaffhausen, Bern, and Appenzell Ausserrhoden favor older models

The newest vehicles are on the road in Switzerland's sunniest canton: In Ticino, the cars are 8.9 years old on average, compared with 10 years across all cantons. Zug ranks second: The cars there are 9 years old on average. The people of Fribourg also seem to value new vehicles: Their cars follow in third place with an average age of 9.3 years. The oldest cars on Switzerland’s roads are registered in Schaffhausen, Bern, and Appenzell Ausserrhoden, With an average of 11, 10.9, and 10.7 years on the clock respectively, making them around two years older than those in the canton of Ticino.

Heavier cars in Zug, Graubünden, and Schwyz

The canton of Zug also leads the rankings in terms of weight – and therefore probably also in terms of vehicle size. Cars there weigh over 1,600 kilograms on average. The cantons of Graubünden and Schwyz follow in second and third place, where vehicles weigh slightly less than 1,600 kilograms. “A higher vehicle weight indicates larger vehicles on the one hand, while on the other hand there are more electric cars on the road, which tend to be heavier due to their battery,” explains Jérôme Pahud. The people of Ticino, Neuchâtel, and Jura are opting for lighter and therefore smaller cars, with an average vehicle weight of around 1,400 kilograms each.

Neuchâtel residents drive 40 times across Switzerland per year

Cars are used the most in the canton of Neuchâtel. The people of Neuchâtel travel more than 14,000 kilometers by car each year, crossing Switzerland from east to west over 40 times. The cantons of Zug, Obwalden, Fribourg, and Vaud follow close behind with an average annual distance traveled of just under 14,000 kilometers. Cars are driven significantly less in the cantons of Geneva, Uri, and Bern (around 12,000 kilometers per year). 

The analysis was conducted in 2023 and included all passenger cars insured with AXA (including company cars but excluding fleet contracts). The oldest vehicles insured with AXA are more than 100 years old. These are generally covered under AXA’s vintage car insurance. The value of a car is based on the list price, including options. The average distance traveled is based on the number of kilometers that policyholders drive with the vehicle each year as stated when the contract is concluded.