Switzerland is a federal republic in Europe. It is one of the most developed countries in the world, with the highest nominal wealth per adult and the eighth-highest per capita gross domestic product according to the IMF.^[1][2] Switzerland ranks at or near the top globally in several metrics of national performance, including government transparency, civil liberties, quality of life, economic competitiveness, and human development.

Switzerland's most important economic sector is manufacturing. Manufacturing consists largely of the production of specialist chemicals, health and pharmaceutical goods, scientific and precision measuring instruments and musical instruments. The largest exported goods are chemicals (34% of exported goods), machines/electronics (20.9%), and precision instruments/watches (16.9%).^[3] Exported services amount to a third of exports.^[3] The service sector – especially banking and insurance, tourism, and international organisations – is another important industry for Switzerland.

Largest firms

This list shows firms in the Fortune Global 500, which ranks firms by total revenues reported before 31 March 2017.^[4] Only the top five firms (if available) are included as a sample.

Rank	Image	Name	2016 Revenues (USD $M)	Employees	Notes
16		Glencore	$173,883	93,123	Baar-based commodities trading and mining giant and the world's third-largest family business.[5]
64		Nestlé	$90,814	328,000	Transnational consumer goods conglomerate and the largest food and beverage company in the world. The firm has more than 8,000 brands, including Gerber, Carnation, and Lean Cuisine.
112		Zurich Insurance Group	$67,245	52,473	Zürich-based full line insurance and financial services company operating in more than 170 countries.
169		Hoffmann-La Roche	$53,427	94,052	Multinational healthcare company headquartered in Basel. Subsidiaries include Genentech (US) and Ventana Medical Systems (US).
186		Novartis	$49,436	118,393	Multinational pharmaceutical company in Basel and one of the largest drug producers by both market cap and sales. Subsidiaries include Alcon and Chiron Corporation (US).

Notable firms

This list includes notable companies with primary headquarters located in the country. The industry and sector follow the Industry Classification Benchmark taxonomy. Organizations which have ceased operations are included and noted as defunct.

• 
  Historical watchmaker workbench at Omega SA.
• 
  The Bank for International Settlements in Basel.
• 
  Swiss National Bank headquarters in Bern.