Coworking: the number of venues has fallen for the first time, down 9 per cent in a year
Keystone-SDA
After years of growth, the market for co-working spaces in Switzerland has seen its first decline.
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November 12, 2026 – 15:17
In August 2026, there were 455 co-working spaces across the country, 9% fewer than a year earlier. This is according to a study published today by the property consultancy Wüest Partner.
This decline marks a reversal of the strong growth seen in recent years. In 2017, when the phenomenon first began to be tracked, there were 130 co-working spaces, while by 2025 this figure had reached around 500.
The reduction recorded this year affects large cities, smaller towns and rural areas. According to Wüest Partner, however, this does not necessarily indicate a general weakening of demand, but rather a phase of consolidation following the rapid growth in supply. The occupancy rate of these spaces remains relatively high, but not all centres and management models have proved to be economically sustainable in the long term.
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Factors continuing to drive the sector include the rise in small businesses and the buoyant start-up activity, particularly in the consultancy and IT sectors. Young companies often require only a few workstations and prefer to avoid long-term lease commitments for their own offices.
According to an analysis of around 70 locations, a fixed workstation in a co-working space costs an average of CHF460 per month in the mid-range price bracket. The fee covers not only the desk but also services and facilities such as internet access, cleaning and meeting rooms.
However, the business model remains challenging. Operators generally rent large spaces under multi-year leases, before subletting individual workstations on more flexible terms. When occupancy is low, rental costs continue to weigh heavily on the balance sheet. According to the study, selling individual workstations alone is often not enough to ensure a venue’s profitability. Offering additional services, such as team offices and meeting rooms, can help improve financial performance.
These difficulties are not limited to co-working. In the third quarter of 2026, the amount of office space advertised for rent in Switzerland fell by 12% compared with the same period the previous year. At the same time, however, the floor area of properties that have been vacant for over two years has increased. A proportion of the supply is therefore struggling to find tenants, despite the reduction in available floor space on the market.
Against this backdrop, rents for advertised office space nevertheless rose by 3% year-on-year at national level. The sharpest increase was recorded in the Zurich region, at +6.6%. In the Basel region, by contrast, rents fell by 1.4%. For 2027, Wüest Partner forecasts a further, albeit more modest, increase: office rents in Switzerland are expected to rise by an average of 0.5%.
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Translated from German, reviewed by an English Department journalist.