Swiss government forecasts economy will grow by 3% in 2021

Reuters reports that Swiss government said in its latest forecasts that Switzerland's economy will bounce back from its coronavirus-driven downturn to grow by 3% in 2021.

GDP will likely fall "significantly" in the first quarter of 2021 following the reintroduction of restrictions last December, the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) said.

But the easing of public health measures, already under way with the reopening of shops, should lead to rapid recovery afterwards, it added.

Growing global demand would also boost Switzerland's export sector, while investment on production capacity will also increase, SECO said.

The Swiss economy contracted by 2.9% in 2020, its worst performance in more than 40 years, although the country avoided the deeper downturns in other countries by adopting a "lockdown light" approach which kept schools and many ski slopes open.

The expected recovery in 2021 - in line with SECO's December forecast - and will mean the Swiss economy returns to pre-crisis levels towards the end of the year, SECO said.

For 2022 SECO expects the economy to grow by 3.3%, up from its December forecast for a 3.1% increase.