Swiss cannabis statistics: understanding the figures

How common is cannabis use in Switzerland? The official results used here come from the 2022 Swiss Health Survey. Reviewing this page in 2026 does not make it a new survey. We explain what the figures tell us and where their limits lie.

The 2022 survey: key findings

  • In 2022, 7.6% of people aged 15–64 reported cannabis use during the previous twelve months.
  • 4.0% reported use during the previous 30 days. This is a different measure from daily use.
  • The results describe the surveyed population living in private households. They are not a count of every person who uses cannabis.
  • These percentages cannot establish CBD market revenue or a ranking of cantons.

Reading Swiss cannabis statistics

A useful statistic identifies its source, collection year, population and measure. This overview helps interpret the official consumption findings. It is neither a market report nor a complete catalogue of every cannabis indicator.

Results may be published years after a survey. Reviewing this overview in 2026 does not turn observations from 2022 into data for 2026. A citation should distinguish the survey year from the date on which this page was reviewed.

The official results for 2022

MonAM, the monitoring system of the Federal Office of Public Health and the Swiss Health Observatory, publishes results from the Swiss Health Survey. Among people aged 15–64, twelve-month prevalence was 7.6% in 2022 and 30-day prevalence was 4.0%.

The corresponding figures were 9.8% and 5.5% for men, and 5.4% and 2.5% for women. In each pair, the first figure covers twelve months and the second covers 30 days. These are percentages within each group, rather than the gender breakdown of everyone who uses cannabis.

What prevalence actually measures

Prevalence here means the proportion of a defined population reporting cannabis use within a stated period. Twelve months and 30 days answer different questions. The same person can appear in both measures, so the percentages must not be added together.

A single occasion of use is sufficient to fall within the relevant period. Thirty-day prevalence does not mean daily use or a diagnosis of dependence. It does not tell us how much cannabis someone consumed either.

Why this page does not rank cantons

The national indicators do not establish a reliable ranking of cantons. Such a comparison would require comparable cantonal results, adequate samples and information about statistical uncertainty. Small differences between estimates can arise through sampling.

The number of participants in a pilot trial is not a canton’s cannabis prevalence either. Participation depends, among other things, on that project’s admission criteria. Its participants do not automatically represent the entire resident population.

How current are the results?

The Swiss Health Survey takes place every five years. MonAM describes use proportions as stable since 2017; this does not establish the level in 2026. A change over time also cannot, by itself, prove the effect of a particular policy.

The findings rely on self-reports. Non-participation and willingness to disclose use may influence the results. This indicator does not provide a separate count of CBD users or an estimate of sales revenue. Those questions require their own suitable evidence.

What evidence do other questions need?

Consumption, medical treatment, seizures, pilot trials and sales concern different things. Police statistics describe recorded events, surveys describe reported behaviour and project reports describe a particular participant group. These figures cannot be added up to produce a total number of users.

Multiplying a consumption percentage by an assumed price does not establish market revenue. A defensible estimate would need quantities, frequency, price definitions and transparent assumptions, among other inputs. Where those foundations are missing, we do not publish a figure that suggests false precision.

Data sources

Questions about the data

Are these cannabis use figures for 2026?
No. The results shown come from the 2022 survey. This page was reviewed on 3 October 2026.
What proportion used cannabis in the previous month?
In 2022, 4.0% of people aged 15–64 reported use during the previous 30 days. We report that percentage rather than converting it into a misleadingly exact headcount.
Does 7.6% mean regular use?
No. It means at least one reported occasion of use during the previous twelve months. It does not establish a particular frequency.
Can these figures establish the size of the CBD market?
No. This indicator does not separately measure CBD use or contain sales revenue data.