Statistics on outpatient midwifery services in Switzerland (SHV-Statistik)

The women receiving care

Just over two-thirds of the women receiving care were aged between 31 and 40 (69.3%). A total of 67.1% were Swiss nationals and 32.9% were foreign nationals (Germany 4.0%, Italy 2.6%, Portugal 2.5%, France 2.3%). Primiparous (51.1%) and multiparous women (49.0%) were represented in almost equal numbers.

Timing of care

The main area of activity for midwives practising under their own professional responsibility lies in postnatal care. They visited most of the women recorded (90.0%) during the postnatal period, carried out antenatal check-ups for 35.6% and provided care for 6.2% during childbirth.

Births

In 2024, midwives practising under their own professional responsibility provided data on 5’405 births which they had attended from the start or throughout. This figure is lower than in the previous year due to a lower total number of births. In 887 (16.4%) of the births led by a midwife acting under her own professional responsibility, the baby was born at home; in 1’669 (30.9%) at a birthing centre without an attending midwife; and in 419 (7.8%) at a birthing centre with an attending midwife. A total of 1’744 births (32.3%) took place in hospital with an attending midwife. Midwives acting under their own professional responsibility attended 51 women (0.9%) prior to a planned hospital birth (e.g. care during early labour). For the remaining 615 births attended by midwives acting under their own professional responsibility (11.4%), there were records of a transfer to hospital or a handover of care within the hospital (in the case of births attended by attending midwives). In 20 cases, the place of birth was unknown (0.4%).

The Swiss Federation of Midwives (SHV/FSSF) has been recording the activities and services of midwives in their own professional responsibility throughout Switzerland since 2005. The goal of this survey was quality assurance. The data was evaluated annually using descriptive statistics and published in an extensive report and a flyer. In 2009, this task was given to the Research Institute of Midwifery and Reproductive Health at ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences.

During the first few years of the project, midwives entered data in specially designed Excel sheets, following which it was merged nationally. From 2012 to 2017, data collection was undertaken via a purpose-built online platform.

The maintenance of this online platform was within the parameters of this project. The electronic invoicing of the services of midwives in their own professional responsibility has been mandatory since 2018. To make better use of the midwives’ resources, the data collection for the statistics on outpatient midwifery services in Switzerland was restructured. All information required for billing and for statistical purposes was collected within the electronic invoicing and documentation systems. The software providers then transferred the data to ZHAW in an encrypted form via a secure service. Between 2019 and 2025, the data was analysed and published in the new format.