published
Despite banks and luxury in the mountains: there are also many poor people in Switzerland. Single-parent households are particularly affected by poverty, especially those of women.
Single-parent households are particularly affected by poverty, especially those of women.
20min/Marco Zangger
The median income was CHF 63,470 per year seven years ago.
20min/Celia Nogler
-
The median income in Switzerland is CHF 63,470 per year.
-
This shows an analysis for the year 2015.
-
Risk factors for poverty are education, employment situation and origin.
Switzerland is one of the richest countries in the world. Nevertheless, there is poverty here too. 17 percent of Swiss households have to make do with little to very little financial means. It is 15 percent for people of working age and 22 percent for people of retirement age.
This is shown by an analysis of 4.5 million people by the Federal Social Insurance Office presented on Tuesday by the University of St. Gallen for 2015. Those who earn less than 50 percent of the median income have very little financial means (see box). The median income was CHF 63,470 per year seven years ago.
Two values are used to record income in Switzerland: the average and the median. These can differ significantly from each other. Half of all households in Switzerland have an income higher than the median. The average, on the other hand, is calculated from all incomes and states how high the income would have to be for all households to have the same amount. The example of the canton of Zug clearly shows the difference between the median and the average: in this low-tax canton there are many households with a high income. In 2017, the average income in the canton of Zug was CHF 107,300, the highest in all of Switzerland. But the median value for the same year is CHF 66,100. The median value shows that there are still many households with lower incomes in the canton of Zug.
It is true that the proportion of pensioners in poverty is particularly high. But there are a lot of wealthy people in old age. The median net wealth increases to around CHF 140,000 up to the 60 to 64 age group. With the retirement age, it then jumps to around 250,000 francs, which the study authors explain with the receipt of lump-sum benefits from old-age provision.
Data for the years 2012 to 2015 show that around a quarter of people were able to lift themselves out of poverty. For eleven percent, on the other hand, these years led to a situation with little or very little resources.
Women particularly at risk of poverty
Single-parent households are particularly affected by poverty, especially those of women. The poverty trap is even greater when the children are young. Longer breaks from work following the birth of a child also increase the risk of poverty.
Education, employment situation and origin are also important risk factors: low to very low means are found above average among the self-employed, employees in agriculture, people with little education and people from a non-European country.
As a member, you become part of the 20-minute community and benefit from great benefits and exclusive competitions every day!
