How do the Swiss spend their money?

The well-heeled Swiss spend on average CHF210 a month on clothes and shoes Keystone

Swiss households have an average net monthly income of CHF7,124 ($7,140), according to the Swiss Statistical Office. This is after CHF2,909 has been spent on unavoidable payments like taxes, social contributions and health insurance.  

Fixed expenses with a greater margin of choice also made a significant dent in the household budget, based on data from 2016External link. Lodging and energy bills added up to an average of 14.7% of total revenue (CHF1,476) while transport came to 7.7% and the grocery bill 6.3%.  

After paying the bills and splurging on life’s little luxuries – CHF106 on alcohol and tobacco, CHF584 on holidays – the average household was able to set aside CHF1,551 for a rainy day. 

Households bringing in less than CHF5,000 were generally unable to contribute to savings and often spent more than they earned. However, this statistic is skewed by the relatively high proportion of retiree households (61%) in this revenue bracket who pay for part of their expenses from their savings.

Kai Reusser / swissinfo.ch