One in 20 in Switzerland is ‘materially and socially deprived’

Uptick in demand: a Caritas shop in Geneva. © Keystone / Salvatore Di Nolfi

In 2021, 5% of the population had do without “important goods, services and social activities” due to lack of cash, the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) says.

The figure of 5%, classified as “materially and socially deprived”, is however considerably lower than elsewhere in Europe, where the average is 11.9%, the FSO said on Tuesday.

Other forms of hardship were also recorded: for example, in 2021, 7.9% of the population had to forego certain hobbies, 3.5% had to neglect buying new clothes from time to time, and 3% couldn’t eat out or drink with friends at least once a month.

+ Read more: thousands of retired Swiss falling into poverty

And almost one-fifth of the population said they would be unable to pay an unexpected bill of CHF2,500 ($2,798) within a month; CHF2,500 corresponds to – for many people – the maximum amount to be paid towards health costs from your own pocket before mandatory insurance kicks in.

Poverty line

Overall, the poverty rate in Switzerland increased in 2021 to reach 8.7% of the population, compared with 8.5% the previous year. This means around 745,000 people were living on an income below the poverty line – defined as an average of CHF2,289 ($2,546) per month for a single person and CHF3,989 per month for two adults and two children.

Foreigners, those living alone, single parents, or those without any post-school education or employment are most affected. Some 157,000 people lived below the poverty line even though they were working.

The Caritas charity organisation warned on Tuesday that poverty had “significantly and continuously” increased since 2014, and that demand for food and everyday products in their charity stores was rising.

The group called on government and cantonal authorities to do more to tackle inflation and its impact on lower-income groups.