Poverty affects nearly one in five Swiss households
Single parents in Switzerland are often affected by relative poverty. The photo shows people queuing to receive bags with free food in Geneva in 2020.
Keystone/Martial Trezzini
Single parents with small children, as well as elderly migrants in Switzerland are at risk of relative poverty according to a new study.
The survey found that 15% of households of the working population and 22% of households of retired residents are affected by poverty.
The report by the University of Geneva is based on tax data of about 4.5 million residents between 2011 and 2015. This was more than half the Swiss population.
The findings are representative for the whole of Switzerland, according to officials.
The difficult financial situation persisted in up to 50% of all cases for a very long time, according to experts. But one in two households regain a certain financial stability after a while.
Overall, income rose between 2003 and 2015 notably due to higher salaries, low inflation and better pension payments, the study found.
But single retired men did not benefit from the improvement, according to experts.
On average, a Swiss household had an annual income of CHF63,470 ($69,148) in 2015. The poverty line was set at around CHF38,000 annually.
Popular Stories
More
Swiss Abroad
Aussie adoptee gains Swiss citizenship at 54 thanks to old envelope
Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter makes official visit to Austria
This content was published on
Karin Keller-Sutter, who took over the rotating Swiss presidency this year, has made her first official visit abroad as president to Austria.
This content was published on
The boss of Swiss Post, Roberto Cirillo, is stepping down at the end of March after six years in the job, the company announced on Friday.
This content was published on
The name and logo of the former Credit Suisse headquarters at Paradeplatz 8 in Zurich's financial centre were officially replaced by those of UBS on Friday.
Outgoing Swiss federal police chief warns of insufficient resources
This content was published on
The outgoing director of the Federal Office of Police (Fedpol), Nicoletta della Valle, has warned that officers, prosecutors and investigators in Switzerland have insufficient resources to do their work.
Swiss university inaugurates Europe’s most powerful centrifuge
This content was published on
The federal technology institute ETH Zurich has inaugurated Europe's most powerful geotechnical centrifuge. Researchers use the instrument to simulate the effects of natural hazards.
Swiss film industry reports successful year in 2024
This content was published on
Swiss films did well in cinemas in 2024, recording over 907,000 admissions, the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) reports. They accounted for almost 9% of all films shown last year in Switzerland.
Glencore and Rio Tinto held talks on mining’s biggest-ever potential merger, say reports
This content was published on
The Swiss-based mining and commodities group Glencore and the British company Rio Tinto reportedly held early-stage talks last year about combining their businesses.
First municipalities begin Swiss-wide plastic packaging recycling scheme
This content was published on
A new collection system to recycle plastic packaging and drinks cartons has begun in a handful of Swiss municipalities - others should follow in the coming weeks.
This content was published on
Despite an ongoing restructuring programme, Swiss retail giant Migros continued to grow last year by 1.6%, posting record sales of CHF32.5 billion ($35.7 billion).
Swiss researchers warn ‘mega-droughts’ are spreading around the world
This content was published on
"Mega-droughts" are increasing worldwide - becoming more frequent, hotter and more widespread over the past 40 years, a study published on Thursday shows.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Poverty in Switzerland rising, official figures show
This content was published on
The proportion of people living below the Swiss poverty line in 2019 grew to 8.7% of the population, the highest rate seen since 2014.
This content was published on
Over a million Swiss residents were struggling financially before coronavirus. The pandemic threatens to push many of them into precarious situations.
‘Switzerland is going to face an unimaginable level of poverty’
This content was published on
The queues for food in Geneva show that while the health crisis seems to be subsiding, the economic crisis has only just begun.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.