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Swiss Statistics

Enquiries, Sources – Swiss statistics on social assistance recipientsOverview

Short description The Swiss Social Assistance Statistics, elaborated and published by the Federal Statistical Office, collect information that makes it possible, inter alia, to determine the number of social assistance recipients, the type of means-tested benefits that are granted, the duration of the benefits and the family structure of the recipients.   This fills a gap by providing detailed results at the national level as well as for the 26 cantons separately.

The Swiss Social Assistance Statistics collect data on social assistance benefits strictly defined as well as on means-tested benefits granted prior to social assistance. This statistic only takes account of social benefits provided at the cantonal level. Municipal-level benefits are not included.

This statistic makes it possible to:
  • provide a snapshot of the situation and the structure of social assistance recipients at the federal, cantonal, municipal and regional levels;
  • provide information about the economic and social situation of social assistance recipients in Switzerland;
  • describe the structure of social assistance benefits received;
  • show the composition of the group of recipients;
  • provide information about the dynamics and duration of social assistance received and explain the reasons why people stop receiving social benefits.
In 2000, the FSO's Social Security Section conducted a pilot survey. The evaluation of this pilot survey was then used as a basis to elaborate statistical questionnaires and define characteristics to be surveyed. The Social Security Section has commissioned the development of a records management software (capture of records, utilisation of information) called Sostat. This program is distributed to the social services offices of small municipalities that do not have a records management program of their own.
Responsible agency Swiss Federal Statistical Office
Responsible service Social Assistance
Responsible person and information Norbert Riesen, 032 713 65 78, norbert.riesen@bfs.admin.ch
Conducted by Federal Statistical Office
Legal basis Ordinance on the Conduct of Federal Statistical Surveys (SR 431.012.1), 30 June 1993
Type of enquiry This statistic has been a comprehensive survey since the 2009 survey year.  The data are collected by means of various computer programs designed to manage social assistance files and, in a few exceptional cases, by means of paper questionnaires.
Status Ongoing
Degree of regionalisation National, cantonal and municipal
Date survey conducted From 1.1 to 31.12
Periodicity Annual
Available since The first complete results have been available since the 2004 survey year. The first cantonal results were published in 2003 (Sozialbericht Zürich).Since 2007, the FSO has also been analysing data on 3 types of means-tested social benefits provided prior to social assistance.
Last updated: 26.04.2010
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