Print this page | Close window
Swiss Statistics

Income, Consumption and Assets – Data, IndicatorsHousehold income and expenditure 2007

Household Budget Survey (HBS)

Household income and expenditure of all households

HBS 2007
Budget structure1   
Amount in francs per month per household (mean)
and percentage distribution (100%: gross income)
Income from employment26 627b73.8%
Employee income5 727b63.8%
Income from self-employment900d10.0%
Investment income (incl. rental)421e4.7%
Primary income27 049b78.5%
Pensions and social security benefits1 790c19.9%
Old age/invalidity pensions (1st pillar)796c8.9%
Pensions from occupational insurance funds (2nd pillar)643c7.2%
Social security benefits and daily allowances351d3.9%
Financial transfer income from other households140d1.6%
Gross income8 979b100.0%
Compulsory transfer expenditure−2 478b−27.6%
Social security contributions−884c−9.8%
Taxes−1 097c−12.2%
Health insurance: basic insurance−498a−5.5%
Financial transfer expenditure to other households−224d−2.5%
Disposable income36 276b69.9%
Other insurances, fees and transfers−606c−6.8%
Health insurance: complementary insurance−133c−1.5%
Other insurances−193b−2.2%
Fees and other charges−73e−0.8%
Donations and other transfers−207e−2.3%
Consumption expenditure−5 432b−60.5%
Food and non-alcoholic beverages−638b−7.1%
Alcoholic beverages and tobacco−103c−1.2%
Hotels and restaurants−538b−6.0%
Clothing and footwear−240c−2.7%
Housing and energy−1 434b−16.0%
Furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance−299c−3.3%
Health−298c−3.3%
Transport−743c−8.3%
Communication−178b−2.0%
Entertainment, recreation and culture−668c−7.4%
Other goods and services−293c−3.3%
Sporadic income4368d4.1%
Savings606e6.8%
Household composition1 by employment status   
Number of persons per household (mean)
and percentage distribution (100%: all persons)
Number of persons per household2.22b100.0%
Self-employed50.18d7.9%
In paid employment1.03b46.3%
Pensioner0.37c16.8%
Persons in education/training0.10d4.7%
Other60.17c7.8%
Children under 150.37c16.5%
Percentage share of households by selected household groups   
Percentage of households (100%: total of all households)
Single person households  33.0%
Households in rented accommodation  60.0%
Pensioner households  24.2%
Households with a reference person7 younger than 35  17.9%
Households with a woman as reference person7  31.2%
Households with at least one car  79.4%
Households with at least one bicycle  66.2%
Households with at least one computer  78.6%
Households with at least one mobile telephone  88.4%
Households with at least one pet (dog or cat)  28.5%

Quality of estimates :
a  Very good: variation coefficient < 1%.
b  Good: variation coefficient of ≥ 1% to < 2%.
c  Quite good: variation coefficent of ≥ 2% to < 5%.
d  Adequate: variation coefficient of ≥ 5% to < 10%.
e  Poor: variation coefficent of ≥ 10%.

1  Due to rounding, the numbers may not add up to the total shown
2  Including social security contributions from the employee but not from the employer
3  The concept of disposable income used here is not compatible with that used in the national accounts
4  Sporadic income (gifts received, sales and reimbursements) are not included in the calculation of the gross income
5  Including farmers
6  Unemployed, housewives/househusbands and others
7  The reference person is the person who contributes most to the houshold's total income

Definitions

Gross household income
The gross household income is made up of the entire income of all the members of a private household. It includes gross salaries (before social security deductions), earnings from self-employment, pensions, interest, transfers from other households, payments in kind from one’s own business, benefits in kind from employer, produce from the household's garden, etc.

Disposable income
The disposable income is calculated by deducting the compulsory expenditure from the gross income. This includes mandatory expenses, such as social security contributions (contributions to retirement and survivors' pensions and disability benefits, company pension schemes etc.) and taxes, health insurance premiums (basic insurance), regular payments to other households (e.g. alimony).  

Sporadic income
Sporadic income includes gifts in kind, sales and reimbursements. Although sporadic income is not included in the gross income, it is taken into account for the calculation of savings.

Savings
Savings are calculated indirectly by adding up a household’s total income (gross income and sporadic income) and by deducting all expenditure from it (consumption and transfer expenditure). Savings, payments towards 3rd pillar, purchase of securities, investments, mortgage repayments etc are not considered as expenditure and are therefore included in savings.

Revision of Household Budget Survey (HBS) 2006
With the revision of the Household Budget Survey in 2006, the definitions of gross household income and disposable income were adapted to meet new international standards. For example, sporadic income is no longer included in gross income (nor in disposable income). Therefore the indicators published here can be directly compared only with those from 2006. A recalculation of the data from 1998 until 2005 based on the updated definitions is planned and should be published in the middle of 2010.

 

Welcome Page HBS

Print this page | Close window