The standard of living of households does not only depend on their effective income. The self-evaluation of the financial situation of one's household also provides information on one's social situation and lifestyle. The evaluation of the financial situation of one's own household may be treated by considering different questions. Our analyses concern questions asked at household level. The answers are nevertheless jointly attributed to all members of the household and the analyses carried out on the total population.
In 2022, 36.7% of the population lived in a household that was very satisfied with its financial situation. However, 9.9% of the population lived in a household that said it had difficulty or great difficulty in making ends meet (regrouping of answers: values [1] or [2] on a scale of [1] very difficult, [2] difficult to [6] very easy). With regard to the question on how the household is able to manage its income and expenditure, 8.7% of the population said it used its assets to deal with current expenditures. Persons aged 65 and over are the most affected (18.2%). 2.1% of the population lived in a household that said it had to run into debt to pay off the year's current expenditures. Furthermore, more than half of the population (57.4%) lived in a household that said it was able to save money and around two in six people (31.9%) lived in a household that spent more than it earns.
Groups with a low income level (equivalised disposable income) were also those who said they had the greatest difficulty in making ends meet. These were foreign nationals (except Northern and Western Europeans), the unemployed, those with a low educational level and people living in single-parent households. These groups also lived in households with the lowest level of satisfaction with the household's financial situation and saved the least amount of money.
Situation in Switzerland
European comparisons
In 2022, 9.9% of the population in Switzerland indicate they find it difficult or very difficult to make ends meet at the end of the month (value [1] or [2] on a scale of [1] very difficult to [6] very easy).
At European level, this percentage varies between 5.8% (Luxembourg) and 68.4% (Greece). Among our neighbours, it is 8.3% in Germany, 11.9% in Austria, 21.7% in France and 22.3% in Italy.
EU
AT=Austria, BE=Belgium, BG=Bulgaria, CY=Cyprus, CZ=Czechia, DE=Germany, DK=Denmark, EE=Estonia, EL=Greece, ES=Spain, FI=Finland, FR=France, HR=Croatia, HU=Hungary, IE=Ireland, IT=Italy, LT=Lithuania, LU=Luxembourg, LV=Latvia, MT=Malta, NL=Netherlands, PL=Poland, PT=Portugal, RO=Romania, SE=Sweden, SI=Slovenia, SK=Slovakia.
Other countries
CH=Switzerland, ME=Montenegro, MK= North Macedonia, NO=Norway, RS=Serbia, UK=United Kingdom.
Further information
Statistical sources and concepts
Contact
Federal Statistical Office Section Income, Consumption and Living ConditionsEspace de l'Europe 10
CH-2010 Neuchâtel
Switzerland
- Tel.
- +41 58 463 68 04