Long-term health problems

Included in the MEHM (Minimum European Health Module, a module incorporated into European health surveys), this is an indicator linked to chronic diseases. Suffering from a chronic disease or a long-term health problem may have considerable negative consequences on social integration. 

Note: On the German and French version of this page, the tables have been updated with the latest data. Graphs and texts will be updated shortly.

In 2020, 28% of the Swiss permanent resident population aged 15 or over suffered from long-term health problems. The population without a migration background suffered more than the population with a migration background: the latter had a rate of 30%, while in the first generation and the second or subsequent generations, the rate was respectively 27% and 24%.

From 2012 to 2020, there was an increase in long-term health problems in all population groups. The population with a migration background from the second or subsequent generations had the highest increase (+3.5 percentage points).

In most cantons, the population without a migration background had more long-term health problems than those with a migration background. This difference is nonetheless only significant in the cantons of Zurich, Fribourg, Solothurn, Graubünden and Vaud.