This page provides information on the recipients of old-age benefits paid under the three pillars of old-age provision.
This is information at individual level concerning persons permanently resident in Switzerland on 31 December of the year described. If a person receives more than one benefit under the same pillar, the amounts received are added together. It should be noted that these figures concern individual persons. The cumulated sum within the household cannot be determined as part of the new pensions statistics.
Number of new recipients of old-age benefits
In 2022, 228 418 people received at least one new old-age benefit from the old-age provision system.
The gender ratio is relatively balanced for old-age and survivors' insurance (OASI) benefits. In contrast, a higher proportion of men than women receive second- or third-pillar benefits. These significant differences are largely due to differences in men's and women's career paths (interruption of professional activity or part-time work for family reasons).
New recipients of old-age provision benefits, 2022
Pension
Lump-sum
Total 1)
OASI
PP (PF and VBI)
PP (PF and VBI)
Pillar 3a
Total (all age groups)
97 373
45 290
63 259
121 343
228 418
Men (all age groups)
47 239
25 775
35 896
69 476
122 179
Women (all age groups)
50 134
19 515
27 363
51 867
106 239
1) This column indicates the totals of the beneficiaries per row, excluding double counting of persons and benefits.
Level of new OASI pensions and occupational pensions per recipient
The median monthly amount of the new OASI pension was CHF 1810 in 2022, while the median monthly amount of the new occupational pension plan was CHF 1744 in 2022. More precisely, the median pension received by women in 2022 was CHF 1237 and that of men CHF 2128.
Level of lump-sum payments under occupational pension plans and pillar 3a
Lump-sum payments under occupational pension plans and the pillar 3a follow the same trends as pension levels under occupational pension plans and the 1st pillar. The amounts received by men are higher.
In 2022, the median capital from an occupational pension plan received by men was CHF 175 769 and CHF 70 978 for women.
For pillar 3a, the median capital from an occupational pension plan received by men was CHF 49 008 and CHF 41 614 for women.
New recipients of old-age benefits from a pension fund, by combination of benefits and gender
As the graph below shows, in 2022 44% of new old-age benefit recipients received only a new pension, 37% received only a lump-sum payment and 19% received both a new pension and a lump-sum payment. Women are more likely than men to have received only a pension (49% compared with 39%). Men were more likely than women to receive both a lump-sum payment and a new pension (23% compared with 14%).
Switzerland’s population structure has changed considerably over the past few decades. The demographic ageing of Switzerland’s population has an impact on many areas of life. Health topics, employment, retirement and old-age provision are at the heart of the social and political discussion.
The gender pension gap represents the percentage difference in average pensions between women and men in the permanent resident population aged 65 and over.
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