MONET 2030: Poverty rate by migration status

SDG 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries

Goal description

"[…] inequality still persists and large disparities remain in access to health and education services and other assets. Additionally, while income inequality between countries may have been reduced, inequality within countries has risen. […]"

Swiss target 10.7: Immigration is safe, orderly and in keeping with Switzerland's economic prosperity and social cohesion. Refugees and vulnerable persons are afforded protection that takes gender and age-specific needs and vulnerabilities into account. The causes of flight and irregular migration to Europe are tackled and the integration of refugees and migrants is encouraged and demanded.

Significance of the indicator
The indicator shows the percentage of people living below the poverty threshold according to their migration status. It measures the risk of social exclusion and the level of income inequality between population sub-groups with a migration background and those without. A higher poverty rate in a population sub-group denotes inequality of opportunity in this sub-group’s participation in various areas of life and society compared with others. From a sustainable development perspective, the proportion of the population living below the poverty threshold, and the gap between the rates observed for people with a migration background and those without, needs to be reduced.

Help for interpretation
It is an income-based poverty indicator. The measure of poverty can be biased, in particular amongst older people, as wealth is not taken into account.

International comparability
The indicators of income poverty published by Eurostat and the OECD are based on the concept of relative poverty and cannot be compared with this indicator (based on the absolute concept).

Synthesis

Comments: Calculation of the variation in % on the difference between the population with and without a migration background.

By sex

According to the social justice and equality of opportunity principles, gender equality is a key component of sustainable development. For this reason this indicator is also presented with a distinction made between men and women.

This indicator shows the percentage of people living below the poverty threshold in the permanent resident population aged 16 or over, according to migration status.

The indicator is based on the permanent resident population by migration status used to measure integration:

The population without a migration background comprises all persons born Swiss in Switzerland or abroad to at least one parent born in Switzerland, and persons born in Switzerland or naturalised Swiss whose parents were both born in Switzerland.
The population with a migration background includes all foreign nationals (irrespective of their generational status), first or second- generation naturalised Swiss (born abroad or born in Switzerland to a least one parent born abroad), and persons born Swiss to parents who were both born abroad.

Integration indicators

Swiss target 10.7: Immigration is safe, orderly and in keeping with Switzerland's economic prosperity and social cohesion. Refugees and vulnerable persons are afforded protection that takes gender and age-specific needs and vulnerabilities into account. The causes of flight and irregular migration to Europe are tackled and the integration of refugees and migrants is encouraged and demanded.

International target 10.7: Facilitate orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility of people, including through the implementation of planned and well-managed migration policies.