Household income and expenditure

This page presents overview tables detailing income and expenditure in private households in Switzerland.

Income components are displayed as positive numbers, while expenditure components are displayed as negative numbers.

This allows for a clear and understandable visualisation of subtotals such as gross income, disposable income and savings.

Overview table of the average household budget

Household income and expenditure of all households
HBS 2021
Amount in francs per month per household (mean) and percentage distribution (100%: gross income) [1]
Income from employment [2]	7 053 b	72,1%
- Employee income	6 344 c	64,8%
- Income from self-employment	709 d	7,2%
Investment income (incl. rental)	510 d	5,2%
Primary income [2]	7 562 b	77,3%
Pensions and social security benefits	2 104 c	21,5%
- Old age/invalidity pensions (1st pillar)	926 c	9,5%
- Pensions from occupational insurance funds (2nd pillar)	743 c	7,6%
- Social security benefits and daily allowances	434 d	4,4%
Financial transfer income from other households	122 d	1,2%
Gross income	9 788 b	100,0%
Compulsory transfer expenditure	−2 887 b	−29,5%
- Social security contributions	−1 000 c	−10,2%
- Taxes	−1 203 c	−12,3%
- Health insurance: basic insurance	−684 b	−7,0%
Financial transfer expenditure to other households	−196 e	−2,0%
Disposable income [3]	6 706 b	68,5%
Other insurances, fees and transfers	−510 b	−5,2%
- Health insurance: complementary insurance	−163 c	−1,7%
- Other insurances	−157 b	−1,6%
- Fees and other charges	−52 c	−0,5%
- Donations and other transfers	−138 c	−1,4%
Consumption expenditure	−4 648 b	−47,5%
- Food and non-alcoholic beverages	−664 b	−6,8%
- Alcoholic beverages and tobacco	−112 c	−1,1%
- Hotels and restaurants	−390 c	−4,0%
- Clothing and footwear	−152 c	−1,5%
- Housing and energy	−1 364 b	−13,9%
- Furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance	−222 c	−2,3%
- Health	−225 c	−2,3%
- Transport	−668 c	−6,8%
- Communication	−170 b	−1,7%
- Entertainment, recreation and culture	−397 c	−4,1%
- Other goods and services	−284 c	−2,9%
Sporadic income [4]	162 d	1,7%
Savings	1 710 c	17,5%
Number of persons per household	2,09 b

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.
FSO – HBS 2021

Overview table by year (downloadable EXCEL file in French, also available in German and Italian)

The file with the overview tables contains supplementary indicators such as household composition and the distribution of households by category (e.g. the proportion of tenant households).

There are also detailed tables with more than 500 expenditure indicators structured in five hierarchical levels, in addition to tables listing indicators on consumed quantities of food and beverages, and fuels.

The household budget by household characteristics

The above indicators provide a good overview of the average household budget in Switzerland, as they are derived from mean figures for households across Switzerland. However, these numbers do not illustrate variations due to factors such as household composition, income situation.

These variations are only evident in the separate tables for different subgroups. Due to the relatively small annual sample size in the HBS – 3416 households in 2021 – the figures in the subgroup tables are ordinarily based on a pooled sample spanning three years. For this update, however, only a two-year cumulative sample (January 2018 to December 2019) was used. The decision to exclude 2020 from the sample was made because the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions significantly altered household consumption structures from March 2020 onwards. The results using the cumulative 2020–2021 samples (Covid-19 period) will be published at the end of 2024. Using a smaller two-year sample instead of the usual three-year sample means that fewer estimators can be published due to insufficient data quality. This is particularly noticeable for smaller groups of households, such as lone parents with children.

Overview tables are available for the following subgroups (downloadable EXCEL file in French, also available in German and Italian):

... by spatial subdivisions (downloadable files in French)

... by household characteristics (downloadable files in French)

Additionally, there are overview tables for the following household types (combined with other dimensions):

... for one-person households (downloadable files in French)

... for couples without children (downloadable files in French)

... for couples with children (downloadable files in French)

Complete table series with the household budget

The tables above are also available in a single EXCEL file as complete sets for each pooled sample (in French, available in German or Italian as well):

Complete table series (downloadable files in French)

Related analyses

Regarding income and expenditure, analyses are available on the following topics (these reports in French are also available in German):

Distribution of Wealth in Switzerland

The report on the distribution of wealth was compiled by the Federal Department of Finance in collaboration with the Federal Statistical Office. It principally analyses the following aspects: the development of income and wealth and their components, their primary distribution and redistribution as well as the structure and development of use of the income.

This publication on the distribution of wealth in Switzerland is available in French and German.

Répartition de la richesse en Suisse (PDF, 3 MB, 16.12.2022) - Rapport du Conseil fédéral en réponse au postulat 15.3381 déposé par la Commission de l’économie et des redevances du Conseil national le 14 avril 2015

Verteilung des Wohlstands in der Schweiz (PDF, 3 MB, 16.12.2022) - Bericht in Erfüllung des Postulats 15.3381 Kommission für Wirtschaft und Abgaben des Nationalrates vom 14.04.2015

Income Inequality and Redistribution by the Government

The report on income inequality and its redistribution by the government describes the components, the distribution and the redistribution of the incomes of private households from 1998 to 2009.

This report in French is also available in German.

Financial Situation of Private Households

The report on the financial situation of households analyses the income components and distribution of private households from both the macro- and micro-economic perspectives. The analysis is based mainly on National Accounts data from 1990 to 2004 and on Income and Consumption Survey results from 1998 to 2004.

This report in French is also available in German.