Is there poverty in Switzerland?
Are there poor people in Switzerland?
In many countries, poverty means that people go hungry, have no clean drinking water and no roof over their heads. It is not as severe here in Switzerland, but poverty exists here too. In our country, people are considered poor if they have too little money to cover their basic needs and participate minimally in social life. Basic needs include food, clothing, the use of transport, health insurance and housing. Poor people are therefore unable to pay for their own health insurance, for example.
What are the consequences of poverty?
In Switzerland, people who do not have enough money to cover their basic needs usually receive help, for example from the municipality or the canton. But even then you can still be poor. For example, if there is no money left over for leisure activities. For children, this can mean that they are almost never able to go to the cinema or swimming pool with others or go on an outing with the family. Because all that costs money.
How does someone become poor?
Some people are poor even though they work. They may not have completed any training and earn so little that they cannot cover all their basic needs. However, some people also become poor because they are unable to work, for example because they have fallen ill or had an accident. Or they have lost their job and can no longer find a new one.
The family situation also often plays a role. Single mothers or fathers are at risk of poverty if they have to look after a child alone after a divorce and cannot earn a lot of money at the same time.
More information about poverty
Poverty is more widespread in Switzerland than many people realise: According to the Federal Statistical Office, 702
,000 people (including 100
,000 children) were living below the poverty line of CHF 4010 for two adults with two children in 2022. If you include all people living very slightly above this poverty line, the figure is almost twice as high: 1.34
million people are considered at risk of poverty, i.e. around one in six people in Switzerland. Those most affected are single people, single-parent households with underage children, people without post-compulsory education and people who are not gainfully employed.
Weitere Informationen:
www.caritas.ch/de/armut-in-der-schweiz
www.projuventute.ch
Für Kinder und Jugendliche:
www.147.ch
Who can help?
In addition to the money paid by the cantons or municipalities, people living in poverty can receive support from various organisations. For example, there are shops where they can get food and other items for free or at a greatly reduced price. Offers such as the Kultur-Legi provide reduced prices for many different activities.
... and very important
No child can help it if the family doesn't have much money. Nobody should have to be ashamed or even laughed at because of this!
