One in seven Swiss pensioners lives in poverty, study says
Every seventh person over the age of 65 in Switzerland does not have enough money make ends meet, according to a study on the financial health of the elderly.
This content was published on
1 minute
swissinfo.ch/mga
Español
es
Uno de cada siete pensionistas suizos vive en la pobreza, según un estudio
Some 46,000 Swiss pensioners have already fallen into the poverty trap and a further 295,000 are in danger of joining them, the study reveals. The official poverty line is drawn at CHF2,279 ($2,300) per month to pay for rent, health insurance, clothes and food.
“Every fifth older person in Switzerland is acutely at risk of poverty or already poor,” Alexander Widmer, of the Pro Senectute organisation that champions the rights of the elderly, told the SonntagsZeitung.
Widmer added that the stigma of asking for help in wealthy Switzerland is making the poverty problem worse because some people are ashamed to ask for help.
The elderly finances study was carried out by Pro Senectute with the Zurich University of Applied Sciences and the University of Geneva.
It found levels of poverty to be widely diverse according to each canton. But poverty is more prevalent among elderly women, people with a migrant background and in rural areas.
“We expect poverty in old age to increase. We are living longer, part-time work is in vogue, and now prices are rising too,” said Widmer.
Macron will attend Swiss summit on Ukraine, says Zelensky
This content was published on
French President Emmanuel Macron will attend the peace conference on Ukraine at the Swiss Bürgenstock resort next month, according to Volodymyr Zelensky.
Top politician tells ‘corrupt’ Eurovision to stay away from Bern
This content was published on
A social media post by the president of Bern’s cantonal government critical of the Eurovision Song Contest has created waves and will be discussed in the cantonal parliament.
Swiss centre records over 200 victims of human trafficking
This content was published on
Last year 317 people took part in a protection programme run by the Specialist Unit for Trafficking in Women and Women’s Migration (FIZ) in German-speaking Switzerland.
This content was published on
The Geneva-based International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and partners are opening a field hospital in southern Gaza on Tuesday.
Lack of smartphone sustainability in Switzerland hits environment
This content was published on
Almost half of all Swiss citizens hang on to their old smartphones, tablets and laptops, according to the Federal Statistical Office.
Police clear out pro-Palestinian students protesting in Geneva
This content was published on
The police intervened early on Tuesday to dislodge pro-Palestinian students who had been occupying the University of Geneva for almost a week.
New gel developed in Zurich renders alcohol harmless
This content was published on
A newly developed gel composed of whey proteins breaks down alcohol in the body and could reduce its harmful and intoxicating effects in humans.
Pro-Palestine protests extend to Basel and Fribourg universities
This content was published on
Demonstrators called for an academic boycott of all Israeli institutions and disassociation with Chaim Weizmann, the first Israeli president.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Poverty affects nearly one in five Swiss households
This content was published on
Single parents with small children, as well as elderly migrants in Switzerland are at risk of relative poverty according to a new study.
This content was published on
The pressure group said the idea of a “solidarity contribution”, put forward by the Federal Social Insurance Office, was based on hasty conclusions and general prejudices. Referring to a Geneva University study published last year, co-president of the council Christiana Jacquet-Berger told swissinfo that the results had been wrongly interpreted and painted an unfair picture…
Most Swiss pensioners happy with their financial situation
This content was published on
Those 65 and over may be more income-poor than the working-age population but the majority of them can easily cover their expenses.
Caring for those who cannot afford health coverage
This content was published on
Although public assistance is available to those struggling to pay for care, in the end not everyone is able to get the treatment they need.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.