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Residents of central Switzerland enjoy highest purchasing power

View towards Freienbach (right) and Wollerau (left) in canton Schwytz
View towards Freienbach (right) and Wollerau (left) in canton Schwytz Keystone

The residents of low-tax regions in central Switzerland enjoy the highest purchasing power in Switzerland, a new survey has revealed. 

According to the GfK study published on Tuesday, the residents of Höfe district – Freienbach, Feusisberg and Wollerau – in canton Schwyz have the highest purchasing power in Switzerland: on average €87,853 (CHF103,206) per inhabitant in 2018.

They are followed by the residents of Meilen on the Zurich Gold Coast, with €61,431 per inhabitant, and canton Zug (€60,003).

In French-speaking Switzerland, the Vaud districts of Nyon (€47,298) and Lavaux-Oron (€46,878) are ranked eighth and ninth, respectively.

+ More on purchasing power and prices in Switzerland

In terms of cantons, Zug is ranked ahead of Schwyz , followed by Nidwalden, Zurich and Geneva. Vaud came ninth, while Jura was in last place with an average of €32,992 per inhabitant. 

The Swiss average purchasing power was €40,456 per inhabitant, GfK said. This is almost twice as much as in neighbouring Austria (€23,282) and Germany (€22,992). In recent years, only Liechtenstein had higher purchasing power figures than Switzerland.

GfK defines purchasing power as a measure of the population’s disposable net income, including government subsidies such as pension payments, unemployment assistance and child benefit. However, living expenses, insurance or rent are not taken into account.

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