Proportion of population living below the national poverty line (%) in Switzerland
Switzerland: Proportion of population living below the national poverty line (%) was 15.8% in 2021. ▬ Flat
Latest (2021)
15.8%
Change on year
up 7.5%
World rank
44th
of 73 countries
All-time high
16.0%
in 2018
All-time low
13.8%
in 2013
Years of data
16
2006–2021
Proportion of population living below the national poverty line in Switzerland, 2006–2021
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
Switzerland recorded 15.8% for proportion of population living below the national poverty line in 2021.
That represents a change of up 7.5% on the previous year and down 0.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of population living below the national poverty line in Switzerland peaked at 16.0% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 13.8%, in 2013.
That places Switzerland 44th out of 73 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.
Proportion of population living below the national poverty line (%) in Switzerland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 15.0% | — |
| 2007 | 15.7% | +4.7% |
| 2008 | 15.6% | -0.6% |
| 2009 | 15.0% | -3.8% |
| 2010 | 15.0% | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 15.9% | +6.0% |
| 2012 | 14.5% | -8.8% |
| 2013 | 13.8% | -4.8% |
| 2014 | 15.6% | +13.0% |
| 2015 | 14.7% | -5.8% |
| 2016 | 15.5% | +5.4% |
| 2017 | 14.6% | -5.8% |
| 2018 | 16.0% | +9.6% |
| 2019 | 15.5% | -3.1% |
| 2020 | 14.7% | -5.2% |
| 2021 | 15.8% | +7.5% |
Switzerland compared with similar countries
- Switzerland's 15.8% is below the median for high income countries, which is 16.0%, 99% of the median. (26 countries reporting)
- Switzerland's 15.8% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 15.8%, 1.0× the median. (35 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 15.3% | 15.0% | 15.7% | 4 |
| 2010s | 15.1% | 13.8% | 16.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 15.2% | 14.7% | 15.8% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Switzerland
More poverty & inequality data for Switzerland
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 8 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 1.43 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 5,706 kg per hectare (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate -6.17 % change on previous year (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 26.79 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 26.8% (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is proportion of population living below the national poverty line in Switzerland?
- Proportion of population living below the national poverty line in Switzerland was 15.8% in 2021, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest proportion of population living below the national poverty line recorded in Switzerland?
- The highest recorded value was 16.0% in 2018.
- What is the lowest proportion of population living below the national poverty line recorded in Switzerland?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.8% in 2013.
- How does Switzerland rank for proportion of population living below the national poverty line?
- Switzerland ranks 44th out of 73 countries with data for 2021.
- Is proportion of population living below the national poverty line rising or falling in Switzerland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Switzerland data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Proportion of population living below the national poverty line (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 16 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).