Work and social security
Who works, who is in education or retired, and who receives which benefit: one account of the permanent resident population of Switzerland, in the categories of the federal statistics.
Every figure comes from an official statistic (BFS, BSV, SECO) and shows its source. Each group is shown with its count and its share or rate. Benefits overlap: one person can be counted in several of them, so they must not be added up.
9,127,125 permanent residents on 31 December 2025
4,885,851 employed residents aged 15 and over, average of 2025
414,488 foreign cross-border commuters working in Switzerland, Q3 2026 (they live abroad)
Everyone, by age
The permanent resident population counts everyone who lives in Switzerland for at least a year, children included. Nationality is a legal status: Swiss nationals include naturalised persons.
Permanent resident population by age group, 31 December 2025
Share of each group, in %; the table gives the counts. Source: STATPOP.
- 0–14 years
- 15–64 years
- 65 years and over
Total: 9,127,125 persons, of whom 14.7% were under 15, 65.5% aged 15 to 64 and 19.8% aged 65 or over. Swiss nationals: 6,599,008 persons, of whom 14.6% were under 15, 61.2% aged 15 to 64 and 24.2% aged 65 or over. Foreign nationals: 2,528,117 persons, of whom 14.9% were under 15, 76.6% aged 15 to 64 and 8.5% aged 65 or over.
Show the data as a table
| Group | 0–14 years | 15–64 years | 65 years and over | Total | Old-age ratio (65+ per 100 aged 20–64) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 1,340,058 (14.7%) | 5,976,419 (65.5%) | 1,810,648 (19.8%) | 9,127,125 | 32.9 |
| Swiss nationals | 964,466 (14.6%) | 4,038,878 (61.2%) | 1,595,664 (24.2%) | 6,599,008 | 43.2 |
| Foreign nationals | 375,592 (14.9%) | 1,937,541 (76.6%) | 214,984 (8.5%) | 2,528,117 | 11.8 |
Old-age ratio, 2025
Residents aged 65 and over per 100 residents aged 20 to 64 (the BFS definition). It describes the age structure, not who works.
- Total
- 32.9
- Swiss nationals
- 43.2
- Foreign nationals
- 11.8
Calculated by Votara from the published counts (a ratio, not a model).
Work: residents aged 15 and over
The Swiss Labour Force Survey (SAKE) sorts every resident aged 15 and over into one of three groups: employed, unemployed or not in the labour force. The figures are yearly averages extrapolated from a survey.
- Employed, full time (90 % or more) / Employed, part time (under 90 %)
- At least one hour of paid work in the reference week, as an employee, self-employed or in a family business (ILO definition). Full time means 90 % or more of a full-time job.
- Unemployed (ILO)
- Without work in the reference week, looked for work in the last four weeks and could start within two weeks, whether registered with an employment office or not (ILO definition).
- Not in the labour force
- Neither employed nor unemployed, for example people in education, homemakers, pensioners or people who cannot work. The next section shows their main activity.
Residents aged 15 and over by labour-market status and nationality, 2025
Share of each group, in %, yearly average; the table gives the counts and rates. Source: SAKE.
- Employed, full time (90 % or more)
- Employed, part time (under 90 %)
- Unemployed (ILO)
- Not in the labour force
Total: 7,625,208 persons aged 15+; 64.1% employed (of whom 38.7% part time), 3.3% unemployed (unemployment rate 4.8%), 32.7% not in the labour force. Swiss nationals: 5,613,726 persons aged 15+; 62.2% employed (of whom 42.6% part time), 2.2% unemployed (unemployment rate 3.4%), 35.5% not in the labour force. Foreign nationals: 2,011,482 persons aged 15+; 69.2% employed (of whom 28.7% part time), 6.2% unemployed (unemployment rate 8.2%), 24.6% not in the labour force.
Show the data as a table
| Group | Population aged 15+ | Employed, full time (90 % or more) | Employed, part time (under 90 %) | Unemployed (ILO) | Not in the labour force | Participation rate | Unemployment rate (ILO) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 7,625,208 | 2,997,196 (39.3%) | 1,888,655 (24.8%) | 248,538 (3.3%) | 2,490,819 (32.7%) | 67.3% | 4.8% |
| Swiss nationals | 5,613,726 | 2,004,348 (35.7%) | 1,489,300 (26.5%) | 124,425 (2.2%) | 1,995,654 (35.5%) | 64.5% | 3.4% |
| Foreign nationals | 2,011,482 | 992,849 (49.4%) | 399,355 (19.9%) | 124,113 (6.2%) | 495,164 (24.6%) | 75.4% | 8.2% |
Residents aged 15 and over by labour-market status and age group, 2025
Share of each group, in %, yearly average; the table gives the counts and rates. Source: SAKE.
- Employed, full time (90 % or more)
- Employed, part time (under 90 %)
- Unemployed (ILO)
- Not in the labour force
15–24 years: 903,249 persons aged 15+; 60.1% employed (of whom 27.4% part time), 5.8% unemployed (unemployment rate 8.8%), 34.2% not in the labour force. 25–39 years: 1,839,160 persons aged 15+; 86.0% employed (of whom 33.0% part time), 4.9% unemployed (unemployment rate 5.4%), 9.1% not in the labour force. 40–54 years: 1,854,605 persons aged 15+; 86.7% employed (of whom 39.5% part time), 3.7% unemployed (unemployment rate 4.1%), 9.6% not in the labour force. 55–64 years: 1,249,787 persons aged 15+; 75.3% employed (of whom 42.6% part time), 2.8% unemployed (unemployment rate 3.6%), 21.8% not in the labour force. 65 years and over: 1,778,407 persons aged 15+; 12.0% employed (of whom 85.0% part time), 0.1% unemployed (unemployment rate 1.1%), 87.9% not in the labour force.
Show the data as a table
| Group | Population aged 15+ | Employed, full time (90 % or more) | Employed, part time (under 90 %) | Unemployed (ILO) | Not in the labour force | Participation rate | Unemployment rate (ILO) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15–24 years | 903,249 | 393,706 (43.6%) | 148,851 (16.5%) | 52,115 (5.8%) | 308,578 (34.2%) | 65.8% | 8.8% |
| 25–39 years | 1,839,160 | 1,058,840 (57.6%) | 522,236 (28.4%) | 90,298 (4.9%) | 167,785 (9.1%) | 90.9% | 5.4% |
| 40–54 years | 1,854,605 | 972,416 (52.4%) | 635,638 (34.3%) | 68,443 (3.7%) | 178,107 (9.6%) | 90.4% | 4.1% |
| 55–64 years | 1,249,787 | 540,253 (43.2%) | 401,199 (32.1%) | 35,399 (2.8%) | 272,936 (21.8%) | 78.2% | 3.6% |
| 65 years and over | 1,778,407 | 31,981 (1.8%) | 180,731 (10.2%) | 2,282 (0.1%) | 1,563,412 (87.9%) | 12.1% | 1.1% |
| 15–64 years | 5,846,801 | 2,965,215 (50.7%) | 1,707,924 (29.2%) | 246,256 (4.2%) | 927,406 (15.9%) | 84.1% | 5.0% |
Working age (15–64), 2025
- Residents aged 15–64 (yearly average)
- 5,846,801
- Participation rate (share in the labour force)
- 84.1%
- Unemployment rate (ILO)
- 5.0%
15–64 is the sum of the four published age groups from 15 to 64; the rates are calculated by Votara from the published counts.
Outside the labour force: main activity
The structural survey asks every year what people mainly do. It shows who the people outside the labour force are: in education, homemakers, pensioners or others. It counts private households only and asks for one main activity, so its totals differ from SAKE (see the cross-checks).
Residents aged 15 and over by main activity and nationality group, 2024
Share of each group, in %; the table gives the counts. Permanent residents in private households. Source: structural survey (SE).
- Employed
- Unemployed
- In education
- Homemakers
- Pensioners (AHV, IV)
- Other people outside the labour force
Total: 5.9% in education, 3.1% homemakers, 23.9% pensioners. Swiss nationals: 6.1% in education, 2.2% homemakers, 28.3% pensioners. EU/EFTA nationals: 4.8% in education, 2.9% homemakers, 11.9% pensioners. Other European state: 5.3% in education, 9.9% homemakers, 16.6% pensioners. Non-European state: 8.5% in education, 10.5% homemakers, 6.3% pensioners.
Show the data as a table
| Group | Population aged 15+ | Employed | Unemployed | In education | Homemakers | Pensioners (AHV, IV) | Other people outside the labour force |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 7,507,509 | 4,583,667 (61.1%) | 240,667 (3.2%) | 444,665 (5.9%) | 230,587 (3.1%) | 1,798,010 (23.9%) | 209,914 (2.8%) |
| Swiss nationals | 5,497,429 | 3,247,689 (59.1%) | 114,658 (2.1%) | 334,911 (6.1%) | 121,600 (2.2%) | 1,558,090 (28.3%) | 120,482 (2.2%) |
| EU/EFTA nationals | 1,312,199 | 950,729 (72.5%) | 66,902 (5.1%) | 62,719 (4.8%) | 37,779 (2.9%) | 156,638 (11.9%) | 37,433 (2.9%) |
| Other European state | 381,124 | 200,991 (52.7%) | 32,002 (8.4%) | 20,193 (5.3%) | 37,757 (9.9%) | 63,360 (16.6%) | 26,821 (7.0%) |
| Non-European state | 315,440 | 183,786 (58.3%) | 26,908 (8.5%) | 26,789 (8.5%) | 33,248 (10.5%) | 19,804 (6.3%) | 24,906 (7.9%) |
Residents aged 15 and over by main activity and age group, 2024
Share of each group, in %; the table gives the counts. Permanent residents in private households. Source: structural survey (SE).
- Employed
- Unemployed
- In education
- Homemakers
- Pensioners (AHV, IV)
- Other people outside the labour force
15–24 years: 43.2% were in education. 65 years and over: 91.5% were pensioners.
Show the data as a table
| Group | Population aged 15+ | Employed | Unemployed | In education | Homemakers | Pensioners (AHV, IV) | Other people outside the labour force |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15–24 years | 897,313 | 397,582 (44.3%) | 39,160 (4.4%) | 387,444 (43.2%) | 5,107 (0.6%) | 7,562 (0.8%) | 60,458 (6.7%) |
| 25–44 years | 2,477,469 | 2,106,907 (85.0%) | 119,518 (4.8%) | 49,105 (2.0%) | 101,084 (4.1%) | 38,185 (1.5%) | 62,669 (2.5%) |
| 45–64 years | 2,452,552 | 1,939,823 (79.1%) | 81,947 (3.3%) | 4,347 (0.2%) | 124,395 (5.1%) | 215,254 (8.8%) | 86,786 (3.5%) |
| 65 years and over | 1,680,175 | 139,353 (8.3%) | no value | 3,769 (0.2%) | no value | 1,537,010 (91.5%) | no value |
Pensioners include people who retired early and people with an invalidity pension who do not work. The nationality groups are those published by BFS; people whose nationality is not known are not shown. A dash in the table: not published (too few observations).
Working here, living abroad
Foreign cross-border commuters work in Switzerland and return at least once a week to their home abroad. They are not residents, so they are in none of the counts above, but they are among the people working in Switzerland.
Foreign cross-border commuters, 1999 to Q3 2026
Persons with a cross-border commuter permit (G) working in Switzerland, per quarter. Source: cross-border commuter statistics (GGS).
Persons
- Cross-border commuters
The latest quarters are provisional and may be revised (marked “(p)” in the table).
The number of foreign cross-border commuters went from 136,179 in Q1 1999 to 414,488 in Q3 2026.
Show the data as a table
| Quarter | Cross-border commuters |
|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | 414,488 (p) |
| Q2 2026 | 411,170 (p) |
| Q1 2026 | 408,893 (p) |
| Q4 2025 | 408,396 (p) |
| Q3 2025 | 407,084 (p) |
| Q2 2025 | 405,613 (p) |
| Q1 2025 | 402,240 (p) |
| Q4 2024 | 403,416 |
| Q3 2024 | 405,740 |
| Q2 2024 | 403,690 |
| Q1 2024 | 397,185 |
| Q4 2023 | 396,954 |
| Q3 2023 | 397,639 |
| Q2 2023 | 393,449 |
| Q1 2023 | 384,714 |
| Q4 2022 | 381,534 |
| Q3 2022 | 378,538 |
| Q2 2022 | 372,474 |
| Q1 2022 | 362,461 |
| Q4 2021 | 358,428 |
| Q3 2021 | 355,878 |
| Q2 2021 | 350,060 |
| Q1 2021 | 340,605 |
| Q4 2020 | 341,342 |
| Q3 2020 | 342,286 |
| Q2 2020 | 338,581 |
| Q1 2020 | 338,113 |
| Q4 2019 | 338,890 |
| Q3 2019 | 338,720 |
| Q2 2019 | 335,269 |
| Q1 2019 | 327,501 |
| Q4 2018 | 326,055 |
| Q3 2018 | 327,205 |
| Q2 2018 | 325,595 |
| Q1 2018 | 319,665 |
| Q4 2017 | 321,164 |
| Q3 2017 | 321,852 |
| Q2 2017 | 318,476 |
| Q1 2017 | 311,213 |
| Q4 2016 | 311,954 |
| Q3 2016 | 312,046 |
| Q2 2016 | 309,952 |
| Q1 2016 | 304,945 |
| Q4 2015 | 303,081 |
| Q3 2015 | 304,639 |
| Q2 2015 | 301,937 |
| Q1 2015 | 296,222 |
| Q4 2014 | 295,326 |
| Q3 2014 | 295,974 |
| Q2 2014 | 293,172 |
| Q1 2014 | 285,887 |
| Q4 2013 | 283,894 |
| Q3 2013 | 284,826 |
| Q2 2013 | 280,277 |
| Q1 2013 | 272,363 |
| Q4 2012 | 271,835 |
| Q3 2012 | 272,227 |
| Q2 2012 | 267,472 |
| Q1 2012 | 261,014 |
| Q4 2011 | 255,944 |
| Q3 2011 | 255,035 |
| Q2 2011 | 249,675 |
| Q1 2011 | 242,064 |
| Q4 2010 | 234,091 |
| Q3 2010 | 236,208 |
| Q2 2010 | 233,688 |
| Q1 2010 | 227,229 |
| Q4 2009 | 222,832 |
| Q3 2009 | 222,099 |
| Q2 2009 | 222,440 |
| Q1 2009 | 219,408 |
| Q4 2008 | 217,766 |
| Q3 2008 | 218,963 |
| Q2 2008 | 217,993 |
| Q1 2008 | 213,911 |
| Q4 2007 | 209,974 |
| Q3 2007 | 209,046 |
| Q2 2007 | 205,228 |
| Q1 2007 | 199,725 |
| Q4 2006 | 195,046 |
| Q3 2006 | 191,955 |
| Q2 2006 | 186,096 |
| Q1 2006 | 181,352 |
| Q4 2005 | 178,568 |
| Q3 2005 | 175,957 |
| Q2 2005 | 177,201 |
| Q1 2005 | 176,702 |
| Q4 2004 | 174,205 |
| Q3 2004 | 174,329 |
| Q2 2004 | 176,227 |
| Q1 2004 | 170,500 |
| Q4 2003 | 168,923 |
| Q3 2003 | 169,092 |
| Q2 2003 | 167,779 |
| Q1 2003 | 166,451 |
| Q4 2002 | 165,296 |
| Q3 2002 | 164,718 |
| Q2 2002 | 162,768 |
| Q1 2002 | 161,568 |
| Q4 2001 | 160,657 |
| Q3 2001 | 159,425 |
| Q2 2001 | 156,555 |
| Q1 2001 | 152,895 |
| Q4 2000 | 149,021 |
| Q3 2000 | 146,468 |
| Q2 2000 | 143,537 |
| Q1 2000 | 140,563 |
| Q4 1999 | 138,248 |
| Q3 1999 | 137,406 |
| Q2 1999 | 136,451 |
| Q1 1999 | 136,179 |
Social security benefits
The main benefits, each with its own definition: how many people receive it, and the rate per 100 people of the same group, for Swiss and foreign nationals wherever the source publishes the split.
The rates refer to each group as a whole and are not adjusted for age: Swiss and foreign nationals have different age structures (first section).
Registered unemployment
Persons registered with a regional employment office (RAV/ORP) who are available at once and have no job, or only a part-time job while looking for more work. Rate: per 100 persons in the labour force (SECO).
| Group | Registered unemployed, average 2025 | Rate (SECO) |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 133,712 | 2.8% |
| Swiss nationals | 64,707 | 1.9% |
| Foreign nationals | 69,006 | 5.0% |
Source: SECO (via OFS/BFS) — Registered unemployed and registered unemployment rate by sex, nationality and age (SECO) (data 1991–2025, source checked on )
Social assistance
Economic social assistance of the communes and cantons: every person of a supported household who received it at least once in the year, children included. Rate: recipients per 100 residents of the same group (BFS).
| Group | Recipients in 2025 | Rate (BFS) |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 267,263 | 2.9% |
| Swiss nationals | 124,190 | 1.9% |
| Foreign nationals | 134,155 | 5.4% |
Not in the Swiss and foreign rows: 8,919 recipients whose nationality is not known.
Source: OFS/BFS — Recipients and rate of economic social assistance (data 2005–2025, source checked on )
Invalidity insurance (IV)
Invalidity pensions, whole or partial, paid in December to people living in Switzerland. Rate: pensions per 100 residents aged 18 to 64 of the same group.
| Group | Pensions, December 2025 | Per 100 aged 18–64 |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 233,843 | 4.1 |
| Swiss nationals | 184,039 | 4.8 |
| Foreign nationals | 49,804 | 2.7 |
Rate calculated by Votara: pensions (BSV) divided by the permanent residents aged 18–64 (BFS). 18–64 approximates the insured age group of the IV.
Invalidity pensions paid to people living abroad (not residents): 26,738
Sources: BSV/OFAS/UFAS (via OFS/BFS) — Invalidity insurance (IV/AI) pensions by place of residence and nationality (data 2009–2025, source checked on ); OFS/BFS — Permanent resident population by age group and nationality category (data 2010–2025, source checked on )
Old-age pensions (AHV)
AHV old-age pensions paid in December to people living in Switzerland. Rate: pensions per 100 residents of the same group, all ages.
| Group | Old-age pensions, December 2025 | Per 100 residents |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 1,818,158 | 19.9 |
| Swiss nationals | 1,623,305 | 24.6 |
| Foreign nationals | 194,853 | 7.7 |
Rate calculated by Votara: pensions (BSV) divided by all permanent residents of the group (BFS). It mainly reflects the age structure of each group (see the first section).
Old-age pensions paid to people living abroad (not residents): 817,032
Sources: BSV/OFAS/UFAS (via OFS/BFS) — AHV/AVS pensions by type, place of residence and nationality (data 2009–2025, source checked on ); OFS/BFS — Permanent resident population by age group and nationality category (data 2010–2025, source checked on )
Supplementary benefits (EL)
Paid on top of an AHV or IV pension when the pension and other income do not cover the minimum costs of living. Counted: persons on 31 December, including the spouses and children in the calculation (BSV).
- With an old-age pension
- 231,853
- With an invalidity pension
- 126,107
- With a survivor’s pension
- 3,249
- Persons with EL, 31 December 2025
- 361,209
BSV does not publish these persons by nationality, and its share of pensioners with EL is not in its machine-readable tables, so no rate is shown here.
Source: BSV/OFAS/UFAS (via OFS/BFS) — Persons with supplementary benefits (EL/PC) to the AHV and IV (data 1999–2025, source checked on )
Social assistance rate by age class, 2025
Recipients per 100 residents of the same age class, in %. Source: social assistance statistics (BFS).
In 2025 the rate was highest for 0–17 years (4.8%) and lowest for 65 years and over (0.3%).
Show the data as a table
| Age class | Recipients | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0–17 years | 75,836 | 4.8% |
| 18–25 years | 28,559 | 3.8% |
| 26–35 years | 41,647 | 3.4% |
| 36–45 years | 45,191 | 3.4% |
| 46–55 years | 38,512 | 3.1% |
| 56–64 years | 30,992 | 2.7% |
| 65 years and over | 6,402 | 0.3% |
Invalidity pensioners in Switzerland by cause, December 2025
Persons; the cause is the main one recorded by the IV. Source: IV statistics (BSV).
Of 233,843 invalidity pensioners in Switzerland in 2025, the largest group by cause was “Mental illness” (53.0%).
Show the data as a table
| Cause | Pensioners | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Congenital condition | 27,260 | 11.7% |
| Mental illness | 123,950 | 53.0% |
| Illness of the nervous system | 21,054 | 9.0% |
| Illness of the bones and locomotor system | 23,379 | 10.0% |
| Other illness | 25,800 | 11.0% |
| Accident | 12,400 | 5.3% |
How the main rates changed
Each rate since 2010, for all residents and for Swiss and foreign nationals, drawn the same way. The y axis starts at zero.
Unemployment rate according to the ILO
Unemployed per 100 persons in the labour force aged 15+, in %, yearly average. Source: SAKE.
%
- Total
- Swiss nationals
- Foreign nationals
Total rose from 4.81% in 2010 to 4.84% in 2025. Swiss nationals fell from 3.61% in 2010 to 3.44% in 2025. Foreign nationals fell from 8.76% in 2010 to 8.19% in 2025.
Show the data as a table
| Year | Total | Swiss nationals | Foreign nationals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4.84% | 3.44% | 8.19% |
| 2024 | 4.34% | 3.07% | 7.47% |
| 2023 | 4.04% | 3.05% | 6.55% |
| 2022 | 4.12% | 3.05% | 6.93% |
| 2021 | 5.01% | 3.66% | 8.60% |
| 2020 | 4.82% | 3.66% | 7.86% |
| 2019 | 4.39% | 3.25% | 7.49% |
| 2018 | 4.71% | 3.44% | 8.19% |
| 2017 | 4.80% | 3.54% | 8.30% |
| 2016 | 4.92% | 3.55% | 8.76% |
| 2015 | 4.80% | 3.46% | 8.62% |
| 2014 | 4.83% | 3.50% | 8.69% |
| 2013 | 4.75% | 3.39% | 8.82% |
| 2012 | 4.49% | 3.39% | 7.88% |
| 2011 | 4.41% | 3.39% | 7.69% |
| 2010 | 4.81% | 3.61% | 8.76% |
Registered unemployment rate
Registered unemployed per 100 persons in the labour force, in %, yearly average. Source: SECO.
%
- Total
- Swiss nationals
- Foreign nationals
The labour force used as the base changes every three years (census or pooled structural surveys), and the employment offices changed their recording system in March 2018.
Total fell from 3.52% in 2010 to 2.84% in 2025. Swiss nationals fell from 2.61% in 2010 to 1.94% in 2025. Foreign nationals fell from 6.36% in 2010 to 5.00% in 2025.
Show the data as a table
| Year | Total | Swiss nationals | Foreign nationals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2.84% | 1.94% | 5.00% |
| 2024 | 2.39% | 1.63% | 4.22% |
| 2023 | 1.98% | 1.38% | 3.44% |
| 2022 | 2.17% | 1.53% | 3.81% |
| 2021 | 2.99% | 2.15% | 5.19% |
| 2020 | 3.17% | 2.32% | 5.38% |
| 2019 | 2.31% | 1.67% | 4.03% |
| 2018 | 2.55% | 1.87% | 4.37% |
| 2017 | 3.09% | 2.27% | 5.30% |
| 2016 | 3.32% | 2.39% | 6.03% |
| 2015 | 3.18% | 2.27% | 5.80% |
| 2014 | 3.04% | 2.19% | 5.51% |
| 2013 | 3.16% | 2.24% | 6.04% |
| 2012 | 2.91% | 2.09% | 5.47% |
| 2011 | 2.84% | 2.09% | 5.21% |
| 2010 | 3.52% | 2.61% | 6.36% |
Social assistance rate
Recipients per 100 residents, in %. Source: social assistance statistics (BFS).
%
- Total
- Swiss nationals
- Foreign nationals
Total fell from 3.0% in 2010 to 2.9% in 2025. Swiss nationals fell from 2.0% in 2010 to 1.9% in 2025. Foreign nationals fell from 6.0% in 2010 to 5.4% in 2025.
Show the data as a table
| Year | Total | Swiss nationals | Foreign nationals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2.9% | 1.9% | 5.4% |
| 2024 | 2.9% | 1.8% | 5.5% |
| 2023 | 2.8% | 1.8% | 5.7% |
| 2022 | 2.9% | 1.9% | 6.0% |
| 2021 | 3.1% | 2.0% | 6.1% |
| 2020 | 3.2% | 2.1% | 6.2% |
| 2019 | 3.2% | 2.2% | 6.1% |
| 2018 | 3.2% | 2.3% | 6.1% |
| 2017 | 3.3% | 2.3% | 6.3% |
| 2016 | 3.3% | 2.3% | 6.3% |
| 2015 | 3.2% | 2.2% | 6.2% |
| 2014 | 3.2% | 2.2% | 6.3% |
| 2013 | 3.2% | 2.2% | 6.4% |
| 2012 | 3.1% | 2.2% | 6.3% |
| 2011 | 3.0% | 2.1% | 6.0% |
| 2010 | 3.0% | 2.0% | 6.0% |
Invalidity pensions per 100 residents aged 18–64
Pensions in Switzerland in December per 100 permanent residents aged 18–64. Sources: BSV, BFS.
per 100 aged 18–64
- Total
- Swiss nationals
- Foreign nationals
Rate calculated by Votara: pensions (BSV) divided by the permanent residents aged 18–64 (BFS). 18–64 approximates the insured age group of the IV.
Total fell from 4.7 in 2010 to 4.1 in 2025. Swiss nationals fell from 4.9 in 2010 to 4.8 in 2025. Foreign nationals fell from 4.3 in 2010 to 2.7 in 2025.
Show the data as a table
| Year | Total | Swiss nationals | Foreign nationals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4.1 | 4.8 | 2.7 |
| 2024 | 4.0 | 4.7 | 2.6 |
| 2023 | 4.0 | 4.6 | 2.6 |
| 2022 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 2.7 |
| 2021 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 2.8 |
| 2020 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 2.8 |
| 2019 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 2.8 |
| 2018 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 2.9 |
| 2017 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 3.0 |
| 2016 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 3.1 |
| 2015 | 4.2 | 4.6 | 3.2 |
| 2014 | 4.3 | 4.6 | 3.4 |
| 2013 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 3.6 |
| 2012 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 3.9 |
| 2011 | 4.6 | 4.8 | 4.1 |
| 2010 | 4.7 | 4.9 | 4.3 |
How the figures fit together
Several publishers count overlapping groups. These comparisons show where their figures agree and why they differ when they do. They also run as automatic checks on every data update.
Two measures of unemployment, 2025
- Registered job seekers (SECO)
- 214,098
- Registered unemployed (SECO)
- 133,712
- Unemployed according to the ILO (BFS, SAKE)
- 248,538
- Rates: registered (SECO) · ILO (SAKE)
- 2.8% · 4.8%
Different by definition. The ILO count includes people who look for work without registering; registered job seekers include people with a job or in a programme. The two rates also divide by different labour forces (structural survey, SAKE).
The same counts in two tables, 2025
- Registered unemployed, SECO table
- 133,712
- Registered unemployed, BFS comparison table
- 133,712
- Unemployed (ILO), SAKE status table
- 248,538
- Unemployed (ILO), BFS comparison table
- 248,538
Equal in both pairs (to the person, after rounding).
Residents aged 15 and over in three statistics, 2024
- Population statistics (STATPOP), 31 December
- 7,707,853
- Labour force survey (SAKE), yearly average
- 7,549,983
- Structural survey (SE), private households
- 7,507,509
Close, and different by design: SAKE is a yearly average and defines its foreign population by permit (settlement, residence, short-term of 12 months or more); STATPOP counts on 31 December and includes people in the asylum process who have lived here for 12 months or more; the structural survey leaves out collective households such as homes.
Invalidity pensioners in Switzerland in two BSV tables, December 2025
- Table by residence and nationality (T5.2)
- 233,843
- Table by cause (T6.2)
- 233,843
Equal.
Social assistance rate, published and recalculated, 2025
- Published rate (BFS)
- 2.9%
- Recipients ÷ residents on 31 December 2024 (calculated by Votara)
- 2.95%
Close: a difference of 0.05 percentage points. BFS publishes the rate with one decimal and uses its own reference population; the difference stays within a tenth of a point.
Old-age pensions and residents aged 65 and over, 2025
- AHV old-age pensions in Switzerland, December (BSV)
- 1,818,158
- Residents aged 65 and over, 31 December (BFS)
- 1,810,648
Close, and different by definition: women could draw a full pension at 64 (the reference age before AHV 21) and a pension can be drawn up to two years early, so there are about as many old-age pensions as residents aged 65 and over.