Society Payment arrears increase in Switzerland after the end of the pandemic
After the end of the coronavirus pandemic, the number of people with arrears has increased in Switzerland. This is shown by new figures from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) on income and living conditions in 2023.
31.03.2025, 09:47
SDA
As the FSO announced on Monday, 6.3% of the population lived in a household with at least two types of arrears in 2023. This refers to bills that could not be paid on time in the last twelve months for financial reasons.
This is almost the same as before the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2019 (7 percent), but significantly more than in the pandemic year 2022 (4.8 percent). In response to an inquiry, the FSO stated that during the pandemic, Swiss people were able to spend less money while their wages remained the same. Consumption then picked up again.
According to the FSO, 8.1% of the population, or around 708,000 people, were affected by income poverty in 2023. This means that the poverty rate hardly changed compared to 2022 (8.2 percent).
