Switzerland offers its residents a very high level of social security protection. Switzerland also has one of the lowest unemployment rates in Europe.
Social Aspects – Facts and Figures

- Compulsory health insurance premiums vary considerably from canton to canton. The same insurance policy will cost 1.8 times as much in Basel-Stadt as in Appenzell-Innerrhoden.
- In 2005 Switzerland introduced a maternity insurance scheme, 60 years after it was enshrined in the Federal Constitution.
- The Swiss health care system is one of the most expensive in the world. The country spends 11.7% (2014) of its gross domestic product (GDP) on health care, which is well above the OECD average (9%).
- Only the United States has higher per capita health-care costs than Switzerland.
- On average, Swiss households spend 14.8% of their gross income on rent, 8.2% on transport and 5.7% on entertainment, relaxation and culture.
- Switzerland has one of the lowest unemployment rates in Europe, standing at 3.3% in April 2017.
- 8 billion hours are worked annually in Switzerland (2016) and the average monthly wage was CHF 6,427 in 2014.
- Every year around 195 million hours in overtime are worked (2015).
- The average working week in Switzerland is 41.7 hours.
Additional information
Links
Social insurance guide, Federal Social Insurance Office
Social security in Switzerland, Federal Social Insurance Office
Health insurance, Federal Office of Public Health
Household income and expenditure, Federal Statistical Office (FSO)
Price panorama, FSO
Workforce productivity, FSO
Organisation of the labour market, FSO
Economic analysis of the Swiss labour market and Swiss labour market policy