Every seventh Swiss pensioner lives in poverty: studying
According to a study on the financial health of older people, one in seven people over the age of 65 in Switzerland does not have enough money to make ends meet.
This content was posted on October 2, 2022 – 1:08 PM
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The study shows that around 46,000 Swiss pensioners have already fallen into the poverty trap, and another 295,000 are at risk of falling into poverty. The official poverty line is 2,279 francs per month to pay for rent, health insurance, clothes and groceries.
“One in five older people in Switzerland is at risk of poverty or is already poor,” says Alexander Widmer from the organization Pro Senectute Sunday newspaper.
Widmer added that the stigma of asking for help in prosperous Switzerland makes the problem of poverty worse because some people are ashamed to ask for help.
The study on retirement finances was carried out by Pro Senectute with the Zurich University of Applied Sciences and the University of Geneva.
It turned out that the level of poverty varied greatly between cantons. However, poverty is more common among older women, people with a migrant background and in rural areas.
“We expect poverty in old age to increase. We are living longer, part-time work is in vogue and now prices are also rising,” says Widmer.
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