Just under 270,000 people received social assistance in Switzerland in 2025
Keystone-SDA
Just under 270,000 people received social assistance in Switzerland in 2025. The social assistance rate stood at 2.9%, which is in line with the previous year’s figure.
The number of people receiving social assistance thus rose by 4.5% compared with the previous year, as the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) announced on Tuesday. As in previous years, children and young people had the highest rate of social assistance among all age groups, at 4.8%. The FSO noted that the rate decreases steadily with age.
The highest social assistance rates by region were recorded in several cantons in French-speaking Switzerland and in Basel City. Rural cantons in Central and Eastern Switzerland, as well as the cantons of Fribourg, Graubünden and Valais, recorded lower rates. These differences are linked, among other things, to regional economic and demographic structures, as well as to the particular pressures faced by urban centres, the report added.
More
More
How Swiss welfare works
Single parents
In a separate study published on Tuesday, single parents in Swiss towns and cities are more likely than average to rely on social assistance. This is shown by the key figures report by the Urban Initiative on Social Policy.
In many towns, around a quarter of single-parent households with children under the age of 18 receive social assistance. The risk of poverty for single-parent households is almost five times higher than that for all households.
Many single parents receive social assistance on top of their wages because their earnings are not sufficient to support their families. The report identifies education and training, suitable childcare and supplementary family benefits as effective forms of support.
Every year, the City Initiative compares social assistance figures across 14 cities. Last year, the social assistance rate stood at 3.9%, slightly below the previous year’s figure. Overall, social assistance figures remained stable.
+ How we produce news in English
Translated from German, reviewed by an English Department journalist.
