Access to Swiss home ownership found to be difficult

The majority of the Swiss population live in rented flats, most of which have four to 4.5 rooms and between 71 and 110 m2 of living space, according to a representative Comparis survey. Level of education and income influence the type of accommodation.

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The survey conducted on behalf of Comparis “shows the extent to which the reality of housing in Switzerland can vary according to income bracket and stage of life”, explains Harry Büsser, the platform’s property expert.

For example, 57% of the 1,016 people questioned by the Innofact market research institute live in a rented flat. In fact, 68% of 18- to 35-year-olds do so. Home ownership increases with age and income. In households with a gross income of CHF4,000 ($5,000) a month or less, around 70% live in rented accommodation, compared with only 45% in households with an income of more than CHF8,000. A total of 24% of those surveyed own their own home, and 12.5% own their own flat.

“The higher the income, the greater the likelihood of home ownership – we see this across all age groups,” says Harry Büsser. “But for many people on higher incomes, home ownership is still out of reach, especially in urban areas.”

In these regions, you often need a mortgage of a million francs to be able to afford a property.

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From four to 4.5 rooms

The most common flat size in Switzerland is four to 4.5 rooms: a third of those surveyed live in such homes.

Some 40% of Swiss people live in apartments of between 71 and 110 m2, with around 20% living in apartments of between 71 and 90 m2 and 20% in apartments of between 91 and 110 m2. Only 12% of those surveyed live in flats larger than 150 m2.

“The people who can afford larger apartments are very often homeowners,” says Büsser. In fact, the survey shows that, on average, homeowners have significantly larger homes than tenants. The data also shows that the higher the income, the larger the home. The same applies to education levels.

Some 92% of those surveyed have a cellar or cellar space. By contrast, only 41% have access to an attic or attic space.

“In Switzerland, cellars are considered to be a basic facility, not attics. This can also be explained by the fact that during the Cold War, shelters were compulsory in Switzerland, so cellar storage space became the norm,” Büsser explains in a press release issued by Comparis. “What’s more, unlike attics, cellars are not generally considered to be living areas,” he adds. This is a major advantage when it comes to complying with building regulations.

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Two-thirds of households are couples

Two-thirds of households in Switzerland are made up of couples, with or without children. In the 36-55 age group, almost half of those surveyed even live in couples with children. In the 18-35 age group, the forms of housing are more evenly distributed: couples with children (30%), singles (28%), couples without children (24%). Among the over-56s, almost half live in couples without children.

Among the highly-qualified, the proportion of couples with children – one or more children (39%) – is significantly higher than among the medium- or low-qualified (26%). In the latter case, couples without children are in the majority (32%). There are also more single-parent families among the low-skilled (7.4% compared with 4.5%).

According to the survey, more highly educated couples often have just one child, while less highly educated couples have several. However, the survey does not define the average number of children.

Translated from French by DeepL/ts