Poverty and living standards in Basel-Stadt (Nordwestschweiz, Switzerland): official figures
Social security cost the cantonal government of Basel-Stadt CHF 1.1 billion in 2024, or CHF 5,564 per resident, 2nd highest of 26 cantons; health-insurance premium subsidies and other sickness benefits accounted for CHF 184.11 million of it.
How much does Basel-Stadt spend on police?
Public order and safety, including the police (CHF 204.52 million), courts (CHF 107.81 million) and prisons (CHF 82.24 million), cost the cantonal government of Basel-Stadt CHF 2,666 per resident in 2024.
Source: Federal Finance Administration (EFV/AFF) · saved copyHow many people are on welfare in Basel-Stadt?
9,304 people in 6,221 households or cases (support units) received social assistance in Basel-Stadt in 2024, an average of 1.50 people per case.
Source: Federal Statistical Office (BFS/OFS) · saved copyMore figures
- Cantonal spending on social assistance and asylum in Basel-Stadt was CHF 288.30 million in 2024 (CHF 1,432 per resident), with CHF 169.63 million going to old age and survivors and CHF 246.26 million to disability. Source: Federal Finance Administration (EFV/AFF) · saved copy
- Families and young people received CHF 194.88 million of cantonal social spending in Basel-Stadt in 2024, and social housing CHF 6.98 million. Source: Federal Finance Administration (EFV/AFF) · saved copy
- The social assistance rate in Basel-Stadt was 6.0% in 2019, so it has fallen by 1.3 percentage points in five years (it stood at 5.9% in 2014). Source: Federal Statistical Office (BFS/OFS) · saved copy
- Basel-Stadt accounted for 3.6% of all social assistance recipients in Switzerland in 2024, while holding 2.2% of the population. Source: Federal Statistical Office (BFS/OFS) · saved copy
How Basel-Stadt compares with other cantons in Switzerland
Cantonal social security spending per resident (CHF) (2024)
Basel-Stadt ranks 2 of 26, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Cantonal social security spending per resident (CHF) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Genève | CHF 5,886 |
| 2 | Basel-Stadt | CHF 5,564 |
| 3 | Vaud | CHF 4,441 |
| 4 | Neuchâtel | CHF 3,908 |
| 5 | Ticino | CHF 3,448 |
| 6 | Jura | CHF 3,121 |
| 7 | Bern / Berne | CHF 2,779 |
Cantonal spending on social assistance and asylum per resident (CHF) (2024)
Basel-Stadt ranks 3 of 26, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Cantonal spending on social assistance and asylum per resident (CHF) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Genève | CHF 2,427 |
| 2 | Vaud | CHF 1,464 |
| 3 | Basel-Stadt | CHF 1,432 |
| 4 | Neuchâtel | CHF 1,073 |
| 5 | Ticino | CHF 774 |
| 6 | Jura | CHF 742 |
| 7 | Valais / Wallis | CHF 716 |
Social assistance rate (% of residents receiving economic social assistance) (2024)
Basel-Stadt ranks 3 of 26, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Social assistance rate (% of residents receiving economic social assistance) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Genève | 6.7% |
| 2 | Neuchâtel | 5.7% |
| 3 | Basel-Stadt | 4.7% |
| 4 | Vaud | 4.2% |
| 5 | Jura | 3.9% |
| 6 | Bern / Berne | 3.6% |
| 7 | Solothurn | 3.4% |
Change in social assistance rate, 2019-2024 (percentage points) (2024)
Basel-Stadt ranks 25 of 26, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Change in social assistance rate, 2019-2024 (percentage points) |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | Thurgau | -0.4 |
| 21 | Aargau | -0.5 |
| 22 | Glarus | -0.5 |
| 23 | Basel-Landschaft | -0.6 |
| 24 | Zürich | -0.6 |
| 25 | Basel-Stadt | -1.3 |
| 26 | Neuchâtel | -1.3 |
More on Basel-Stadt: overview · economy and jobs · health · education and schools · government budget · government and politics · Nordwestschweiz · Switzerland
Sources
- Federal Finance Administration (EFV/AFF): Detaillierte Daten FS und GFS Modell: Standardauswertungen (financial statistics of the Confederation, cantons, communes and social insurance, 1990-2024; standardauswertung.csv with its codelist, saved zipped), read 24 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 5fec658d1506…)
- Federal Statistical Office (BFS/OFS): WSH: Unterstützungseinheiten, Sozialhilfebeziehende und Sozialhilfequote der wirtschaftlichen Sozialhilfe nach Kanton, 2005-2024 (T 13.05.01.01.01), read 24 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 12ff5cd56e28…)
Each saved copy is the file exactly as downloaded, kept so the figures can be checked even if the source changes. Report an error.