Poverty and living standards in Schaffhausen (Ostschweiz, Switzerland): official figures
Social security cost the cantonal government of Schaffhausen CHF 245.32 million in 2024, or CHF 2,767 per resident, 8th highest of 26 cantons; health-insurance premium subsidies and other sickness benefits accounted for CHF 71.39 million of it.
How much does Schaffhausen spend on police?
Public order and safety, including the police (CHF 51.55 million), courts (CHF 19.53 million) and prisons (CHF 9.26 million), cost the cantonal government of Schaffhausen CHF 1,200 per resident in 2024.
Source: Federal Finance Administration (EFV/AFF) · saved copyHow many people are on welfare in Schaffhausen?
2,452 people in 1,620 households or cases (support units) received social assistance in Schaffhausen in 2024, an average of 1.51 people per case.
Source: Federal Statistical Office (BFS/OFS) · saved copyMore figures
- Cantonal spending on social assistance and asylum in Schaffhausen was CHF 62.93 million in 2024 (CHF 710 per resident), with CHF 32.13 million going to old age and survivors and CHF 60.67 million to disability. Source: Federal Finance Administration (EFV/AFF) · saved copy
- Families and young people received CHF 7.79 million of cantonal social spending in Schaffhausen in 2024, and social housing CHF 0. Source: Federal Finance Administration (EFV/AFF) · saved copy
- The social assistance rate in Schaffhausen was 2.7% in 2019, so it has risen by 0.1 percentage points in five years (it stood at 2.4% in 2014). Source: Federal Statistical Office (BFS/OFS) · saved copy
- Schaffhausen accounted for 1.0% of all social assistance recipients in Switzerland in 2024, while holding 1.0% of the population. Source: Federal Statistical Office (BFS/OFS) · saved copy
How Schaffhausen compares with other cantons in Switzerland
Cantonal social security spending per resident (CHF) (2024)
Schaffhausen ranks 8 of 26, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Cantonal social security spending per resident (CHF) |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Ticino | CHF 3,448 |
| 6 | Jura | CHF 3,121 |
| 7 | Bern / Berne | CHF 2,779 |
| 8 | Schaffhausen | CHF 2,767 |
| 9 | Valais / Wallis | CHF 2,540 |
| 10 | Fribourg / Freiburg | CHF 2,471 |
| 11 | Solothurn | CHF 2,462 |
Cantonal spending on social assistance and asylum per resident (CHF) (2024)
Schaffhausen ranks 8 of 26, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Cantonal spending on social assistance and asylum per resident (CHF) |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Ticino | CHF 774 |
| 6 | Jura | CHF 742 |
| 7 | Valais / Wallis | CHF 716 |
| 8 | Schaffhausen | CHF 710 |
| 9 | Appenzell Innerrhoden | CHF 704 |
| 10 | Bern / Berne | CHF 612 |
| 11 | Glarus | CHF 574 |
Social assistance rate (% of residents receiving economic social assistance) (2024)
Schaffhausen ranks 8 of 26, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Social assistance rate (% of residents receiving economic social assistance) |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Jura | 3.9% |
| 6 | Bern / Berne | 3.6% |
| 7 | Solothurn | 3.4% |
| 8 | Schaffhausen | 2.8% |
| 9 | Ticino | 2.8% |
| 10 | Zürich | 2.5% |
| 11 | Basel-Landschaft | 2.4% |
Change in social assistance rate, 2019-2024 (percentage points) (2024)
Schaffhausen ranks 4 of 26, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Change in social assistance rate, 2019-2024 (percentage points) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Genève | +0.7 |
| 2 | Jura | +0.6 |
| 3 | Nidwalden | +0.1 |
| 4 | Schaffhausen | +0.1 |
| 5 | Ticino | +0.1 |
| 6 | Valais / Wallis | +0.1 |
| 7 | Appenzell Innerrhoden | +0.0 |
More on Schaffhausen: overview · economy and jobs · health · education and schools · government budget · government and politics · Ostschweiz · 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.