Swiss Pension Crisis Forces Retirees Abroad

Growing number of Swiss retirees withdraw pension capital and relocate to more affordable countries, highlighting mounting challenges in retirement affordability.

Key Takeaways

In 2023, 41% of new pensioners in Switzerland withdrew all of their second pillar capital instead of taking a monthly pension.
Only 40% of new retirees chose to receive a full monthly pension from their second pillar in 2023.
Marcello Castelli, a retired waiter, would have received only CHF 2,400 per month combined (OASI + 2nd pillar) if he stayed in Switzerland.
Castelli can live comfortably in the Apulia region of Italy on €1,200 a month.

By The Numbers

80%

Peak capital withdrawal rate

CHF 100,000

Pension Capital

CHF 1,000

Monthly Pension Equivalent

They Said

"I’m sorry to leave – I just don’t know if I can carry on. I feel forced to go."
— Marcello Castelli

"The capital withdrawal trend has increased in recent years. We see peaks of up to 80%."
— Patrick Nasciuti

The Great Swiss Exodus: Retirement as Economic Exile

Calculated Survival: When the Numbers Force You Out

Hospitality's Collapse: The 80% Withdrawal Wave

The Death of the Monthly Pension

Sources & References

‘With my pension money I can’t live in Switzerland’

SWI swissinfo.ch