Poverty in Switzerland
Encyclopedia
Historically, Switzerland
has been a poor country, especially in the Alpine region. From the 17th century, incipient industrialisation
brought wealth to the cities, particularly to Zurich
, but rural areas remained destitute well into the 19th century, causing the peasant war
in 1653, and later forcing families to emigrate
both to Russia and the New World
.
In the 20th century, the economy
of modern Switzerland
came to establish itself among the world's most stable, and in terms of human development index
(at 0.960) Switzerland ranks in the top ten.
Nevertheless, Switzerland has a significant number of working poor
, estimated at 213,000 people (3% of the population, or 7.4% of the working population) in 2003. 3.3% of the population were depending on social welfare in 2005.
Old Swiss Confederacy
The Old Swiss Confederacy was the precursor of modern-day Switzerland....
has been a poor country, especially in the Alpine region. From the 17th century, incipient industrialisation
Industrialisation
Industrialization is the process of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an industrial one...
brought wealth to the cities, particularly to Zurich
History of Zürich
Zurich was continuously inhabited since Roman times. The name Zurich is possibly derived from the Celtic dur . It is first mentioned in 807 under the form Turigus, then in 853 as Turegus...
, but rural areas remained destitute well into the 19th century, causing the peasant war
Swiss peasant war of 1653
The Swiss peasant war of 1653 was a popular revolt in the Old Swiss Confederacy at the time of the Ancien Régime. A devaluation of Bernese money caused a tax revolt that spread from the Entlebuch valley in the Canton of Lucerne to the Emmental valley in the Canton of Bern and then to the cantons of...
in 1653, and later forcing families to emigrate
Forced migration
Forced migration refers to the coerced movement of a person or persons away from their home or home region...
both to Russia and the New World
Swiss American
Swiss Americans are Americans of Swiss descent.There are several ethno-linguistic subgroups among Swiss Americans, including Swiss German-speaking, Swiss French-speaking, and Swiss Italian-speaking....
.
In the 20th century, the economy
Economy of Switzerland
The economy of Switzerland is one of the world's most stable economies. Its policy of long-term monetary security and political stability has made Switzerland a safe haven for investors, creating an economy that is increasingly dependent on a steady tide of foreign investment...
of modern Switzerland
Modern history of Switzerland
This article deals with the history of Switzerland since 1848.See Early Modern Switzerland for the Early Modern period, Switzerland in the Napoleonic era for the period of 1798-1814, and Restoration and Regeneration for the period of 1815-1848....
came to establish itself among the world's most stable, and in terms of human development index
Human Development Index
The Human Development Index is a composite statistic used to rank countries by level of "human development" and separate "very high human development", "high human development", "medium human development", and "low human development" countries...
(at 0.960) Switzerland ranks in the top ten.
Nevertheless, Switzerland has a significant number of working poor
Working poor
- Definition in the United States :There are several popular definitions of "working poor" in the United States. According to the US Department of Labor, the working poor "are persons who spent at least 27 weeks [in the past year] in the labor force , but whose incomes fell below the official...
, estimated at 213,000 people (3% of the population, or 7.4% of the working population) in 2003. 3.3% of the population were depending on social welfare in 2005.