In Switzerland, one in two inhabitants lives in a household with children. In couple households both partners often work. The age of the youngest child has a major influence on whether the mother works and how much. Mothers with small children spend approximately 60 hours per week on household and family chores. Depending on the family type, the direct monthly costs for a child amount to between CHF 500 and CHF 1,100. Large families and in particular single parents are much more frequently affected by poverty. These are just a few of the findings from a new report by the Federal Statistical Office on the situation of families in Switzerland.
At the end of 2007, just over half of the population living in private households in Switzerland lived in family households with children (55%, i.e. 4,043,000 persons). However, these households account for only a third of all private households. Single person households account for the largest percentage of private households with almost 37%. In four out of five families, married or unmarried couples live with their children. One in six households with children is a single parent household. One in ten children aged under 15 lives in a single parent household.
Source: BFS
