Extreme Poverty in Switzerland: 1800 to Today (and Tomorrow)

Behind the abstract concept of extreme poverty lies the tangible reality of daily survival. When measured against the international extreme poverty line of $2.15/day, 2017 PPP, the data reveals a quiet, centuries-long transformation of human security. In the 1800s estimate, 32.4 percent of the population faced conditions where basic needs were rarely met. Today, that share has narrowed significantly. By the 2020s, extreme poverty in Switzerland stands at 0.1 %, a milestone that places the nation at ranking #12 of 157 countries in global comparisons of economic stability.

The historical trajectory is one of steady, incremental improvement. In 1900, 15.4 % of the population lived in extreme poverty. Through the subsequent decades, this share consistently receded: 13.55 in the 1910s, 9.85 in the 1930s, and 2.59 by the 1970s. This decline mirrors a profound shift in the standard of living, moving away from the 30.7 recorded in the 1810s estimate. Projections for the coming century suggest a stabilization, with extreme poverty levels expected to remain at 0.2 from the 2030s projection through the 2100s projection.

For a person born in Switzerland during the 1800s estimate, the prospect of extreme poverty was a constant, statistically significant shadow affecting nearly one-third of the populace. Conversely, for someone born in the 2020s, the environment is fundamentally altered, with the likelihood of living below the international extreme poverty line reduced to 0.1 %. The transition from the 25.6 seen in the 1840s estimate to the current state reflects a century of structural change. Use the provided tools to compute your own parallel lives based on these historic indicators.