Share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required in Switzerland

Switzerland: Share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required was 1.0% in 2022. ▼ Falling

Latest (2022)
1.0%
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
102nd
of 134 countries
All-time high
2.4%
in 2007
All-time low
1.0%
in 2021
Years of data
20
2003–2022

Share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required in Switzerland, 2003–2022

00.511.522.52003201220222003: 1.6 % of people at risk2004: 1.7 % of people at risk2005: 1.4 % of people at risk2006: 2.2 % of people at risk2007: 2.4 % of people at risk2008: 2 % of people at risk2009: 1.5 % of people at risk2010: 1.5 % of people at risk2011: 1.1 % of people at risk2012: 1.1 % of people at risk2013: 1.2 % of people at risk2014: 1.3 % of people at risk2015: 1.2 % of people at risk2016: 1.5 % of people at risk2017: 1.4 % of people at risk2018: 1.7 % of people at risk2019: 1.4 % of people at risk2020: 1.1 % of people at risk2021: 1 % of people at risk2022: 1 % of people at risk

Source: Harvard Medical School Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of people at risk.

Analysis

Switzerland recorded 1.0% for share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required in 2022. That is the lowest value across all 20 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 9.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required in Switzerland peaked at 2.4% in 2007 and was at its lowest, 1.0%, in 2021.

That places Switzerland 102nd out of 134 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 20 years of available data.

Share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required in Switzerland, year by year

Annual values for Share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required in Switzerland, 2003 to 2022.
Year % of people at risk Change
2003 1.6%
2004 1.7% +6.2%
2005 1.4% -17.6%
2006 2.2% +57.1%
2007 2.4% +9.1%
2008 2.0% -16.7%
2009 1.5% -25.0%
2010 1.5% +0.0%
2011 1.1% -26.7%
2012 1.1% +0.0%
2013 1.2% +9.1%
2014 1.3% +8.3%
2015 1.2% -7.7%
2016 1.5% +25.0%
2017 1.4% -6.7%
2018 1.7% +21.4%
2019 1.4% -17.6%
2020 1.1% -21.4%
2021 1.0% -9.1%
2022 1.0% +0.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 1.8% 1.4% 2.4% 7
2010s 1.3% 1.1% 1.7% 10
2020s 1.0% 1.0% 1.1% 3

Countries ranked near Switzerland

  1. 99 Israel 1.7% compare
  2. 100 Bhutan 1.6% compare
  3. 101 Belarus 1.5% compare
  4. 103 Republic of Moldova 0.9% compare
  5. 104 Italy 0.7% compare
  6. 104 Spain 0.7% compare
  7. 104 Vanuatu 0.7% compare

See the full ranking of 134 places →

More population data for Switzerland

All data for Switzerland →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required in Switzerland?
Share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required in Switzerland was 1.0% in 2022, according to Harvard Medical School Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required recorded in Switzerland?
The highest recorded value was 2.4% in 2007.
What is the lowest share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required recorded in Switzerland?
The lowest recorded value was 1.0% in 2021.
How does Switzerland rank for share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required?
Switzerland ranks 102nd out of 134 countries with data for 2022.
Is share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required rising or falling in Switzerland?
Over the last ten years it is down 9.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Switzerland data come from?
The figures come from Harvard Medical School Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required in Switzerland. Statizoid, drawing on Harvard Medical School Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 10 September 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-the-population-at-risk-of-catastrophic-expenditure-when-surgical-care-is-required/switzerland/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of the population at risk of catastrophic spending when surgical care is required
Unit
% of people at risk
Source
Harvard Medical School Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
134 places, 2,380 data points, 2003–2022
Last refreshed

Catastrophic expenditure is defined as direct out-of-pocket payments for surgical and anaesthesia care exceeding 10% of total income.