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More purchasing power in Austria in 2017 – same for Switzerland, but only in national currency

Press Releases

More purchasing power in Austria in 2017 – same for Switzerland, but only in national currency



Regionalized GfK purchasing power data for Austria and Switzerland

Two new GfK purchasing power studies evaluate purchasing power in Austria and Switzerland in 2017. The studies reveal substantial regional differences both within and between these two countries. GfK’s 2017 purchasing power data for Austria and Switzerland is now available.

GfK forecasts a per-capita purchasing power of €42,142 for Switzerland in 2017. According to the study, the total purchasing power for Switzerland in 2017 is €350.9 bil. (excluding Liechtenstein).

Austrians have an average of €22,597 per person for consumption-related expenses as well as rent and living costs. GfK reports a total 2017 purchasing power for Austria of approximately €196.6 bil.

By way of comparison, Germany’s total purchasing power amounts to €1,827.5 bil. This is not surprising given Germany’s approximately 81 mil. inhabitants compared to 8.3 mil. in Switzerland and 8.7 mil. in Austria. In 2017, Germans have an average per-capita purchasing power of €22,239.

Purchasing power measures the available net income of the population, including government subsidies such as unemployment assistance, child benefit and pension contributions. GfK’s study focuses on illuminating the regional differences in these values. The study thus reveals the regional distribution of purchasing power within and between the evaluated countries.
 

Switzerland

Comparison of cantons

Switzerland: Top ten cantons in 2017

rank canton inhabitants purchasing power in mil. € per-capita purchasing power in € per-capita purchasing power index*
1 Zug 122,134  7,800.7 63,870 151.6
2 Schwyz 154,093 8,665.9 56,238  133.4
3 Nidwalden 42,420 2,174.7 51,265 121.6
4 Zurich 1,466,424 69,826.0 47,616 113.0
5 Geneva 484,736 22,507.9 46,433 110.2
6 Basel-Landschaft 283,231 12,576.9 44,405 105.4
7 Basel-Stadt 191,817 8,398.4 43,784 103.9
8 Vaud 773,407 32,339.7 41,815 99.2
9 Aargau 653,675 26,971.7 41,262 97.9
10 Solothurn 266,418 10,891.6 40,881 97.0
source: GfK Purchasing Power Switzerland 2017             *index per inhabitant; 100 = national average

As in the previous year, the highest per-capita purchasing power is in the cantons of Zug, Schwyz and Nidwalden.

Due to the relatively small number of inhabitants, the purchasing power in these three cantons equates to only around five percent of Switzerland’s total purchasing power. By contrast, inhabitants of the canton of Zurich have almost €1.5 bil. at their disposal, which is 20 percent of the country’s total purchasing power. This means that the purchasing power of each inhabitant of the canton of Zurich is 13 index points above the national average. As such, the canton ranks fourth in the nation.

Inhabitants of the second most populous canton of Bern have a total of more than one billion euros of purchasing power. Even so, purchasing power in this canton is still 7.6 index points below the Swiss average of €38,974 per person. This puts the canton in fifteenth place.

Districts
The districts with the highest purchasing power are located in the cantons of Schwyz, Zug, Zurich, Nidwalden and Vaud. The average per-capita purchasing power in the district of Höfe is €92,374, which corresponds to an index value of 219.2 points. Some distance behind are the district of Meilen and the canton of Zug, which have €65,331 and €63,870 per person, respectively.

Among the top ten cantons, the highest purchasing power is in the district of Horgen, which is an urban district on the outskirts of Zurich. Inhabitants of this district have an average per-capita purchasing power of €52,742. The more than 54,000 inhabitants of this district thus have a total purchasing power of more than €6.4 bil. This equates to 2.5 times the purchasing power of the inhabitants of the top-ranked district of Höfe, who together enjoy a purchasing power of €2.6 bil.

Switzerland: Top ten districts

rank district inhabitants per-capita purchasing power in € per-capita purchasing power index*
1 Höfe district 28,231 92,374 219.2
2 Meilen district 100,964 65,331 155.0
3 Zug district 122,134 63,870 151.6
4 Küssnacht (SZ) district 12,423 59,997 142.4
5 Horgen district 122,549 52,742 125.2
6 March district 42,104 51,617 122.5
7 Nidwalden canton 42,420 51,265 121.6
8 Nyon district 97,232 50,620 120.1
9 Lavaux-Oron district 60,513 49,667 117.9
10 Uster district 127,679 48,018 113.9
source: GfK Purchasing Power Switzerland 2017             *index per inhabitant; 100 = national average


Austria

Lower Austria is the only federal state whose purchasing power is significantly above (around four percent) the Austrian average. Vorarlberg is in second place, closely followed by Salzburg and Upper Austria, both of which also have slightly above-average per-capita purchasing power. With around €22,478 per person, inhabitants of Vienna come in at fifth place among Austria’s federal states.

Austria’s lowest-ranked federal states are Tyrol, Carinthia and Styria. Inhabitants of these federal states have an average purchasing power between €21,803 and 21,956, which equates to 2.8 to 3.5 percent less than the national average.

Austria: 2017 purchasing power in the federal states

rank federal state inhabitants per-capita purchasing power in € per-capita purchasing power index*
1 Lower Austria 1,653,691 23,554 104.2
2 Vorarlberg 384,147 23,206 102.7 384,147 23,206 102.7
3 Salzburg 545,815 22,789 100.9 545,815 22,789 100.9
4 Upper Austria 1,453,948 22,720 100.5
5 Vienna 1,840,226 22,478 99.5 1,840,226 22,478 99.5
6 Burgenland 291,011 22,388 99.1 291,011 22,388 99.1
7 Styria 1,232,012 21,956 97.2 1,232,012 21,956 97.2
8 Carinthia 560,482 21,807 96.5 560,482 21,807 96.5
9 Tyrol 739,139 21,803 96.5 739,139 21,803 96.5
source: GfK Purchasing Power Austria 2017                   *index per inhabitant; 100 = national average

Districts
More than half of Austria’s ten districts with the most purchasing power are in Vienna. Vienna’s domination of the purchasing power ranking of Austria’s districts is due not only to the area’s high purchasing power, but also to the granular subdivision of the city into 23 districts. But the purchasing power range within Vienna is very large, which is apparent in the fact that the city also has districts that lead the ranking of Austria’s districts with the least purchasing power.

The district “Wien 1 – Innere Stadt” has a per-capita purchasing power of €38,463, which is 70 percent higher than the Austrian average and the nation’s wealthiest district. Second place goes to Vienna’s thirteenth district, Hietzing, which has around one-fifth less purchasing power. This district has a per-capita purchasing power of approximately €30,214, which is around 34 percent above the national average. With €28,849 per person, inhabitants of third-ranked Mödling in Lower Austria have around 28 percent more purchasing power than the national average.

Regional peculiarities are apparent in some areas, such as in the surroundings of Graz and Wels. In the districts of Graz-Umgebung and Wels-Land, the average per-capita purchasing power in the districts on the outskirts is slightly above that of the urban districts. Districts with high purchasing power can also be found on the outskirts of Vienna, such as in the districts of Mödling and Korneuburg.

Austria: Top ten districts

rank district inhabitants per-capita purchasing power in € per-capita purchasing power index*
1 Vienna 1, Innere Stadt 16,411 38,463 170.2
2 Vienna 13, Hietzing 53,813 30,214 133.7
3 Mödling 117,833 28,849 127.7
4 Vienna 19, Döbling 71,609 27,972 123.8
5 Vienna 18, Währing 50,283 26,535 117.4
6 Vienna 4, Wieden 32,751 26,223 116.0
7 Korneuburg 88,599 26,185 115.9
8 Eisenstadt (city) 14,226 26,152 115.7
9 Vienna 8, Josefstadt 25,054 25,900 114.6
10 Tulln 100,851 25,838 114.3 100,851 25,838 114.3
source: GfK Purchasing Power Austria 2017                    *index per inhabitant; 100 = national average

Results from GfK’s 2017 purchasing power study on Germany
can be found in the press release from December 6, 2016 at http://www.gfk.com/insights/press-release/pp-germany-2017/

About the study
GfK Purchasing Power is defined as the sum of the net income of the population according to place of residence. These purchasing power figures take into account income related to self- and non-self employment as well as capital gains and government subsidies, such as unemployment assistance, child benefit and pension contributions. Not included in these calculations are expenditures related to living expenses, insurance, rent and associated costs such as utilities (gas and/or electricity), clothing and savings plans. Calculations are carried out on the basis of reported income and earnings, statistics on state taxes and deductions as well as economic forecasts provided by leading economic institutes.

Additional information
on GfK market data can be found at http://www.gfk.com/products-a-z/regional-market-data/.

Print-quality illustrations can be found here.

About GfK
GfK is the trusted source of relevant market and consumer information that enables its clients to make smarter decisions. More than 13,000 market research experts combine their passion with GfK’s long-standing data science experience. This allows GfK to deliver vital global insights matched with local market intelligence from more than 100 countries. By using innovative technologies and data sciences, GfK turns big data into smart data, enabling its clients to improve their competitive edge and enrich consumers’ experiences and choices.

Additional information can be found at www.gfk.com.
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