Updated 2014 GfK purchasing power is now available for Austria and Switzerland. Purchasing power levels vary substantially both between and within these two neighboring countries. The GfK purchasing power study reveals the regional distribution of purchasing power from the level of federal states down to detailed postcodes.
GfK forecasts a 2014 per-capita purchasing power of €37,234 for Switzerland. The total purchasing power for Switzerland in 2014 is expected to be €300.7 bil. (including Liechtenstein).
GfK predicts a total 2014 purchasing power for Austria of approximately €185 bil. On average, each Austrian will thus have €21,891 available for consumption, rent and living costs.
These figures place Austria and Switzerland ahead of Germany: The average German can expect a 2014 purchasing power of €21,179.
Purchasing power measures the available net income of the population, including government subsidies such as unemployment assistance, child benefit and pension contributions. The intent of the study by GfK's geomarketing solution area is to illuminate the regional differences in these values. The study therefore reveals the regional distribution of purchasing power within and between each individual country.
Switzerland
Comparison of cantons
Three of the five most affluent cantons are located in Central Switzerland. Inhabitants of the country's wealthiest canton, Zug, have almost 50 percent more purchasing power than the national average. Inhabitants of the cantons Schwyz and Nidwalden have purchasing power significantly above the Swiss average, with €49,910 and €45,324 respectively.
Those living in the cantons with Switzerland's largest cities also have above-average incomes: Top of this list are inhabitants of the Geneva canton with 113 index points, followed by inhabitants of the Zürich and Basel-Stadt cantons.
Switzerland: Top 10 cantons in 2014
rank |
canton |
inhabitants |
|
|
1 |
Zug |
116,575 |
55,394 |
148.8 |
xx |
Principality of Liechtenstein |
36,838 |
54,840 |
147.3 |
2 |
Schwyz |
149,830 |
49,910 |
134.0 |
3 |
Nidwalden |
41,584 |
45,324 |
121.7 |
4 |
Geneva |
463,101 |
42,222 |
113.4 |
5 |
Zürich |
1,408,575 |
41,990 |
112.8 |
6 |
Basel-Landschaft |
276,537 |
38,809 |
104.2 |
7 |
Basel-Stadt |
187,425 |
38,662 |
103.8 |
8 |
Vaud |
734,356 |
37,003 |
99.4 |
9 |
Aargau |
627,340 |
35,938 |
96.5 |
10 |
Solothurn |
259,283 |
35,720 |
95.9 |
source: GfK Purchasing Power Switzerland 2014;
* index per inhabitant; 100 = national average
In terms of total purchasing power, the cantons Zürich and Bern head the other cantons with €58.1 bil. and €34 bil. respectively. Together the inhabitants of these two cantons have approximately one third of Switzerland's total purchasing power.
Districts
Switzerland's wealthiest districts are located around Lake Zürich. The districts Höfe, Meilen and Horgen in that area place among the top 5 Swiss districts with the most purchasing power. Inhabitants of the Meilen district—site of Zürich's "gold coast"—have on average over 50 percent more purchasing power than the national average.
"District de Nyon" and "District de Lavaux-Oron" can be found along Lake Geneva; these two districts rank sixth and ninth, respectively. Inhabitants of "District de Nyon" have on average 22 percent more purchasing power than the national average, while inhabitants of "District de Lavaux-Oron" have around 18 percent more.
Switzerland: Top 10 districts
rank |
district |
inhabitants |
per-capita
purchasing power
in € |
per-capita
purchasing power index* |
1 |
Höfe district |
27,754 |
82,840 |
222.5 |
2 |
Meilen district |
98,090 |
58,106 |
156.1 |
3 |
Zug canton |
116,575 |
55,394 |
148.8 |
4 |
Küssnacht (SZ) district |
12,401 |
52,061 |
139.8 |
5 |
Horgen district |
118,718 |
46,418 |
124.7 |
6 |
Nyon district |
91,834 |
45,489 |
122.2 |
7 |
March district |
40,221 |
45,433 |
122.0 |
8 |
Nidwalden canton |
41,584 |
45,324 |
121.7 |
9 |
Lavaux-Oron district |
57,061 |
43,910 |
117.9 |
10 |
Uster district |
122,862 |
42,242 |
113.4 |
source: GfK Purchasing Power Switzerland 2014;
* index per inhabitant; 100 = national average
Austria
A comparison of Austria's federal states reveals that Lower Austria once again takes first place, followed by Vienna. On the whole, regional differences among Austria's federal states are not that pronounced. Purchasing power levels span around 4 percentage points above and below the national average. Even so, inhabitants of Lower Austria have on average approximately 8.3 percent more purchasing power than inhabitants of Tyrol. This equates to a difference of €1,746.
2014 purchasing power in Austria's federal states
rank |
federal state |
inhabitants |
2014 per-capita purchasing
power index* |
1 |
Lower Austria |
1,618,592 |
103.81 |
2 |
Vienna |
1,741,246 |
101.35 |
3 |
Salzburg |
531,898 |
100.83 |
4 |
Vorarlberg |
372,603 |
100.56 |
5 |
Upper Austria |
1,418,498 |
100.23 |
6 |
Burgenland |
286,691 |
97.85 |
7 |
Styria |
1,210,97 |
96.69 |
8 |
Carinthia |
555,473 |
96.62 |
9 |
Tyrol |
715,888 |
95.83 |
source: GfK Purchasing Power Austria 2014;
* index per inhabitant; 100 = national average
Districts
As in the previous year, the Vienna districts dominate the list of Austria's ten districts with the highest purchasing power. The district "Vienna 1 – Innere Stadt" tops the rankings with a per-capita purchasing power of €42,250. This amounts to almost double the Austrian average (index 193). By a wide margin, second place goes to the 13th Viennese district, Hietzing, with around €30,207 per person (index 137.99). With €28,673 per person (index 130.98), Mödling district in Lower Austria takes third place.
Vienna's dominance of the district rankings is a result not just of the genuinely high purchasing power in the capital’s federal state, but also of its granular division into 23 districts.
But many districts outside of the Vienna federal state also achieve high per-capita purchasing power levels. These areas include both highly populated and smaller cities such as Eisenstadt and Krems an der Donau:
2014 purchasing power among Austria's districts outside the federal state of Vienna
rank |
district |
inhabitants |
per-capita purchasing power |
per-capita purchasing power index |
3 |
Mödling |
114,825 |
28,673 |
131.0 |
7 |
Wien-Umgebung |
115,986 |
26,474 |
120.9 |
11 |
Eisenstadt (city) |
13,351 |
25,607 |
117.0 |
12 |
Korneuburg |
75,699 |
25,342 |
115.8 |
14 |
Linz (city) |
191,501 |
25,124 |
114.8 |
16 |
Salzburg (city) |
145,871 |
24,417 |
111.5 |
17 |
Klagenfurt (city) |
95,450 |
24,201 |
110.6 |
19 |
Baden |
139,496 |
23,641 |
108.0 |
20 |
Krems an der Donau (city) |
23,947 |
23,634 |
108.0 |
22 |
Bruck an der Leitha |
43,298 |
23,588 |
107.8 |
source: GfK Purchasing Power Austria 2014;
* index per inhabitant; 100 = national average
Among Austria's most populated large cites, Linz comes out on top (index: 114.77, rank: 14) ahead of Salzburg (index: 111.54, rank: 16) and Klagenfurt (index: 110.55, rank: 17). The highly populated cities of Innsbruck (index: 104.82, rank: 30) and Graz (index: 104.82, rank: 29) also have an above-average purchasing power index.
Results of the 2014 GfK purchasing power for Germany
can be found in the press release from December 3, 2013
at http://www.gfk.com/news-and-events/press/press_releases/pages/GfK-Purchasing Power-Germany-2014.aspx.
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. Expenditures related to living expenses, insurance, rent and associated costs such as utilities (gas and/or electricity), clothing and savings plans have to be covered by this sum. 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. GfK first calculated purchasing power in 1937.
Applications
The regional GfK purchasing power data serves as an important planning basis for sales and marketing endeavors among companies across a diverse range of branches. These applications require a realistic depiction of the regional distribution of purchasing power. The focus of the study is consequently not on tracking data trends over the years, but rather on providing a prognosis that reflects this regional distribution. We therefore expressly advise against comparing current figures with data from previous years.
Additional information
on GfK's regional market data can be found at www.gfk.com/marketdata.
Illustrations
Print-quality illustrations of RegioGraph can be accessed at http://www.gfk.com/Documents/Press-Releases/2014/purchasing-power-dach.zip
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