The Total Social Security Accounts are a synthesis

statistic A statistic (singular) or sample statistic is any quantity computed from values in a sample which is considered for a statistical purpose. Statistical purposes include estimating a population parameter, describing a sample, or evaluating a hypo ...

used in

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

to gauge expenditures and their financing in social security. These accounts are compiled from statistical sources such as the profit and loss accounts of social insurances, the Public Finance Statistics FS and the Swiss Social Insurance Statistics VS

Description

On the

expenditure An expense is an item requiring an outflow of money, or any form of fortune in general, to another person or group as payment for an item, service, or other category of costs. For a tenant, rent is an expense. For students or parents, tuition is a ...

side, the Total Social Security Accounts focus on social benefits and on the revenue side on employers' social security contributions, individual compulsory

health insurance Health insurance or medical insurance (also known as medical aid in South Africa) is a type of insurance that covers the whole or a part of the risk of a person incurring medical expenses. As with other types of insurance, risk is shared among ma ...

premiums, public funding and investment income. Figuratively speaking, the Total Social Security Accounts consist of a sub-structure and a superstructure, with the sub-structure comprising the absolute value of the revenues and expenditures and the superstructure the indicators into which the absolute values can be processed. The Total Social Security Accounts are internationally comparable, as they are based on the European System of Integrated Social Protection Statistics (ESSPROS) developed by

Eurostat Eurostat ('European Statistical Office'; DG ESTAT) is a Directorate-General of the European Commission located in the Kirchberg, Luxembourg, Kirchberg quarter of Luxembourg City, Luxembourg. Eurostat's main responsibilities are to provide statis ...

. In 2007, total expenditure on social security in Switzerland rose to CHF 142.4 billion (2006: CHF 137.2 billion). Revenues in 2007 amounted to CHF 167.29 billion. In 2008, total expenditure amounted to CHF 143.6 billion and revenues to CHF 154.18 billion.

Legal basis

The legal bases of the Total Social Security Accounts are the National Council's Postulate of the Committee for Social Security and Health of 17 February 1995 and Art 10, Para. 2 of the Federal Statistics Act of 9 October 1992.Federal Statistics Act of 9 October 1992 (BStatG) (German)
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Type of survey

In Switzerland, the first attempts to arrive at an overall picture of the finances of social security go back to the 1970s and 1980s. A direct forerunner of today's synthetic statistic was the "Social Budget of Switzerland", which P. Gilliand and S. Rossini developed for the years 1990 and 1993 as part of the National Science Foundation's "Changing Ways of Life and Social Security" project. Methodologically, this work was based on the ESSPROS which was applicable at the time. In 1995, S. Greppi updated the "Social Budget of Switzerland". The following year, Eurostat published a new ESSPROS. As far as the comparability of the Swiss Total Social Security Accounts with the total social security accounts of EU countries is concerned, the FSO adopted the

methodological In its most common sense, methodology is the study of research methods. However, the term can also refer to the methods themselves or to the philosophical discussion of associated background assumptions. A method is a structured procedure for bri ...

guidelines of this new manual without making any changes. Benefits that are not taken account of in the ESSPROS concept are calculated and reported separately.

Features registered

Data on social security finances for the whole of Switzerland, broken down by institutions (old-age,

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, etc.) are treated and expressed in CHF millions. For the time being, Total Social Security Account values can only be shown at national level. But available data also make it possible to show a large proportion of social benefits at the cantonal level. Most of the indicators developed on the basis of the Total Social Security Accounts also meet the criterion of international comparability. At present, international comparisons include most EU and

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countries.

Period conducted

The Total Social Security Accounts are compiled every year by the Federal Statistical Office. The 2003 edition provided for the first time information on almost all categories of the Total Security Accounts going back to the 1950s. However, the estimates for the decades between 1950 and 1990 are not as precise as those for the years since then.

References

{{Reflist
Federal Statistical Office, Total Social Security Accounts, Factsheet (German)

External links

Eurostat
Social security in Switzerland