Switzerland is home to nearly 6,500 individuals earning over one million Swiss francs annually. But where exactly do these high earners reside? A new analysis reveals a concentration of wealth between Zurich and Zug, as illustrated by an interactive map. The data, sourced from the Federal Tax Administration for the 2022 tax year, represents the most current information available.
Whereas the majority of Swiss residents earn less than 75,000 Swiss francs per year, 6,427 taxpayers report an annual income exceeding one million francs. This elite group represents 0.12 percent of the 5.4 million taxpayers included in the dataset (individuals and families). The concentration isn’t evenly distributed; the super-rich are clustered in fewer than 200 of Switzerland’s over 2,000 municipalities.
Wealth Hotspots: Zurich, Zug, and Lake Geneva
In absolute numbers, major urban centers lead the way. Zurich is home to 498 of these high earners, followed by Zug with 432 and Geneva with 275. But, smaller communities also attract significant wealth. Freienbach and Wollerau, both in the canton of Schwyz, and Küsnacht (ZH) boast more super-rich residents than the city of Basel, which has 172. Lugano, in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino, counts 100 taxpayers with very high incomes.
A striking pattern emerges: the areas with the highest concentration of wealth are consistently located on the shores of lakes. The region encompassing the cantons of Lucerne, Schwyz, Zug, and Zurich is particularly prominent. Wollerau (SZ) holds the record, with over four residents per 100 taxpayers earning more than one million francs annually. This area, including the former residence of tennis star Roger Federer, and surrounding communities within a 20-kilometer radius of Zug, attracts high earners due to its geographical location, economic activity, tax environment, discretion, prestige, and overall quality of life.
Another significant hotspot is the area around Geneva. Communities like Cologny, Mies, Vandoeuvres, Collonge-Bellerive, Coppet, Anières, Founex, Corsier, Genthod, Commugny, and Pregny-Chambésy all demonstrate a high proportion of individuals with substantial incomes relative to their populations.
Regional Disparities and Data Considerations
In contrast, other regions, particularly Basel and Lugano, present a much lower concentration of super-rich residents. The data also reveals a marked difference between the German, French, and Italian-speaking parts of Switzerland. The cantons in the Italian and Romansh-speaking regions generally have fewer households with high incomes. In the valleys south of the Alps and in the Jura region, few municipalities have taxpayers earning over 200,000 Swiss francs per year. In some areas, the highest earner has a net income below 75,000 Swiss francs – a rarity in the Swiss plateau.
These regional differences are further highlighted when examining the proportion of taxpayers earning over 100,000 Swiss francs annually. Around Zurich, Zug, Geneva, Lausanne, and Basel, almost every municipality has a proportion below 20 percent. This is rarely the case in the Alpine regions and the south.
It’s important to note the methodology behind this analysis. The data from the Federal Tax Administration (ESTV) includes both “normal” tax cases (where taxable income equals income determining the tax rate) and “special” cases (where these differ, for example, due to incomplete tax periods or foreign-sourced income). The ESTV also includes non-resident individuals subject to direct federal tax, such as those with a second home in Switzerland. However, individuals taxed at source or subject to lump-sum taxation are excluded. Taxpayers whose marital status changes due to the death of a spouse are counted multiple times in the ESTV database.
The ESTV also omits certain details for individual municipalities to protect privacy and maintain tax confidentiality.
The interactive map provides a visual representation of these trends, allowing users to explore the distribution of high earners across Switzerland.
What’s Next for Switzerland’s Wealth Distribution?
The concentration of wealth in specific regions of Switzerland is likely to continue, driven by economic factors, tax policies, and lifestyle preferences. Ongoing monitoring of tax data and economic trends will be crucial to understanding the evolving distribution of income and wealth within the country. Further analysis could explore the impact of international tax agreements and changing global economic conditions on the location choices of high-net-worth individuals.
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