Ungleichheit und Deprivation: Die Schweiz im Drei-Lander-Vergleich

The present contribution applies for the first time the British deprivation concept to the Swiss context. Applying Hallerod's 'Proportional Deprivation Index', the perception of the minimum acceptable standard of living and the actual standard of living, as well as level, distribution and determinants of deprivation are investigated for Switzerland in comparison to Germany and Spain. The empirical analysis is based on the recent 'European Welfare Survey' data (2000). The results indicate high consensus regarding the perception of the minimum standards of living among the three countries. The risk of deprivation is substantially lower in Switzerland than in Germany and Spain. In all three countries there is a close relationship between the classic employment-based dimensions of social inequality and the risk of deprivation.