# Gender Pension Gap — innoVorsorge AG > Women in Switzerland receive on average 37% lower pensions than men. Causes, facts and solutions for the gender pension gap. Adresse: https://www.innovorsorge.ch/en/blog/gender-pension-gap Diese Fassung wird beim Bau aus dem Inhalt der Seite erzeugt. --- 1 Sept Written by Lukas Bachmann # Gender Pension Gap: Women Receive Significantly Lower Pensions A woman in Switzerland receives on average **about a third less pension** in old age than a man. This is not a question of lifestyle, profession or personal commitment. It is the mathematical consequence of a provision system built decades ago for an employment biography model that barely exists today. The gap is called the **gender pension gap**. And it is concrete, measurable, avoidable. 34.6% Total pension gap (1st+2nd+3rd pillar) 47%+ Gap in 2nd pillar (BVG) 49.7% of women receive any BVG pension at all ## The Numbers the System Proves The official FSO statistics (base year 2020) show: Average total pension per year Source: FSO / BSV (base year 2020). In the pension fund the difference is even more dramatic: BVG pension for men **CHF 35,560 per year**, for women **CHF 18,605 per year** — a gap of **over 47 percent**. Only **49.7 percent of women** of retirement age receive a current BVG pension — compared to **70.6 percent of men**. Some of the remaining women took their assets as capital. But many were never insured due to part-time work below the BVG entry threshold or long employment breaks. In the AHV the difference is small. The average monthly pension in 2022 was around **CHF 1,883** for women and **CHF 1,862** for men. The pension gap therefore does not arise in the first pillar. It arises in the second and third — exactly where your own working life makes the difference. ## Where the Gap Arises ### The Coordination Deduction The second pillar works like this: not the entire salary is insured, but the salary **after deducting a fixed amount** — the coordination deduction. In 2026 this is **CHF 26,460**. This fixed deduction affects low wages and part-time wages disproportionately. The part-time trap: how much salary is actually BVG-insured With two part-time jobs, the coordination deduction is even applied twice — further reducing the insured salary. This is the **part-time trap of the pension fund**. ### Part-Time Rate and Care Work The figures from the second quarter of 2024 (FSO) speak clearly: | | Women | Men | Factor | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Part-time rate | 58.4% | 21.1% | 2.8x | | Unpaid work / week | 32.4 h | 22.0 h | 1.5x | | Share of unpaid work | 62% | ~36% | — | In terms of total workload (ages 25–64), women work 61.1 hours per week, men 57.8 — but **62 percent of women's working time is unpaid**. This work does not pay into the pension fund. It does not pay into pillar 3a. It only generates a pension component indirectly — via the AHV child-raising credit. ### The BVG Reform Was Rejected The reform of occupational provision, which would have reduced the coordination deduction for part-time workers, was rejected on **22 September 2024 with 67.1 percent No**. All cantons, with the exception of 26 out of 2,126 municipalities, voted against it. The systemic disadvantage for part-time women remains. ## The Individual Pillars in 2026 ### AHV: Child-Raising and Care Credits The BSV credits each parent with custody of a child under 16 a **child-raising credit of CHF 44,100 per year** in 2026. For married couples, the credit is split equally. The **care credit** at the same rate applies to caring for close relatives (max. 30 km or 1 hour distance) and must be applied for annually. ### Pillar 3a: Women Contribute Less Often A **Credit Suisse study** shows: only around **55 percent of employed persons** contribute regularly to pillar 3. Among mothers with low incomes, the rate drops to **35 percent**. Among divorced single women, it is **48 percent**. 3a maximum contributions 2026 With pension fund: **CHF 7,258 / year**. Without pension fund: **CHF 36,288 / year**. New since 2025: catch-up payments retroactively up to 10 years possible. Those who paid in less during a baby break year can make it up later. ## Divorce and Provision Divorce often hits women harder financially — especially in terms of provision. - **AHV splitting (automatic):** Income earned during marriage is divided equally between partners. Women do not need to take action here. - **BVG division (Art. 122/123 CC):** Retirement savings accumulated in the pension fund during marriage are divided equally. Cut-off date: initiation of divorce proceedings. - **Waiver possible (Art. 124b CC):** On application, subject to "adequate" own provision. **Risky for women with a provision gap.** Despite these mechanisms, the pension gap for **divorced women remains around 37 percent**, for **widowed women even at 47.4 percent**. ## The Widow and Widower Pension: Reform Underway The European Court of Human Rights ruled in 2022 in the "Beeler" case that the Swiss regulation discriminates against widowers. The Federal Council's reform proposal provides for: - **Benefits until the youngest child turns 25**, regardless of the parents' marital status. - **Childless widows and widowers under 55** lose their pension entitlement (with a two-year transition period). The criticism from the Swiss Trade Union Federation: the reform leads to benefit cuts that mainly affect women. As of 2026, the draft is still being discussed. ## Life Stages That Become Traps **Maternity leave (14 weeks, 80 percent salary, max. CHF 220/day):** During this time, pension fund contributions continue — on a 100 percent salary basis. No gap arises here. **Part-time after children:** The aforementioned 50 percent trap. Over 20 or 30 years, this adds up to six-figure provision gaps. **Divorce at 45:** On average, this leads to a pension gap of 37 percent. Those who have not built up their own provision start almost from zero after 40. **Marriage without a contract:** Participation in acquisitions applies automatically. This divides assets created during marriage — but it does not protect against provision gaps from care years. ## What You Can Do Concretely - **Start pillar 3a as early as possible — and consistently.** Anyone who pays in CHF 7,258 annually from age 25 and achieves 5 percent return will have around **CHF 877,000** at 65. Those who start at 35: around **CHF 460,000**. The first 10 years matter for a lifetime. - **After each employment break: check pension fund buy-in.** Pension fund buy-ins are fully deductible from taxable income. With a CHF 30,000 buy-in and 30 percent marginal tax rate: immediate tax saving of CHF 9,000 — and the gap is filled. - **Pay attention to pension fund choice with part-time work.** Some pension funds have abolished the coordination deduction or made it proportional. When starting a new part-time job: compare pension fund regulations. - **Marriage contract and advance care directive.** Both documents cost little to prepare — and provide massive protection. Not mistrust, but clarity. - **Structure financial conversations as a couple.** Sit down together at least once a year: budget, care splitting, provision contributions, long-term goals. ## Political Initiatives 2026 - **Individual taxation:** Approved on 8 March 2026 with 54.23 percent. Implementation earliest 2029. - **UKibeG (passed Dec. 2025):** First permanent federal contribution (CHF 200 million) for childcare. - **Childcare initiative:** In the National Council in spring 2026. Demanding: legal right to a childcare place, parent contributions max. 10 percent of income. - **Survivor pension reform:** Ongoing Federal Council bill following the ECtHR ruling. ## Conclusion The gender pension gap is not an abstract problem. It is the mathematical consequence of concrete mechanisms: coordination deduction, part-time rate, care work, missing 3a contributions, divorce gaps. Each of these mechanisms can be addressed individually — best early, best systematically. Switzerland has one of the most differentiated provision systems in the world. But the system rewards a continuous full-time employment biography. Those who deviate from it for whatever reason — and **most women do** — must actively compensate. No one does this automatically for you. There is no political reform on the horizon that will close the gap in the short term. But there are clear, individual levers that work. Those who know and use them will close over 30 or 40 years exactly what the system does not provide. Where do you stand with your provision? In a free strategy meeting we analyze your situation and show you where you can take targeted action — independent, without product sales. [Book a free strategy meeting →](https://www.innovorsorge.ch/en/strategy-meeting) No sales. No commission. Only independent advice. ### Sources - [FSO — Pension Gap](https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/de/home/statistiken/wirtschaftliche-soziale-situation-bevoelkerung/gleichstellung-frau-mann/einkommen/pension-gap.html) - [BSV — Factsheet Gender Pension Gap](https://www.bsv.admin.ch/dam/bsv/de/dokumente/ahv/faktenblaetter/ahv21-higru-genderpensiongap.pdf.download.pdf/220822_Faktenblatt_GenderPensionGap_DE.pdf) - [FSO — Part-time work](https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/de/home/statistiken/wirtschaftliche-soziale-situation-bevoelkerung/gleichstellung-frau-mann/erwerbstaetigkeit/teilzeitarbeit.html) - [FSO — Unpaid work 2024](https://www.bfs.admin.ch/asset/de/17124476) - [SRF — BVG reform vote 22.09.2024](https://www.srf.ch/news/schweiz/abstimmungen-22-september-24/reform-berufliche-vorsorge/bvg-reform-deutlich-versenkt-eine-herbe-niederlage-fuer-buergerliche-und-wirtschaft) - [AHV/IV — Child-raising credits](https://www.ahv-iv.ch/p/1.07.d) - [AHV/IV — Care credits](https://www.ahv-iv.ch/p/1.03.d) - [Credit Suisse — Women and 3a](https://www.credit-suisse.com/about-us-news/de/articles/media-releases/pillar-3a--potential-for-paying-in-regularly--especially-for-wom-201904.html) - [Swiss Life — Provision gap in women](https://www.swisslife.ch/de/private/vorsorge-vermoegen/ratgeber/vorsorgeluecke-bei-frauen.html) - [BSV — Provision equalization in divorce](https://www.bsv.admin.ch/bsv/de/home/sozialversicherungen/bv/grundlagen-und-gesetze/grundlagen/vorsorgeausgleich-bei-scheidung.html) - [humanrights.ch — Beeler case (ECtHR)](https://www.humanrights.ch/de/anlaufstelle-strategische-prozessfuehrung/falldokumentation/diskriminierende-witwerrente/) - [SRF — Individual taxation 08.03.2026](https://www.srf.ch/news/schweiz/abstimmungen-8-3-2026/abstimmungen-vom-8-maerz-kuenftig-soll-jede-und-jeder-eine-eigene-steuererklaerung-ausfuellen) - [AHV/IV — Maternity allowance](https://www.ahv-iv.ch/p/6.02.d) [BackCalculate Your AHV Pension: How High Your Pension Really Is](https://www.innovorsorge.ch/en/blog/understanding-ahv-pension)[SNB Key Interest Rate at 0%: What It Means for Your MoneyNext](https://www.innovorsorge.ch/en/blog/snb-key-interest-rate-at-0)