Swiss pension fund assets broke CHF 1trn barrier in 2019 - FSO

In 2019, the amount of Swiss pension fund assets totalled more than CHF 1trn, according to data released by the Federal Statistics Office (FSO).

The investment fluctuation reserves rose by almost CHF 43bn, to reach CHF 93.5bn and the pension capital of insured persons and pension recipients grew by CHF 68bn. The net investment result of pension funds amounted to CHF 95.5bn.

The pension capital of active policyholders and pensioners increased by CHF 81.3bn, including technical provisions, to reach CHF 914.1bn. At the end of 2019, the balance sheet total of the 1,491 pension funds in Switzerland exceeded the CHF 1trn mark, reaching CHF 1,005bn.

In 2019, some provident institutions transferred their active policyholders and beneficiaries of group reinsurance pensions to a semi-autonomous solution. This transaction had the effect of reducing insurance contract liabilities (–14.1 per cent). The retirement capital of active insured persons and new pensioners, as well as technical provisions, increased accordingly in the balance sheet of the pension funds.

The pension statistics revealed there were 4.3 million active insured members (+ 2.3 per cent), including 2.4 million men and 1.9 million women. During 2019, the recipients of old-age pensions (318,542 women and 501,345 men) received an average of CHF 28,973 per year.

In addition, 17,233 women and 28,193 men requested a total of CHF 8.9bn (+ 11.1 per cent) in the form of a partial or full payment of capital upon retirement. The average value of the capital withdrawn was CHF 195,507 (2018: CHF 189,751, + 3 per cent).

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