What is the first pillar of the pension system?
Was ist die erste Säule der Altersvorsorge?
Correct answer: D
- A the unconditional basic incomedas bedingungslose Grundeinkommen
- B the pension funddie Pensionskasse
- C the foundation pillar of the Swiss Parliament Buildingder Grundpfeiler des Schweizer Parlamentsgebäudes
- D the AHV (old-age, survivors' and invalidity insurance)die AHV (Alters-, Hinterlassenen- und Invalidenversicherung)
Why
The first pillar is state pension provision. It includes AHV and IV, which are compulsory for everyone.
Common mistakes
- A: the unconditional basic income
- There is no unconditional basic income in Switzerland. The people rejected it in 2016.
- B: the pension fund
- The pension fund is the second pillar, not the first.
Topic
The pension system in Switzerland rests on three pillars. Each pillar has its own task. Together they are meant to ensure that you have enough money to live on in old age, in case of invalidity or after the death of a partner. This is also called the three-pillar system.
Reference age 65
First pillar
Erste Säule
State pension provision with the AHV and IV, compulsory for everyone.
Second pillar
Zweite Säule
Occupational pension provision, also called the pension fund or BVG.
Third pillar
Dritte Säule
Voluntary private pension provision, for example pillar 3a.
State, job, self: 1st pillar from the state (AHV), 2nd pillar through your job (pension fund), 3rd pillar you save yourself.
Supplementary benefits Extra money if the pension is not enough for the subsistence minimum.
Living in Switzerland
Pension provision
Sources
Last checked: September 2026
Question 139 of the official question list of the Canton of Zurich (Gemeindeamt, May 2025). Translation and explanation: Swiss Passport.