Definition of the dimensions MTMC

Determination Dimensions

Source: Mobility and Transport Microcensus (MTMC)

Language region (language of commune of residence) 

French/Italian or German/Romansh 
Communes are allocated to a language region based on the Federal Statistical Office’s document “Switzerland’s spatial classification” (as on 1.1.2015). The main language of the commune is decisive and not that of the canton in which the commune is found. The Italian and Romansh-speaking regions are not considered separately due to the size of their samples, but are instead incorporated into the French and German-speaking regions respectively.

Region of residence 

The regions of residence have been revised with the 2023 update and aligned to the urban-rural typology of the FSO (2017). They have been recalculated retroactively back to 2005.

  • Urban municipalities: urban municipalities meet specific size and density criteria in terms of inhabitants, jobs and overnight stays. They generally form the core of an agglomeration but can also be located outside agglomerations.
  • Intermediate municipalities: intermediate municipalities include the high and medium-density peri-urban municipalities and also the rural centre municipalities. The peri-urban municipalities have a high level of commuter movement towards the urban municipalities.
  • Rural municipalities: rural municipalities are below certain thresholds in terms of the number and density of inhabitants and jobs.

Education level   

Compulsory education / upper secondary level / tertiary level 

  • Compulsory education 
    - Did not attend compulsory education  
    - Compulsory education not completed (This can include 15-year-olds who are still at school.)
    - Only compulsory education completed 
  • Upper secondary level 
    - 1-year education and training course: 10th school year/vocational selection school (language school with certificate/bridging course
    - 2-year vocational education: Federal certificate (former basic vocational training 1-2 years)
    - 2-year full-time vocational school, commercial college 
    - 2-3-year programme: general education school (upper-secondary specialised school, upper-secondary specialised school FMS, administrative college)
    - 3-4 year apprenticeship, dual vocational education with federal proficiency certificate
    - 3-4 year full-time vocational school, training school, commercial school
    - Teacher training college (former teacher training) 
    - Academic matura
    - Vocational or specialised Baccalaureate
     
  •  Tertiary level 
    - Advanced vocational training with federal PET diploma, higher vocational examination with federal diploma or Master certificate,
    - College of higher vocational education and training (e.g. higher technical school TS), higher economic school (e.g. HGK) (full-time 2 years or 3 years part-time)
    - College of higher vocational education and training HWV, HFG, HFS, engineering school HTL, (3 years full-time or 4 years part-time)
    - University of applied science (UAS), university of teacher education (UTE)
    - University, Federal Institute of Technology

Body Mass Index (BMI)

To calculate the BMI, the person’s reported height without shoes and weight without clothes is used. For pregnant women, their weight at the beginning of pregnancy is used.  BMI = body weight in kg / (height in m)2. The following categories have been established:  

  • BMI < 18.5: underweight 
  • 18.5 ≤ BMI <25: normal weight 
  • 25 ≤ BMI < 30: overweight 
  • 30 ≤ BMI: Obese (very overweight) 

Nationality  

Swiss/foreign national 
Information on nationality is taken from the population registers.  

  • Swiss: The category “Swiss national” includes people with Swiss citizenship, i.e. also naturalised persons.  
  • Foreigners: The category “foreign national” includes all foreign nationalities. This is a very diverse group, including people who have only just arrived in Switzerland as well as non-naturalised foreign nationals from the second or third generations that have been living in Switzerland for a long time. Caution should therefore be used when interpreting the designation “foreign national”. 

Employment 

Employed / not employed / persons in education and training 

  • Employed: An employed person is someone who in the reference week worked for pay for at least one hour, who despite a temporary absence from their place of work still had a job or who worked without pay in a family business.  
  • Persons in education and training: Children/young people under the age of 15, apprentices and persons aged 15 and over in education and training but with a work-time percentage of <50%.
  • Not employed: Persons who are neither employed nor in education and training. 

Document created on 17.8.2018.