Ruth Dreifuss Biography: Age, Politics, Height, Ethnicity, Religion, Awards, Net Worth

Ruth Dreifuss is a Swiss economist, trade-union leader, and politician who rose to international recognition through her work in Switzerland’s highest executive body, the Federal Council.

She became a national figure after her 1993 election to the Federal Council during a tense political moment for her party, and later made history in 1999 as the first woman to serve as President of the Swiss Confederation, a role that placed her at the center of the country’s public life for that year.

Beyond Swiss politics, she has remained visible for her leadership on public-health and drug-policy issues, including work connected to global commissions and international advocacy after leaving office.

Profile

• Full name: Ruth Dreifuss
• Date of birth: January 9, 1940
• Age: 85 years old
• Gender: Female
• Place of birth: St. Gallen, Switzerland
• State of origin: Endingen, Canton of Aargau, Switzerland
• Nationality: Swiss
• Profession: Economist, trade unionist, politician
• Parents: Sidney Dreifuss, Jeanne “Johanna” Bicard
• Siblings: Jean-Jacques Dreifuss
• Spouse: N/A
• Children: None
• Relationship status: Single
• Religion: Non-denominational (she has described herself as a secular Jew)
• Ethnicity: Swiss Jewish
• Net worth: $1.5 million

Early Life and Education

Ruth Dreifuss is now 85 years old. She was born on January 9, 1940, in St. Gallen. Her father, Sidney Dreifuss, worked as a merchant, and her mother, Jeanne (Johanna) Bicard, worked as a secretary. She was the younger of two children, with an older brother, Jean-Jacques Dreifuss, who later taught at the University of Geneva.

Her family background included deep roots in Swiss Jewish history: the Dreifuss family had long ties to Endingen, one of the few places where Jews were historically permitted to settle in Switzerland.

During the years surrounding World War II, her father was involved in refugee assistance in St. Gallen, working with local efforts connected to the clandestine admission of refugees.

Her education followed a practical route before she completed university studies. She obtained a commercial diploma in 1958. She then trained in social work in Geneva (1959–1961) and later earned a commercial baccalaureate while working (1967).

In 1970, she completed a university degree in economics at the University of Geneva, with a quantitative emphasis noted in biographical summaries of her studies.

Personal Life

Ruth Dreifuss has kept her private life largely separate from her public work. She never married and has no children. This distinction became part of how she was publicly perceived in a political culture where women in leadership were still treated as exceptions, especially in the 1990s.

Because she did not build a public-facing family narrative around a spouse or children, her personal life was most often discussed through the lens of privacy, independence, and the expectations placed on women who entered top political institutions.

Career

Ruth Dreifuss worked across several professional worlds before entering Switzerland’s national executive. After early business training, she held roles including editorial work for a Coop publication in the 1960s and academic assistant posts in Geneva.

From the early 1970s into the next decade, she worked with Switzerland’s development cooperation services, connected to projects in regions including Latin America, Africa, and Haiti, and participated in policy work tied to international development and humanitarian assistance.

Her national profile grew substantially through organized labor. In 1981, the Swiss Trade Union Federation appointed her as a central secretary, where she dealt with social insurance, labor law, equality issues, and relations with French-speaking Swiss unions, and also represented Swiss workers in international labor contexts.

She also served in local politics in Bern (1989–1992) and sought national parliamentary office unsuccessfully before her move to the Federal Council placed her directly into the center of Swiss government.

In March 1993, following a politically charged selection process for a Social Democratic seat on the Federal Council, Dreifuss was elected and later became widely identified as both a symbol of changing Swiss political leadership and a highly operational, policy-focused executive.

She led the Federal Department of Home Affairs during her time in government, overseeing areas that included public health, social insurance, research and higher education, equality policy, and cultural questions. In 1998 she served as Vice President of Switzerland and in 1999 as President of the Swiss Confederation.

Awards and Nominations

• Fondation pour Genève Prize (2012)
• Honorary Doctorate, University of Haifa (1999)
• Honorary Doctorate, Hebrew University of Jerusalem (2000)
• Honorary Doctorate, University of Fribourg (2006)
• Honorary Doctorate, University of Neuchâtel (2022)
• Honorary Doctorate, University of Bern (2022)

Net Worth

Ruth Dreifuss’s net worth is estimated at $1.5 million. This estimate is based on a combination of factors that typically shape the finances of long-serving senior public officials in Switzerland: government compensation during years in top executive office.

Social Media

• N/A

Filmography

• Breaking the Taboo (2011)