The economic situation of Switzerland's retired population continues to fuel lively public debate in this country, with the focus on ensuring that retirement can be enjoyed in dignity. This thesis offers an in-depth analysis of the prevalence of economic vulnerability, defined as ‘exceedingly low levels of economic quality of life'. The ‘Vivre/Leben/Vivere' (VLV) database – a sample of some 1500 adults aged 65-84 – is taken as the basis for a systematic comparison of the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of three (overlapping) groups of potentially vulnerable pensioners: those who are income-poor (objective measure), those who report difficulties making ends meet (subjectively self-assessed measure) and those who worry about not having enough money for current expenses (subjectively perceived measure). Drawing on research in various fields ranging from happiness economics to stress research, an integrated assessment from three measurement perspectives offers nuanced insights into prevalent experiences of economic vulnerability in wealthy countries such as Switzerland. Theoretical and empirical evidence is offered for the distinctiveness of the two subjective indicators, one of which assesses the experience of economic strain while the other captures the individual's response in terms of stress. The conceptual contribution of this thesis includes a typology of economic vulnerability: eight distinct profiles emerge at the intersection of the objective, self-assessed and perceived measures. These profiles correspond to specific risk constellations, and they reflect varying degrees of human agency in dealing with economic vulnerability. The statistical methods used include regression analysis and structural equation models.