the nationwide rate was 11.6%. In 2009 there were a total of 362 tax payers in the municipality. Of that total, 143 made over 75 thousand CHF per year. There was one person who made between 15 and 20 thousand per year. The average income of the over 75,000 CHF group in Prêles was 120,221 CHF, while the average across all of Switzerland was 130,478 CHF. Religion From the , 509 or 57.4% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church, while 159 or 17.9% were Roman Catholic. Of the rest of the population, there were 5 members of an Orthodox church (or about 0.56% of the population), and there were 97 individuals (or about 10.95% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There were 11 (or about 1.24% of the population) who were Islamic. There was 1 person who was Hindu. 117 (or about 13.21% of the population) belonged to no church, are agnostic or atheist, and 35 individuals (or about 3.95% of the population) did not answer the question. Education In Prêles about 51% of the population have completed non-mandatory upper secondary education, and 28.3% have completed additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule). Of the 149 who had completed some form of tertiary schooling listed in the census, 69.8% were Swiss men, 26.2% were Swiss women. The Canton of Bern school system provides one year of non-obligatory Kindergarten, followed by six years of Primary school. This is followed by three years of obligatory lower Secondary school where the students are separated according to ability and aptitude. Following the lower Secondary students may attend additional schooling or they may enter an apprenticeship. During the 2011-12 school year, there were a total of 30 students attending classes in Prêles. There were no kindergarten classes in the municipality. The municipality had 2 primary classes and 30 students. Of the primary students, 10.0% were permanent or temporary residents of Switzerland (not citizens) and 6.7% have a different mother language than the classroom language. , there were a total of 58 students attending any school in the municipality. Of those, 41 both lived and attended school in the municipality, while 17 students came from another municipality. During the same year, 128 residents attended schools outside the municipality. References External links Former municipalities of the canton of Bern