The latest Problem Indicator for Switzerland has revealed what people in the alpine nation are worried about the most in 2023. With health insurance costs rising and the global economy still on a knife edge, most of the concerns are related to the cost of living crisis.

Cost of living crisis worries people in Switzerland most

To create the study, Brand Indicator Switzerland (BIS) used an online survey of respondents from across age groups, jobs, opinions, genders and cantons in Switzerland to find out what people are most concerned about. Over 2.200 people filled out the survey in November 2022, with each citing their top five biggest worries for the year ahead.

The study found that the rising cost of basic and supplemental health insurance was the most common concern, with 44,1 percent of respondents putting the problem as one of their top five. BIS found that healthcare costs were the top worry in all sectors of the population, with the exception of those younger than 30 - who narrowly had AHV and pension financing as their most common concern.

Swiss energy prices and pension reform among key concerns

In all, health insurance costs were followed by energy prices (37,3 percent) as the joint-second most commonly cited concern - not surprising given how much the cost of energy has risen in recent months. The news that a quarter of the Swiss population will be claiming a pension by 2030 has also spurred concerns about how to fund the pension system in Switzerland in the future (37,3 percent).

Concerns about the cost of living dominated the top of the ranking, with inflation, higher prices and the threat of a recession (33,7 percent), as well as rising housing costs and rents (31,4), rounding out the top five. Interestingly, rising costs were of greater concern in French-speaking Switzerland and among women; women cited rising costs as one of their top worries 5 percent more often than men.

Energy shortages not a main concern for people in Switzerland

Despite the constant stories about the threat of energy shortages in Switzerland and the energy-saving plans proposed by the government, concerns about the energy supply (26,3 percent) fell behind worries about climate change (30,8 percent) to claim seventh - perhaps the heatwaves and droughts seen in Switzerland in the summer of 2022 were still too fresh in people's mind.

The study concluded that people in Switzerland are concerned about similar things regardless of age or gender, with one exception: despite not featuring in the top 10, the study found that 20 percent of young people and 15,6 percent of women cited gender equality as one of their top concerns. Despite their concern, when asked, 21 percent of total respondents said that equality between the sexes is bad in Switzerland, while 46,6 percent said the current state of equality is good and positive.

10 most common worries in Switzerland

In all, here are the 10 most common concerns in Switzerland for 2023:

• 1. Health insurance costs (44,1)
• =2. Energy prices (37,3)
• =2. AHV and pension system (37,3)
• 4. Inflation and the threat of a recession (33,7)
• 5. Housing and rental costs (31,4)
• 6. Environmental protection and climate change (30,8)
• 7. Energy shortages (26,3)
• 8. Foreigners, refugees and immigration (21)
• 9. War in Ukraine (16,8)
• 10. The Swiss economy and the strength of the Swiss franc (13,7)

For more information, check out the official study (in French).

Thumb image credit: Shutterstock.com / Mick2770