Quarter of Swiss use painkillers

Medication intake has risen steadily over the past 30 years Keystone / Martin Ruetschi

In 2022, 55% of the Swiss population had taken a medication seven days before the survey. The consumption of painkillers in particular showed an upward trend: while 12% used painkillers in 1992, this figure had risen to 26% by 2022.

These are the findings of the Swiss Health Survey 2022 published by the Federal Statistical Office on Monday. A quarter of the population aged 15 and over suffered from severe physical complaints in the four weeks prior to the survey, and a third slept badly.

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Medication intake has risen steadily over the past 30 years: in 1992, 38% had taken medication seven days before the survey. In the year under review, the figure was over half. Women took medication more frequently than men. The proportion of people taking medication increases with age, reaching 86% among the over 75s.

Some 85% of respondents still rated their state of health as good or very good in 2022. However, 46% suffered from weakness and 45% from back pain.

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