Swiss neighbours there for one another despite keeping distance
A quarter of Swiss occasionally look after neighbours’ children or pets
Keystone / Jean-christophe Bott
Most people in Switzerland maintain a somewhat distant relationship with their neighbours, but they trust them nevertheless, according to the first Swiss study into neighbourhoods.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/ts
Español
es
Los suizos prefieren mantener las distancias, pero están dispuestos a echar una mano
Only 12% of respondents said they knew their neighbours very well, said the representative “Hello Neighbour” studyExternal link, published on Tuesday by the Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute (GDI).
Three-quarters said they felt very safe in their neighbourhood and almost no one was dissatisfied with their relationship with their neighbours. This is reflected in everyday life: 67% lend food ingredients or tools to neighbours, 48% water plants and 26% occasionally look after neighbours’ children or pets.
More
More
How telework is reshaping residential neighbourhoods
This content was published on
With the rise of remote working, many have managed to make a break for the countryside. What does this mean for Swiss urban layouts?
The authors divided respondents into four types. Almost half (47%) are “distanced”: they do not want to be disturbed or be a burden. If they need something, they do it themselves. Nevertheless, they are on hand in an emergency.
Another 30% are described as “inspiration seekers”. For them, tolerance and stimulating encounters are paramount. They value collective action and diversity.
“Relationship cultivators”, who strive for a friendly atmosphere in a homogeneous neighbourhood, make up a smaller group (14%) and only about 10% of “value-oriented people” want to live among like-minded people with whom they share similar values. Instead of close relationships, however, members of this group also want a respectful distance and a considerate approach.
The frequency of contact with neighbours was just right for 81% of respondents; 16% wanted more contact, 2% less contact.
The GDI study was carried out in May and was based on interviews as well as online responses of 1,021 people aged 15-79 from all language regions.
More
More
How to make friends with a Swiss person
This content was published on
Misinformed stereotype or stark reality? Whichever way round it is, how to make friends with the Swiss is a topic for most expats.
Have you heard something about Swiss diplomacy that you’d like us to fact check?
Not all information circulating about Switzerland’s foreign relations is accurate or well understood. Tell us what you'd like us to fact check or clarify.
WEF: Trump to speak virtually, Zelensky to appear in person
This content was published on
US President-elect Donald Trump will attend this year's annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos via video conference. He is scheduled to speak on January 23.
Coop washes its hands of The Body Shop in Switzerland
This content was published on
The Body Shop is facing closure in Switzerland. Retailer Coop is no longer extending the franchise agreement for its cosmetics subsidiary.
Three out of ten Ukrainian refugees in Switzerland have a job
This content was published on
More and more refugees from Ukraine have a job in Switzerland. The employment rate of people with protection status S was just under 30% at the end of 2024.
Swiss private companies invest CHF18 billion in research
This content was published on
In 2023, private companies in Switzerland spent CHF18 billion ($19.7 billion) on their own research and development. This is CHF1.2 billion more than in 2021.
This content was published on
Lindt & Sprüngli grew strongly in 2024. The Swiss chocolate manufacturer is also aiming for above-average growth in the current financial year.
‘Surprisingly few’ signatures invalid for ban on animal testing
This content was published on
The initiative to ban animal testing was submitted in November with around 127,600 signatures. "Surprisingly few" signatures are not valid, the initiative's organisers have now said.
Geneva hosts Iran nuclear talks before return of Trump
This content was published on
Iran and the main European powers began two days of talks in Geneva on Iran's nuclear programme on Monday, a week ahead of Donald Trump's inauguration as US president.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Noise and laundry cause most conflict with neighbours
This content was published on
Noise, dirt and the use of collective laundry facilities are the main sources of conflict between neighbours in Switzerland.
Expat life in Switzerland – parts of it are excellent
This content was published on
What have Mexico, Indonesia and Taiwan got that Switzerland hasn’t? Friendlier locals and better personal finance for starters, according to a survey.
Fact check: Lonely guinea pigs and other quirky Swiss rumours
This content was published on
Is that really true? We asked you whether you’d heard anything about Switzerland that sounded suspicious and that you wanted us to check out.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.