Retirement and pensions furrow Swiss brows

Retirement funding worries 44% of Swiss voters. Keystone/EPA/SIimela Pantzartzi

Voters in Switzerland are worried about retirement – in particular, whether the state’s old age pension system will ensure that they can live out their golden years comfortably. 

In this year’s Credit Suisse Worry BarometerExternal link, 44% of those surveyed said that they were nervous about the sustainability of the Swiss pension system, while 24% said that it was the most pressing political issue. It’s the first time since 2003 that unemployment didn’t top the Swiss worry list. 

“The trend could see retirement provision become a topic that shapes the social climate,” observed Lukas Golder, co-director of gfs.bern, which has prepared the barometer since 1995. 

“The rejection of the Pensions 2020 Reform in the referendum held after this survey was completed has done little to ease concerns. Such sentiment places strong pressure on the world of politics and administration to come up with compromise solutions that are sustainable for society.” 

+ Read about how Swiss voters rejected the sweeping Pensions 2020 Reform

+ Learn how the pension system works in Switzerland

Unemployment ranked second in this year’s worry barometer. Other major concerns were foreigners and integration, healthcare and health insurance, and the status of bilateral agreements with the European Union. 

The barometer was collated using survey data from 1,000 Swiss voters in June and July 2017.