A higher percentage of first generation immigrants in Switzerland say they trust Switzerland’s institutions than native Swiss, according to a recently published report from Switzerland’s Federal Statistical Office looking at integration.
Of the first generation immigrants questioned, 55% said they trusted political institutions, 63% said they trusted the judiciary and 72% said they trusted the police force. The same figures for native Swiss were 43%, 52% and 66%, 12, 11 and 6 percentage point lower respectively.
However, trust among immigrants appears to slide significantly in a generation. Among second generation immigrants, 45% said they trusted political institutions, 51% said they trusted the judiciary and 60% said they trusted the police force, falls of 10, 12 and 12 percentage points respectively.
Trust among second generation immigrants aligns closely with trust among native Swiss, with the exception of trust in the police force, which is 6 percentage points lower among second generation immigrants compared to native Swiss.
Foreigners from northern and western Europe were the group with the highest levels of trust in Swiss institutions. Among this group 59% said they trusted political institutions, 68% said they trusted the judiciary and 72% said they trusted the police force.
Overall, those with a higher education had more faith in Switzerland’s institutions than the less educated.
People over 65 were the most trusting of the police force (76%), a level of trust shared by natives (76%) and those with an immigration background (75%).
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Federal Statistical Office report (in French) – Take a 5 minute French test now
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