After taking a dive during the pandemic, life satisfaction bounced back in Switzerland, according to a recent survey. However, among those aged 18 to 25 life satisfaction has continued to decline, falling from 43% in 2021 to 19% in 2022.
The aim of the annual survey is to assess the generation gap in Switzerland. Overall, the situation looks favourable. Only a quarter of those interviewed felt the gap between the young and old was increasing.
However, those aged 18-25 saw things differently. They reported feeling disadvantaged and having a bleak view of the future. They also said they felt insufficiently understood or recognised. At the same time older generations do not seem to be aware of the deep insatisfaction and lack of hope felt by the younger generation.
These young adults, often referred to generation Z, feel more and more discriminated against at work. Age discrimination at work, typically associated with older workers who face negative generalisations about their digital skills and perceived ability to learn new skills, is less commonly associated with younger workers. However, the survey showed that those under 26 felt more discriminated against than those over 50 felt.
Differing perceptions are a theme running through the survey results. Men are more likely to think the population is getting on well while women are most likely to think it isn’t. The same pattern is seen between urbanites and rural people and the wealthy and the poor, where the former perceive empathy in the population while the latter feels it is lacking. Politics shows a similar divide. 38% of those on the right feel there’s a lack of empathy in society compared to only 18% of those on the left. Only 7% of those on the right reported feeling there were many people who are particularly good at empathising with others, compared to 22% of those on the political left.
In addition, more than half of those aged 18-25 said they felt there is a generation gap in Switzerland and a widening gap between the rich and poor. There is a general view among this group that the gap between the rich and poor is higher in Switzerland than other European nations. In reality, income inequality in Switzerland is close to the European average. In 2020, income inequality was far higher in places like Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Spain and Italy. Neighbouring Germany and France were similar to Switzerland – see data here. Despite a sense there was a wide gap, the idea of higher inheritance tax was not popular.
The report’s authors recommend greater dialogue between generations to reduce gaps in perception.
More on this:
Sotomo survey (in German)
For more stories like this on Switzerland follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
