Switzerland’s electorate is ageing rapidly. New calculations by the liberal think tank Avenir Suisse show that the median age of those who vote in nationwide referendums is now about 60. In other words, half of active voters are older than 60. Since 2000 the median age has risen by seven years.
That makes the active electorate increasingly distinct from the broader population. The median age in Switzerland is about 43; among eligible voters it is 53.5. Those who actually cast ballots are more than six years older. Elections and referendums are therefore increasingly decided by people approaching retirement or already retired.
The shift reflects both Switzerland’s ageing population and the higher turnout among older voters. Although younger people have always been less likely to vote—older citizens vote at roughly twice the rate of younger ones—demographic change has amplified the imbalance, says Lukas Rühli of Avenir Suisse.
Generational differences are often politically significant. According to Mr Rühli, studies show that in more than a quarter of national votes over the past 40 years, the majority of 18-30-year-olds voted differently from those aged over 65.
These findings help explain several political developments. With the median active voter now around 60, it is perhaps less surprising that proposals such as the introduction of a 13th AHV monthly pension secured majority support. As the electorate grows older, political influence increasingly reflects the preferences of older generations.
Older voters generally favour higher pensions and greater spending on healthcare. They are also more supportive of raising the retirement age, as many are no longer directly affected by the change. By contrast, they are less likely to back measures benefiting younger workers, such as longer paid leave, expanded maternity benefits or subsidies for childcare. They also tend to take more conservative positions on social issues and place less emphasis on climate and environmental policies.
Youth organisations warn that the imbalance is becoming more pronounced. Aline Incici, co-director of the Swiss Federation of Youth Parliaments, says younger people remain underrepresented at the ballot box. More civic education is needed, she argues. The federation’s 2025 Swiss Youth and Democracy Monitor found that only 40% of young people considered their political education sufficient. The complexity of many ballot questions is another barrier to participation.
Mr Rühli argues that improving political education is one of the few broadly accepted ways to increase youth participation, but cautions against expecting dramatic results. Raising turnout among young voters from 30% to 40%—already an ambitious goal—would reduce the median age of voters by only a little more than one year. More contentious proposals, such as lowering the voting age to 16 or extending voting rights to foreign residents, would also have only a modest effect on the electorate’s age profile.
More on this:
Avenir Suisse study (in German and English)
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