Political interest groups, sports clubs and public service organisations appear to have become less attractive to volunteers.
Volunteer activities for charitable and cultural organisations, as well as hobby clubs and leisure groups, have won ground, according to a statement by the Swiss Society for the Common GoodExternal link.
Some 62% of respondents said they were regularly engaged in unpaid work mostly as members of an organisation. In a first such survey in 2007 was 52%.
Informal volunteer work mostly consisted of care work for family members and friends, as well as helping neighbours.
Women do unpaid work more often than men. Many of the volunteers are people who have retired from their professional life.
Among the main motivation for the volunteers are a personal challenge, a feeling of responsibility and an interesting activity, the study found.
The survey conducted in 2019, polled more than 5,000 Swiss residents over the age of 15.
First large-scale alpine solar plant approved in Switzerland
This content was published on
The approval was met with satisfaction by the project's organisers, but it also brings with it a certain amount of pressure.
Medieval squirrels may have ‘helped spread leprosy’
This content was published on
An examination of squirrel remains in the United Kingdom has opened up interesting questions and possibilities in terms of the history of the disease.
Swiss money laundering office registers record number of reports
This content was published on
The Money Laundering Reporting Office Switzerland (MROS) registered a record number of reports of suspicious activity last year.
Two teens accused of planning terror attack released from custody
This content was published on
The Schaffhausen judiciary has released the two teenagers from custody who allegedly planned bomb attacks in Switzerland.
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
Local solidarity initiatives fight virus fallout
This content was published on
Local aid groups, organised by citizens or charity associations, are popping up in Switzerland in an effort to help those most vulnerable to Covid-19.
MSF deploys Covid-19 teams in Geneva to help most vulnerable
This content was published on
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has 12 specialists in Geneva helping the main hospital as well as the homeless and other vulnerable residents.
Overwhelming, lonely and stressful – life in the Covid-19 unit in Geneva
This content was published on
A Médecins Sans Frontières’ (MSF) nurse, who has been working at a Geneva hospital, reflects on her daily life at the height of the pandemic.
Attracting young generation for volunteer public service
This content was published on
A study has found potential in harnessing Switzerland's traditional part-time public service to get young adults to actively engage in local politics.
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.