Environment is top concern for Swiss this year

People now worry most about the environment, while energy supply has also become a major concern amid the Ukraine war. Keystone/gaetan Bally

The environment is the main concern of the Swiss in 2022, followed by pensions and energy, according to this year’s Credit Suisse Worry Barometer.

The Covid-19 pandemic, which was the main worry last year, is no longer among the top ten concerns, the survey found. It is now “considered an everyday problem”, Credit Suisse said on Wednesday.

Thirty-nine percent of those surveyed said the environment was their top concern, whether it be environmental protection, climate change or environmental disasters. Next came pension provisions and having enough money for retirement, with 37%.

In third place was energy with 25%, up 11% from last year, which was on a par with concern about relations with Europe.

The Swiss view the economic future “with considerably less optimism than a few years ago”, wrote Credit Suisse. The major fear is now not about losing jobs, but about standard of living. Survey respondents mentioned insecurity of energy supply, medicine and food for the first time in their concerns, but only 20% said they were directly concerned by the war in Ukraine. This was the eighth most important concern.

Pessimism for next months

For 2022, 65% of respondents described their individual economic situation as “good” or “very good” and only 6% as “bad” or “very bad”, which is similar to previous years. However, the Swiss are more pessimistic about the next 12 months. No less than 19% of those surveyed fear that their personal situation will deteriorate.

Confidence in institutions, which had “sometimes weakened” during the pandemic, is “regaining strength in 2022” the barometer said. Confidence in the Swiss government (68%), the police (67%) and the Federal Supreme Court (66%) is “high and stable” again, while the Swiss National Bank and the army “also see their confidence rating rise”.