More than a third of respondents said Covid had made them worry about death and the finiteness of life
Keystone / Samuel Golay
The number of wills in Switzerland has increased over the past three years, marked by the Covid-19 crisis. However, the initial sense of solidarity has disappeared, according to a survey by the Alliance for the Common Good.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/ts
Português
pt
Pandemia levou mais pessoas a fazer seus testamentos
The pandemic has given the Swiss people pause for thought, said the allianceExternal link, a group of 44 NGOs whose aim is to create the conditions for a significantly larger share of the total wealth to be left to the non-profit sector.
In a representative survey conducted this summer among 1,035 people over the age of 45 in German- and French-speaking Switzerland, 38% of respondents said Covid had made them worry about death and the finiteness of life.
The number of people who have written a will has increased from 27% in 2019, before the pandemic, to 32%.
The main reasons given are the security of relatives, but also the desire to avoid inheritance disputes and the wish to be able to determine one’s own succession.
The Alliance for the Common Good links this to increased doubts about solidarity in society: in 2020 19% of respondents saw a decline in solidarity, compared with 37% in 2022.
‘Need for information’
According to a study by the University of Lausanne cited by the Alliance for the Common Good, around CHF95 billion ($94 billion) is inherited each year. This figure is considerably higher than the federal government’s income. Yet only 0.3% of this is paid out to charitable institutions.
In 2020, 11% of people who had made a will said that they had included charitable institutions in it. In 2022, the figure was 14%.
The pandemic has made little difference. “As before, only a very small part of the inherited money benefits non-profit organisations. And yet the respondents believe that these organisations do very important work. There is therefore a great need for information,” said Thomas Witte, president of the alliance.
More
More
Swiss dug deep for charity in first pandemic year
This content was published on
Swiss households, businesses, foundations and other institutions donated around CHF2.05 billion to charities in 2020.
Situation in Blatten stable but steady rockfall continues
This content was published on
The situation in the landslide area of Blatten in southwestern Switzerland remained stable during Monday night. On the Kleine Nesthorn, however, smaller rockfalls continue to occur.
Kirchner painting on show again in Basel after more than 100 years
This content was published on
The painting "Dance in a Variety Theatre" by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner was thought to be lost for decades. Now it is on public display at the Kunstmuseum Basel for the first time in over 100 years.
Influential Swiss politician Vreni Spoerry dies aged 87
This content was published on
Zurich politician Vreni Spoerry died on Thursday at the age of 87. She was extremely influential in federal financial policy for 20 years as a member of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Blatten: top Swiss politician appeals for solidarity with landslide victims
This content was published on
Maja Riniker, president of the House of Representatives, called on Switzerland to show solidarity with those people who have lost everything.
This content was published on
In the US, production has been stopped and 280 employees laid off. For the German subsidiaries – with over 600 employees – insolvency proceedings have been filed.
Swiss researchers develop new treatment against lymphoma
This content was published on
The cancer can be effectively combated with the radioactive element terbium. However, the therapy has not yet been tested on humans.
This content was published on
Florian Willet was present when the Sarco suicide capsule was first used in Switzerland in September 2024 and had been placed in pre-trial detention.
This content was published on
At the start of the 113th International Labour Conference in Geneva, Houngbo called for a "more efficient" organisation in front of the 187 member states
Microsoft invests $400 million in Swiss AI expansion
This content was published on
Among other things, the existing data centres in the Geneva and Zurich regions are being expanded as part of this investment.
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
Swiss urged to include charities in their will
This content was published on
The first International Legacy Giving Day is being held on September 13, during Remember A Charity Week, with slogans along the lines of “Do good when you’re gone!” or “Sow together and reap separately”. “People are afraid of thinking about their death, but for me this will is just a piece of paper,” said 70-year-old…
This content was published on
Switzerland has one of the highest concentrations of philanthropic foundations in the world - and the sector keeps growing strongly.
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.