How important is volunteer work to Swiss democracy? 

Inconceivable without volunteers: the 2025 Swiss Federal Gymnastics Festival attracted 300,000 people and 65,000 gymnasts to Lausanne. Keystone / Jean-Christophe Bott

Two out of three Swiss do volunteer work. The new Volunteer Work Bulletin published by the Swiss Society for the Common Good shows that those who volunteer are more likely to understand the culture of compromise and democracy. 

Almost two out of three people in Switzerland do some form of voluntary work. A comprehensive scientific survey of 5,000 people was conducted for the Swiss Society for the Common Good’s (SSCG) new Volunteer Work BulletinExternal link. Many are involved in sports clubs, hold political office, or care for and support people outside their own households. 

According to the bulletin, Switzerland’s “high level of voluntary engagement” stands out in an international comparison. Together with Norway, Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands, Switzerland “occupies a leading position within Europe in terms of both formal and informal voluntary work.” 

The connection between voluntary work and participation in direct democracy 

“Volunteer work is everywhere,” says Andreas Müller, the project manager. “It has been proven to contribute to social cohesion. But what’s exciting in Switzerland is how it interacts with the militia system and participation in direct democracy.” The results of the survey indicate that those who volunteer are also more likely to participate in politics. 

The study distinguishes between formal and informal volunteering. Over the course of a year, 41% take part in formal volunteer work. This includes involvement in one of the 90,000 associations in Switzerland and Swiss non-profit organisations, as well as official honorary positions. 

More than half (51%) of the Swiss population did informal volunteer work over the course of a year. Many of them do so irregularly, for example by helping neighbours or caring for relatives. A total of 64% of the population, or just under two-thirds, volunteered in a formal or informal setting – or both – over the course of a year. 

Is it enough if volunteering remains “just about stable”? 

The Volunteer Work Bulletin is only published every five years. The results were eagerly awaited, especially given the coronavirus pandemic. This severely restricted club activities at times, but at the same time, according to the bulletin, “a wave of solidarity swept across Switzerland”. 

Comparison with the last Volunteer Work Bulletin is somewhat complicated by a change in methodology. Overall, however, the bulletin describes a situation similar to that of five years ago. 

Müller at the Swiss Society for the Common Good is sceptical about whether this is satisfactory “from the point of view of democracy,” he says: “If it remains just about stable, that’s not good news. It would actually be better if volunteering increased.” Otherwise, he says, social cohesion will crumble in the long term. 

Greater basic trust in politics and society 

The Volunteer Work Bulletin shows a strong correlation between volunteering and solidarity. Those who get involved tend to feel more connected to their neighbourhood, their place of residence and Switzerland. 

Those who volunteer have a higher level of basic trust in their fellow human beings and in political institutions. 

People who volunteer have a greater understanding of the “culture of compromise” and feel less politically powerless: 55% of those who have done formal volunteer work reject the statement that they “have no say in what the government does”. Among those who do no volunteer work at all, only 36% find this statement inaccurate. 

“Every little contribution you make is positive for society,” Müller says. Isolation is not in the interest of the community. Even those who lead football training sessions support social cohesion. 

International comparisons of voluntary work are difficult 

As the Volunteer Work Bulletin points out, Switzerland ranked second after Norway in the 2017 European Values Study.  

However, in the latest Europe-wide comparison from 2022, Switzerland scored lower: according to European statistics on income and living conditions, only 25.7% of people in Switzerland do volunteer work. 

Müller does not want to overstate this. Different surveys define different activities as voluntary or as work. 

In addition, international comparisons of voluntary work have a fundamental difficulty: “In Switzerland, especially in German-speaking Switzerland, the prevailing view is that civil society solves its own problems. In some countries, the state plays a different role.”  

Anyone who voluntarily looks after children in their neighbourhood in Switzerland qualifies as an informal voluntary worker. In countries such as France, there are more and more affordable crèches, even for very young children. “It follows that there is less need for neighbourhood help,” Müller says. “But that doesn’t necessarily mean the social fabric is weaker.” 

Switzerland is currently facing a major political debate about what voluntary work is and whether and how the state should promote it because of a referendum on the citizens’ service initiative taking place in November, he adds. This initiative calls for compulsory civilian or military service for all Swiss citizens. “Whether you are in favour of it or fear that compulsory service will replace voluntary work, the Swiss population is facing a fundamental debate: what does it understand by the militia principle – and what is voluntary work?” Müller says. 

Read our article on the militia system – a guiding principle of the Swiss political system: 

Edited by Reto Gysi von Wartburg. Translated from German by Catherine Hickley/ac