Survey: urban-rural gap widens in Switzerland

The gap between urban and rural areas is widening in Switzerland, according to a survey. Keystone-SDA

Swiss residents increasingly perceive a widening divide between urban and rural areas, a survey reveals.

+Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox

Around one-third of the Swiss population are seriously concerned about the widening gap, according to the agricultural cooperative Fenaco and the Sotomo research institute, which on Monday published the Urban-Rural Monitor – the third edition since 2021. Four years ago, only a quarter of respondents said the urban-rural divide was a problem.

According to the study, a growing number of Swiss residents identify politically with the rural population. The proportion has risen from 25 to 33% since 2021. Just under 20% of respondents see themselves as city dwellers. According to a statement, both groups also feel less considered by the other side.

A large majority rate the quality of life in their municipality positively. The assessment is most positive in municipalities with above-average population growth. In contrast, people are generally critical of population growth. The survey highlights this contradiction for the first time, the statement said.

Fenaco commissioned the Urban-Rural Monitor for the first time in 2021 in order to better understand the relationship between urban and rural areas and to promote dialogue.

Translated from German by DeepL/sb

How we work

We select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools to translate them into English. A journalist then reviews the translation for clarity and accuracy before publication.  

Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles. The news stories we select have been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team from news agencies such as Bloomberg or Keystone.

If you have any questions about how we work, write to us at [e-mail]