Providing for their retirement continues to stress the Swiss, while the issue of health is becoming more important, according to Credit Suisse’s Worry Barometer 2018. Unemployment is no longer one of the most serious concerns.

In the annual poll for this yearexternal link, published on Thursday, 45% of respondents said securing retirement plans was their most pressing issue. Health and health insurance have moved up into second place at 41% – up 15 percentage points on 2017. 

The vast majority of respondents considered retirement provision as a societal problem that everyone must contribute to solving. They did not, however, question Switzerland’s three-pillar model. 

Pensions and health were followed by foreigners (37%) and refugees and asylum (31%). The environment returned to the top five on 23%, one percentage point ahead of unemployment (22%). 

From 2003 to 2016, the fear of unemployment was the major concern of the Swiss. Even last year, it was the top worry of 44% of respondents. 

Three themes were new entries in the 2018 top ten: new poverty (18%), wages (15%) and federal finances (15%). 

“Citizens seem aware that there are big questions to be discussed, and they are obviously willing to work to solve them,” the study authors wrote. 

Credit Suisse has published its Worry Barometer for 42 years. The institute gfs.bern interviewed 2,551 voters from all over Switzerland on behalf of the bank from July 10 to August 6.

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