In the last elections, those with a low rate of participation were young people aged 18-24 years (30%), Swiss of second-generation immigrant origin known as “secondos” (35%), singles (39%) and people earning less than CHF4,000 ($4,000) per month (40%), writes the paper.
Le Matin Dimanche says this is in line with tendencies in other countries, except that in Switzerland only 46% of women voted in the last national elections compared with 53% of men. FORS Director Georg Lutz explains this by saying that when women have children in Switzerland “many stop working or turn part-time and become more concerned with the private sphere”.
He also says one factor alone is not enough to explain all the differences. For example, “people with high salaries and high education have more resources, in the broadest sense of the word, to follow policy, inform themselves and understand how the system works”, the paper quotes him as saying. And while 20% of Swiss people never vote, 20% to 25% do so each time, according to Nenad Stojanovic, a professor at the University of Geneva.
Le Matin Dimanche notes several campaigns to get more young people to vote, such as the easyvote programmeExternal link which aims to raise turnout among the 18 to 25-year old citizens in votes and elections to 40%. The paper says the climate strikes and youth concern about environmental issues could make a difference, but it remains to be seen if such campaigns have paid off.
More
More
Who can vote in Switzerland? Who can’t?
This content was published on
Ahead of parliamentary elections on October 20, swissinfo.ch looks at the third of the Swiss resident population that is disenfranchised.
Swiss government to use phone data to identify asylum seekers
This content was published on
From April 2025, authorities plan to be able to analyse data from mobile phones, computers and other data carriers to identify asylum seekers.
Young undocumented migrants gain easier access to vocational training
This content was published on
Rejected asylum-seekers and young undocumented migrants in Switzerland will have easier access to basic vocational training from June 1.
Migration: Swiss government wants to shorten reunification period for families
This content was published on
Family members of people temporarily admitted to Switzerland should in future be able to join them after two years instead of three.
This content was published on
2023 was a record year for the Rhaetian Railway in several respects. Never before has the narrow-gauge railway in Graubünden, eastern Switzerland, transported so many passengers and cars.
Swiss CFOs much more optimistic despite global uncertainty
This content was published on
The main concerns of business leaders in Switzerland are geopolitical uncertainty and the important trading partners Germany and China.
Record organ donation in Switzerland despite high rejection rates
This content was published on
More organ donations were recorded in Switzerland in 2023 than ever before. This was despite a high rejection rate of 58% by surviving relatives.
Green parties consolidate gains in latest Swiss election poll
This content was published on
Environmentalist groups have continued to win support while the right looks set to lose ground according to the latest SBC election barometer.
Can Greta’s generation make a mark on Swiss politics?
This content was published on
Climate change protests spearheaded by a Swedish teen have energised Swiss youth. Can such political participation carry over into the elections?
Don’t trust political journalists, Swiss youth say
This content was published on
Young citizens in Switzerland appear to lose interest in political information and trust in media is waning according to an opinion poll.
This content was published on
Switzerland's Liberal Green Party has not only seen gains in cantonal parliament elections, it also shows potential on a national level.
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.