Has life in Switzerland improved or deteriorated in recent years? Which aspects have got worse and where have things got better? Our readers give their verdict.
Whether you’ve been a resident for decades or arrived recently, determining whether life in Switzerland has improved, deteriorated, or stayed the same is no simple task and much depends on personal circumstances.
To get a better idea, we reached out to our readers to ask for their feelings on how life in Switzerland has changed over time.
The result revealed foreign residents in Switzerland are sharply divided on its progress. Just under a third responded that life in the country had neither got worse nor better, whereas the remaining respondents were split down the middle as to whether things have improved or declined.
For those who feel things have improved, the reasons often focus on cultural life, social openness, and infrastructure.
Sofia, 39, originally from the US but now based in Geneva, highlighted improvements in city life. She told us, “In Geneva at least, the food scene has become far more varied and financially accessible. There are a wealth of cultural activities available too… There were such activities before, but the number and variety have improved.”
Another reader, Mark Whitwill, focused on social change, saying, “It has become a more open society. Women’s rights are improving. Smoking is disappearing.”
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This trend toward a more modernised and tolerant society is visible in recent cultural milestones. In 2024 Switzerland updated it’s law around rape, which campaigners argued was long overdue. Under the new law the principle of “no means no” is now applied in rape investigation and prosecutions in Switzerland. Previously verbal communication of a clear ‘no’ was not considered as a determining factor in prosecution.
In 2021, the Swiss military binned its old rule that had forced women to wear men’s underwear. More recently, last year saw Swiss entry Nemo become the first non-binary performer to win the Eurovision Song Contest.
But there are many things that still need to improve for woman in the country, not least the poor deal working women in Switzerland get compared to their counterparts in other countries, which is mostly down to the gender pay gap.
READ MORE: Has anything improved for women in Switzerland in recent years?
Vijay, 38, in Valais, noted improvements in daily functionality: “Things have changed [for the] better in terms of mobility, infrastructure, ease of life, quality of life etc.”
Despite concerns over costs, Switzerland actually still offers strong economic mobility.
A 2025 study found that even without a university degree, people can be financially successful here, suggesting that “children from educationally disadvantaged families in Switzerland still have good chances of earning a high salary.”
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‘Higher prices, worse job market’
However, the one-third of respondents who felt that life has deteriorated primarily cited the economic and environmental pressures of modern Swiss life.
Maciej, from Poland, said his current experience was defined by “Higher prices, worse job market,” reflecting a common sentiment that the cost-of-living is seriously impacting quality of life.
This feeling is backed by concerning data on wealth concentration. According to the World Inequality Database (WID), the richest 1 percent of the population owns over 31 percent of total private wealth, while the poorest half owns just 3.7 percent. Furthermore, the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) reports that 8.7 percent of the population lives in poverty.
READ ALSO: What’s getting more expensive in Switzerland this autumn
Niko, 44, in Geneva, echoed this concern, stating simply, “Prices have gone up and security has deteriorated.”
The pressure of rising housing costs is particularly acute in major urban areas: a recent UBS study found that property price increases in Switzerland’s two largest cities—Zurich and Geneva—have far outpaced income growth. This growing financial divide is reflected in the Gini index, which measures inequality. Switzerland’s score of 31.5 is higher than that of its neighbors, including Austria (28.1), Germany (29.4), and France (29.7).
For the remaining third of respondents, the change has either been minimal or a complicated mix of good and bad.
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Fernando Silva Ribeiro was concise in his assessment: “Same for the last 10 years.”
However, perhaps the most nuanced answer came from Nyon-based Melanie Moncrieff, who found, like many others, a balance of societal progress and personal decline due to the poor job market.
She said: “There have been improvements in terms of modernisation and a more cosmopolitan, switched on society, which means better social life and cultural activities/experiences.
“However, financially my personal situation has deteriorated due to rising costs, ageing, stagnant salaries and limited access to job opportunities,” she added.
This mixed experience points to areas where progress is proving difficult. For example, in an article for The Local Switzerland-based Irish commentator Clare O’Dea noted “There’s definitely room for improvement in the area of work-life balance for families,” with state subsidies for childcare still only ideas in the pipeline.
Furthermore, one issue that seems almost unfixable in Switzerland is the high cost of healthcare: the country has the second most expensive system in the world, after the United States.
READ MORE: Switzerland has changed in 20 years, but it can still improve
So, the data lines up with the answers of our respondents: the Swiss experience is defined by nuance. While the nation has successfully evolved into a more modern, open, and globally relevant society, that progress is being paid for by a widening wealth gap and a crushing cost of living.
The challenge for Switzerland is clear: can it remain the envy of the world for its quality of life, or will it become a beacon of prosperity that only the wealthy can afford?
