In the 44th issue of the journal Social Change in Switzerland, Claire Janssen, Ursina Kuhn and Marieke Voorpostel demonstrate that, unlike in the United States, social trust in Switzerland has not declined since the early 2000s. However, only age reveals divergent trends: trust among those aged 65 and over has increased significantly, while trust among young people has stagnated. In generational terms, baby boomers demonstrate the highest levels of trust, while Generation Z demonstrates the lowest.
The study draws on data from the Swiss Household Panel (2005–2024) and the European Social Survey (2002–2022). Social trust is measured on a scale of 0 to 10, ranging from 'one can never be too careful' to 'most people can be trusted'. Both surveys indicate that trust increased slightly between 2005 and 2011, reached its peak in 2017–2018, and has not experienced a widespread decline since then. In contrast to the situation in the United States, where each generation is less trusting than the previous one, Switzerland is not experiencing a crisis of social trust.
This stability is explained by differences in education, nationality and religiosity: those with tertiary qualifications, Swiss citizens and highly religious people are more trusting. These differences have remained constant over time. However, age is an exception: confidence among those aged 65 and over has risen significantly since 2005, while that of 14–25-year-olds has stagnated or even fallen between 2014 and 2022, before beginning a modest recovery.
In order to distinguish between age-related and generational effects, the authors analyse five cohorts, ranging from the Silent Generation (those born before 1946) to Generation Z (those born since 1997). Trust increases with age, particularly markedly between the ages of 18 and 30. In generational terms, baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) exhibit the highest level of trust, while Generation Z shows a slightly lower level.
While the increase in trust among older people is positive for social cohesion, the stagnation among young people is a cause for concern. Generation Z is growing up against a backdrop of multiple crises, including the pandemic, climate change and housing insecurity, which does not encourage the development of trust. If they do not catch up with previous generations' levels of trust, and if baby boomers are replaced by more distrustful cohorts, the current stability could be undermined.
Press release from the LIVES Centre / FORS
Janssen, C., Kuhn, U. & Voorpostel, M. (2026). Confiance sociale en Suisse (2002–2024) : les aînés progressent, les jeunes stagnent. Social Change in Switzerland, N°44, www.socialchangeswitzerland.ch
Contact:
Claire Janssen, FORS, +41 (0)21 692 37 74, claire.janssen@fors.unil.ch