People in Switzerland increasingly want to shape their financial future themselves. At the same time, fewer and fewer of them feel financially self-determined. The current Swiss Life 2026 self-determination barometer illustrates this tension.
The Swiss are relying less and less on state solutions when it comes to their financial future. Almost half of those surveyed (45%) are aware that the AHV/AVS will only offer basic financial security. A further 7% even assume that the state pension will not play any role at all for them.
Confidence in government support is limited even in times of financial difficulties: only 22% trust that the state would cover them in the event of financial difficulties.
Many therefore assume that they will have to be more responsible for their own financial security in future. More than one in three people (35%) even expect to need additional sources of income in old age or a part-time job to maintain their accustomed standard of living.
Awareness of personal responsibility is growing
At the same time, there is a growing willingness among them to take an active role in their own pension provision. 45% of respondents now see themselves as primarily responsible for the success or failure of their financial provisions. This is four percentage points up from the previous year.
Long-term saving is also becoming increasingly importance: 58% think it is important to set aside money for the future. One in two people surveyed believed that they should start contributing to their retirement provisions as soon as they start working. 20% would even start doing so during their apprenticeship or studies.
At the same time, the importance of financial self-determination has reached a new high: 82% of Swiss would like to lead a financially self-determined life. In 2025, this figure was still 80% and 79% in 2024.
Inflation, geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainties are causing many people to look more closely at their financial future. A quarter of respondents say that they are therefore paying more attention to their financial security and future provisions.
Gap between aspirations and reality
While the desire for financial self-determination is growing steadily, the reality many people face is not keeping pace. While 82% of the population today would like to lead a financially self-determined life, only 44% actually feel financially self-determined. Five years ago, this figure was 51%.
Respondents cite rising costs of living, loss of income and health problems as the main reasons.
The gap also becomes apparent in their actual financial and pension planning: just under one in three people (31%) claim to have planned their retirement well. Almost one in four people think that organising their own finances is a burden. And 22% regularly postpone financial and pension issues.
In addition, there is a persistent lack of knowledge: 28% of respondents would like more financial knowledge to be able to make informed decisions about their future. This figure has remained practically unchanged for several years.
Confidence continues to recover
Despite these challenges, most people in Switzerland are optimistic about the future. 58% expect their financial situation to develop positively over the next ten years. Financial confidence is therefore continuing to recover from the 2024 trough (2024: 46%, 2025: 56%).
The rise amongst those already retired is particularly noteworthy: here, financial confidence has risen by eight percentage points over the previous year to 40%.
The results of the self-determination barometer show a clear trend: more and more people are realising that they need to shape their financial future themselves. At the same time, many do not feel sufficiently prepared to take on this responsibility.
Swiss Life self-determination barometer
Swiss Life enables people to lead a financially self-determined life. In this context, the company launched the Swiss Life self-determination barometer in 2019, which addresses the question of how financially self-determined people feel, what factors are involved and how self-determined they expect to feel in the future. The Swiss Life self-determination barometer is based on a representative online survey conducted by Swiss Life and Bilendi. 1000 people aged 18 to 79 in Switzerland were surveyed between 6 and 17 July 2026.
Further contributions and studies by Swiss Life on a financially self-determined life
Swiss Life enables people to lead a financially self-determined life and regularly publishes interviews with experts, inspiring articles, and representative surveys on the subject. You can find all the contributions and studies on our blog.