Health-insurance premiums and immigration remain the two biggest political concerns for Swiss voters, though both are less prevalent than last year, according to the latest SSR electoral barometer. Relations with the European Union, housing shortages and the economy have gained ground.
Health costs top the list of challenges, cited by 40% of respondents. Immigration follows with 27%, the same share as EU relations and climate change. Asylum policy comes close behind at 26%.
A year ago half of voters flagged premiums as the main issue; now only four in ten do. Immigration has also eased, from 33% to 27%. By contrast, sovereignty and independence—linked to ongoing talks with Brussels—have risen by 16 percentage points.
Europe’s new prominence may also reflect worries over American tariffs, which weigh on economic sentiment. For the first time since covid-19, the economy has re-entered the list of pressing issues, mentioned by 18% of voters, up from 9% in 2024.
Housing has surged as a concern. Some 22% now cite shortages and rising rents, nearly double last year’s figure. Shortfalls are spreading beyond cities into rural areas, and voters increasingly connect the issue to immigration.
For the first time, the survey also asked which issues receive too much attention. Gender equality (43%) and climate change (31%) top the list, followed by defence (26%). Health premiums, by contrast, are among the least likely to be considered overemphasised.
Regional differences are striking. In Italian-speaking Switzerland two-thirds cite premiums as the main challenge, far more than elsewhere. In French-speaking areas, climate change ranks second; in German-speaking regions, asylum policy does.
Political divides are sharper still. Among Green voters, 82% list climate as a top concern, compared with just 2% of those who back the right-wing Swiss People’s Party (UDC/SVP). Immigration and asylum dominate for the UDC/SVP (54%), but scarcely register among Greens or Social Democrats.
Voters also link issues directly to party choice. The UDC/SVP owns migration, asylum, crime and sovereignty. For Socialists, economic concerns such as welfare, health premiums and housing shortages dominate. For liberals (PLR/FDP), it is the economy and taxes. Among Greens, climate is decisive for nine in ten. Green Liberals highlight climate, Europe and the economy.
The Centre, by contrast, remains harder to pin down. Its voters cite health costs and EU relations, but often choose the party more for its style of politics than for clear positions.
The SSR Barometer is conducted every year by the polling company Sotomo. The online survey was conducted between August 25th and September 11th 2025 and the results are based on the responses of 32,147 voters: 26,076 from German-speaking Switzerland, 5,302 from the French-speaking region and 769 from Italian-speaking one.
More on this:
SSR barometer 2025 (in French) – Take a 5 minute French test now
For more stories like this on Switzerland follow us on Facebook and Twitter.