A representative study by online comparison service moneyland.ch shows that the coronavirus crisis has impacted the lifestyles of Switzerland’s residents. More than half (54 percent) of the 1500 people who took part in the survey say that the crisis has resulted in their living with greater awareness. Women in Switzerland are particularly affected, with 58 percent of female participants stating that they live more consciously than before the crisis.
Around one-third (30 percent) of residents engage in sports more frequently. This is particularly true for young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 years old, with 40 percent of residents in this age group stating that they now do sports more often than before the pandemic. Around one-fourth of adults between the ages of 50 and 74 have also begun doing more sports.
The social deficit
“But these beneficial side effects can somewhat distract from the harsh reality,” believes moneyland.ch analyst Raphael Knecht. The limitations on everyday life brought on by the crisis has forced individuals to live more consciously. A high 44 percent of participants say they spend less time with friends than they did previously. This social deficit forces a greater level of awareness because individuals must decide how important each of their various relationships is for their sense of wellness.
The increase in sports-related activities may also be a reaction to less-positive developments. 30 percent of survey participants say that they have begun to eat more since the start of the crisis. “The increase in sports is likely an attempt to compensate for increased food consumption,” suspects Knecht.
Financial Difficulties
For one quarter of Switzerland’s population, the coronavirus crisis has not only brought lifestyle changes, but also financial worries. 27 percent of residents have experienced a worsening of their financial situation.
25 percent of residents work more than they did before the onset of the crisis, and 20 percent have been pushed to the verge of financial ruin. Additionally, many survey participants say that their work hours are less regular and they work more odd shifts. Financial worries caused by the crisis are more common among residents of French-speaking Switzerland.
The poor are becoming poorer
People with little net worth have been hit the hardest by the crisis. A high 35 percent of residents who have personal wealth of 20,000 francs or less have seen their financial situations worsen. 29 percent are at risk financially. By comparison, “only 16 percent of residents with assets of 500,000 francs or more have seen their financial situation worsen throughout the pandemic.
The crisis has primarily hit poorer households because low-wage jobs are the most endangered, explains Knecht. Those with more wealth and investments in stocks, for example, saw their portfolios recover from the corona crash as early as the end of 2020. “Investors who bought in after the first big corona scare are now enjoying significant returns.”
Men and young adults among the winners financially
Women have been particularly affected financially (28 percent). Men, on the other hand, have profited in many cases, with 21 percent of male participants stating that their financial situations have improved since the crisis began.
Young adults have also benefited, with 28 percent of residents between the ages of 18 and 25 saying that their lives have improved, from a financial perspective. “These positive developments also carry a bitter taste,” observes Knecht. The budget improvements experienced by young adults likely the result of their being forced to abstain from socializing.
Content in spite of the crisis
As a whole, the young adult age group bore the brunt with regards to lifestyle infringements. Only 20 percent of participants between the ages of 18 and 25 say that the crisis has not impacted their lifestyles. By comparison, across all age groups, a high 27 percent of residents have not felt any changes to their lifestyles since the start of the crisis.
Not surprisingly, the young adult age group also shows the biggest changes in levels of contentment, for better and worse. Around one-third of residents aged 18 to 25 (30 percent) say that they are not more content than they were previously, while 31 percent are less content than before the crisis. Across all age groups, 27 percent of residents are more content than before the crisis. 24 percent are less content than before the covid-19 crisis. “In spite of the financial and social limitations, there have also been positive signals which have kept the morale of Switzerland’s residents from falling as deeply as some feared it might,” says Knecht.
| As a result of the corona crisis… |
All ages |
18-25 years old |
26-49 years old |
50-74 years old |
| ...I live more consciously. |
54% |
51% |
53% |
57% |
| ...I spend less time with friends. |
44% |
45% |
47% |
40% |
| ...I do more sports. |
30% |
39% |
33% |
25% |
| ...I eat more. |
30% |
41% |
32% |
22% |
| ...my financial situation has worsened. |
27% |
27% |
29% |
24% |
| ...I have become more content. |
27% |
30% |
26% |
26% |
| ...nothing has changed for me at all. |
27% |
20% |
23% |
34% |
| ...I work more. |
25% |
38% |
29% |
16% |
| ...I have become less content. |
24% |
31% |
27% |
18% |
| ...I am at risk financially. |
20% |
19% |
23% |
15% |
| ...my health has improved. |
20% |
28% |
22% |
16% |
| ...I work more odd hours. |
20% |
28% |
22% |
14% |
| ...my health has deteriorated. |
19% |
23% |
20% |
16% |
| ...I work less. |
19% |
18% |
20% |
18% |
| ...I do less sports. |
18% |
27% |
19% |
14% |
| ...my financial situation has improved. |
17% |
28% |
18% |
10% |
| ...I eat less. |
13% |
17% |
14% |
12% |
| ...I spend more time with friends. |
13% |
24% |
12% |
11% |
| ...I have considered getting a loan. |
10% |
13% |
13% |
6% |
| ...I live less consciously. |
6% |
10% |
6% |
3% |
| ...I got a loan. |
5% |
7% |
7% |
3% |
| Number of participants: |
1500 |
201 |
717 |
582 |
How has the pandemic impacted health?
An interesting development revealed by the survey is that the pandemic has had relatively little impact on health. Only one-fifth of participants say that their health has either improved or deteriorated.
The goal of the measures introduced over the pandemic has been to protect the health of residents – and this may be the reason why the measures have impacted our lives more than the virus itself, observes Knecht. That part of the population has experienced an improvement in their health may, in part, have to do with the absence of the traditional flu season over the past year.
More on this topic:
You can find the results of the survey in detail here (in German)
