What is citizen satisfaction with democracy in Switzerland?

Citizen satisfaction with democracy in Switzerland was 2.58 in 2020, according to Claassen (2022) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest citizen satisfaction with democracy recorded in Switzerland?

The highest recorded value was 2.59 in 2018.

What is the lowest citizen satisfaction with democracy recorded in Switzerland?

The lowest recorded value was 1.37 in 1999.

How does Switzerland rank for citizen satisfaction with democracy?

Switzerland ranks 2nd out of 131 countries with data for 2020.

Is citizen satisfaction with democracy rising or falling in Switzerland?

Over the last ten years it is up 21.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.

Where does this Switzerland data come from?

The figures come from Claassen (2022) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Citizen satisfaction with democracy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Citizen satisfaction with democracy in Switzerland

Name: Citizen satisfaction with democracy in Switzerland
Creator: Claassen (2022) – processed by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

Switzerland: Citizen satisfaction with democracy was 2.58 in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)

2.58

Change on year

down 0.0%

World rank

2nd

of 131 countries

All-time high

2.59

in 2018

All-time low

1.37

in 1999

Years of data

1999–2020

Citizen satisfaction with democracy in Switzerland, 1999–2020

Source: Claassen (2022) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for citizen satisfaction with democracy in Switzerland is 2.58, measured in 2020.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 21.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, citizen satisfaction with democracy in Switzerland peaked at 2.59 in 2018 and was at its lowest, 1.37, in 1999.

Switzerland ranks 2nd of 131 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 22 years of available data.

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1990s	1.37	1.37	1.37	1
2000s	1.62	1.39	2.03	10
2010s	2.44	2.12	2.59	10
2020s	2.58	2.58	2.58	1

Countries ranked near Switzerland

1 Denmark 3.03 compare
3 Vietnam 2.36 compare
5 Norway 1.97 compare

See the full ranking of 131 places →

More social development data for Switzerland

Political Rights Rating 1 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 208,287 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 6 (2025)
Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
Key features of democracy 0.882 (2025)
Freedom of Expression Index 0.967 (2025)
Freedom of Association Index 0.917 (2025)
Electoral Democracy Index 0.882 (2025)
Participatory Democracy Index 0.785 (2025)
Liberal Democracy Index 0.843 (2025)

All data for Switzerland →

Frequently asked questions

What is citizen satisfaction with democracy in Switzerland?: Citizen satisfaction with democracy in Switzerland was 2.58 in 2020, according to Claassen (2022) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest citizen satisfaction with democracy recorded in Switzerland?: The highest recorded value was 2.59 in 2018.
What is the lowest citizen satisfaction with democracy recorded in Switzerland?: The lowest recorded value was 1.37 in 1999.
How does Switzerland rank for citizen satisfaction with democracy?: Switzerland ranks 2nd out of 131 countries with data for 2020.
Is citizen satisfaction with democracy rising or falling in Switzerland?: Over the last ten years it is up 21.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Switzerland data come from?: The figures come from Claassen (2022) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Citizen satisfaction with democracy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 22 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator: Citizen satisfaction with democracy
Source: Claassen (2022) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 131 places, 3,021 data points, 1973–2020
Last refreshed: 07 August 2026

Central estimate of the average extent to which citizens are satisfied with democracy in their own country. It combines responses across more than one thousand nationally-representative surveys on how citizens' satisfaction with democracy.