16% of the Swiss population intend to reduce their spending on healthcare products such as over-the-counter medicines, dietary supplements or medical devices in 2026. These are the findings of a representative survey of 1046 people conducted by Yougov Switzerland from February 18 to 23, 2026.
Abandonment and generics as the most common cost-saving measures
Of the respondents who plan to make savings, 94% say they are likely to do without products that are not absolutely necessary. 80 percent plan to focus more on promotional products. 76 percent would probably buy cheaper generics in pharmacies or drugstores.
Buying comparable products in retail outlets such as Migros, Coop or Müller instead of in pharmacies or drugstores is mentioned by 68% as a likely measure. Buying cheaper products abroad is a possibility for 47%.
Differences by age group
The willingness to make savings decreases with increasing age: among 18 to 29-year-olds, 23% are planning reductions, i.e. almost one in four. In the 45 to 59 age group, the proportion is 13 percent, and only 9 percent of 60 to 79-year-olds.
Financial situation as background
At the beginning of the survey, 34% of respondents stated that their financial situation, after deducting fixed costs, had deteriorated compared to previous years. 49% reported no change and 17% an improvement.
"The data shows that a relevant proportion of the Swiss population is actively looking for ways to save on healthcare products. The focus here is on pragmatic measures such as avoiding non-essential products and switching to cheaper alternatives, for example by buying alternatives from retailers. Although a massive exodus from the specialist channel is not to be expected, there is nevertheless a creeping erosion by abandoning high-margin products, switching to generics and the aforementioned migration to alternative channels," says Christian Rieder, Head of Health at Yougov Switzerland.
"The competitive pressure in specialist retail continues to increase. It is becoming increasingly important to precisely understand the target groups in the market and their motives in order to implement a solid brand strategy with valid data. This is precisely where our medic*scope product offers a decisive information advantage. medic*scope tracks who buys what on a quarterly basis and, above all, why, so that changes in the market can be responded to at an early stage. In addition, medic*scope offers important key figures for category management, which are not only must-have KPIs for all followers of Byron Sharp ("how brands grow")," adds Rieder.
About the method
The data for this survey is based on online interviews with members of the Yougov Switzerland panel who agreed to participate in advance. For this survey, a total of 1046 people in Switzerland were interviewed between February 18 and 23, 2026 as part of an omnibus study by Yougov Switzerland. The surveys were split by age, gender and language region and the results were then weighted accordingly, including marginal weighting by household size and employment. The results are representative of the resident population in Switzerland aged between 15 and 79.
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Donations are most frequently made for humanitarian aid following crises (41%). Women support such humanitarian issues significantly more often than men (47% vs. 35%). In contrast, men donate more often than average to nature and environmental protection (40 percent) (45 vs. 36 percent). Social causes (40 percent) and health organizations (36 percent) follow in equal measure. There are regional differences: Money is donated more frequently in German-speaking Switzerland (68%)
Personal values as the strongest driver - but not the same for everyone
The most important motivation for donating is personal values or life experiences (65 percent). There are relevant age differences here: While personal values are clearly decisive for all respondents, this factor is less central for 18 to 29-year-olds (54 percent), but is still important for around half. Emotional connection (29%), proximity to the topic (24%) and visible, measurable results (25%) follow at a considerable distance. Regionally, the importance of proximity is particularly high in Ticino, where local ties are more important for donations (40 percent).
Why some people don't donate
The most important reason for not donating is a lack of available budget (36 percent). This particularly affects younger people: In the 18 to 29 age group, the proportion of non-donors is significantly higher than in all older groups. Other common barriers are a lack of trust in charitable organizations (27%) and uncertainty about the use of funds (26%).
There are regional differences when it comes to trust in organizations. Only 11 percent of people in German-speaking Switzerland state that they do not trust church organizations - in French-speaking Switzerland (23 percent) and Ticino (22 percent), this figure is significantly higher.
Volunteering: almost one in two people do voluntary work
Almost half of the Swiss population has done voluntary work in the past year (47%). Of these, this is particularly common in sports clubs (31%). This is followed by social organizations (22 percent), community and neighbourhood organizations (20 percent), churches, leisure clubs and cultural associations (19 percent each).
In German-speaking Switzerland, volunteering in church organizations is more common than average (22% compared to 11% and 9% in French-speaking Switzerland and Ticino respectively).
Motivations for volunteering - community stronger than donations
As with donations, personal values and life experiences are the most important motivators (65%). However, in contrast to donations, a sense of community plays a much greater role in volunteering (45% vs. 24% for donations). Personal involvement (30 percent) is particularly important for people in French-speaking Switzerland (55 percent) and Ticino (62 percent), compared to 21 percent in German-speaking Switzerland. Measurable results (24%) follow behind.
Overall, volunteering is often activated through the direct environment: through personal requests (48 percent) or contacts in one's own environment.
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"Alpine Futures Monitor - Unlocking global insight for Alpine destination growth" - under this leitmotif, the study offers comprehensive international comparative data and in-depth insights into brand strength, visitor and booking behavior as well as the needs and expectations of current and future guests.
Central added value for destinations
The Alpine Futures Monitor is designed as a syndicated data product and is aimed at management and marketing teams of mountain destinations, tourism organizations and service providers in the Alpine region. The study offers, among other things:
- International benchmarks for brand awareness, brand perception and competitive position
- Precise target group profiles for a differentiated approach - from young adults and families to high-income segments
- Sound decision-making basis for brand management, product development and communication strategies
- Specific recommendations for action to systematically open up new markets and sharpen the brand profile
The results are provided in an interactive online dashboard that allows flexible filters by country, target group and destination - including segmentation by young adults, families or high net worth individuals, for example.
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The sun is beating down, the sweat is dripping. It's summer! For many, this means putting on their swimming gear and getting into the cool water. For some, however, the looks of other people at the sea or by the pool also trigger stress and self-doubt.
How comfortable do women and men feel in a bikini and swimming trunks? What clothing do they prefer when swimming? As part of a representative study conducted by market researcher YouGov Switzerland on behalf of online retailer Galaxus, 5,263 people from Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Italy and France provided information on this topic.
Happy on the Danube, uncomfortable on the Seine
The figures show big differences by gender: one in three women in Europe feels uncomfortable in swimwear. Only one in five men do. In contrast, one in five men feel "very comfortable" in their swimwear, but only one in ten women.
French women like the bathing costume the least. On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = very uncomfortable, 5 = very comfortable), they have a comfort factor of 2.6. For young mademoiselles in particular, it seems to be a horror to wear a swimming costume or bikini: at 2.5, 15 to 29-year-old French women have the lowest score of all the groups surveyed. Monsieurs of the same age came in at 3.3.
Across all countries, it is clear that young men generally feel good in a swimsuit. In addition to France, young men in Switzerland also achieve a feel-good score of 3.6. However, it is the older generation that is ahead: In Germany, France and Italy, men over 60 are the generation with the highest feel-good score in a swimsuit. In Switzerland, it is the 45 to 59-year-olds.
The most self-confident people in swimwear come from Austria, with a score of 4.0 out of 5. And in a comparison among women, the Austrians are also at the top of Europe's feel-good rankings among 15 to 44-year-olds with a score of 3.4. This is followed by Switzerland, where all female age groups have the same satisfaction score of 3.1.
Less skin with every year
The above figures are also reflected in the choice of swimsuit: the proportion of women wearing bikinis decreases with age. In Switzerland, one in three women aged between 15 and 29 prefer to wear bikinis, in Germany it is one in four. In the 45 to 59 age group, it is still one in six or one in seven women.
Italy is an exception. There, too, the bikini rate falls with increasing age. Nevertheless, almost as many over-60s slip into a bikini on the beaches from Rimini to Capri as 15 to 29-year-olds in France.
When it comes to men's swimwear, fashion changes very little over the course of their lives: the majority consistently opt for classic swim shorts. Speedos are worn, if at all, by men over 45.
Boys in Italy have a peculiarity: compared to the rest of Europe, they are more likely than average to wear board shorts suitable for surfing. Every seventh young man opts for the slightly longer shorts, which often reach down to the knees.
It remains to be seen whether this trend from the fashion country Italy will also reach the rest of Europe. But perhaps Italians will inspire women all over Europe to simply wear whatever they feel like when swimming - regardless of age. After all, swimming against the tide of society is in right now.