Donations fall in Switzerland, & German speakers no longer most generous

Public donations to charity in Switzerland dropped by 10% in 2023 to a total of 2.25bn CHF (€2.42bn), according to a report by EFA member Swissfundraising, and Zewo Foundation.

Support for Ukraine had led to particularly strong giving in 2022, but 2023’s total is still the second-highest in history, and has more than doubled in the past two decades.

The report, available both in French and in German, shows that 72% of households made a donation in 2023, down from 80% in both 2021 and 2022, and a high of 84% in 2019.

Meanwhile, the median donation remains at the record 400CHF first seen last year, after several years of increases from 300CHF in 2019.

For the first time, Swiss Germans are no longer the most generous community in the country – the number of households in that region who made a donation last year dropped from 87% to 74%. Less dramatic drops were seen in the French speaking community (75% to 66%), and among Italian speakers, who are now the most generous at 76% (82% in 2024).

Environment and animals remains the most popular cause, followed by disability and social and emergency aid, while children and adolescents has dropped out of the top three to fifth overall.

The report notes that animal protection is a particularly popular cause among donors over 70, while those aged 15-34 are particularly drawn to refugee charities.

Overall, the 15-34 age group saw the largest drop in giving last year, with 60% donating in 2023 (78% in 2022), while there were less dramatic drops for those aged 35-54 (72%, down from 82%) and those aged 55-99 (82%, down from 89%).

In an interview included as part of the report, Swissfundraising board member Ruth Wagner says:

“After a very long period of solidarity, Switzerland is generally showing signs of weariness and fatigue in terms of donations: on the one hand, there is the fact that, given the state of the economy, households are more concerned about their own financial security. On the other hand, there is certainly also a growing fatigue and helplessness in the face of an increasingly uncertain and devastated world.”

Picture by Heiner on Pexels