Hope Barometer 2025: What gives people in Switzerland trust in their future?

Can people still hope at all in times of social, ecological and political crises? Hope is only truly relevant where there is worry, suffering and grade. It is precisely when people are not doing well or when they are worried about the future that they recognise the existential value of hope and that they cannot do without it. "Hope is what motivates us to act in the first place, because without it we would give up," says Dr Andreas M. Krafft, author and study director of the Hope Barometer. Hope is the human phenomenon against despair and indifference, against despondency and disinterest. At the HSG, he teaches Positive Psychology and researches how hope and confidence affect people's lives. In his course "Positive Futures - The Hope Workshop", he enables students to create a "desirable future" for themselves and others. He also teaches the "Psychology of a Fulfilling Life" and the "Psychology of Future Thinking".

Current survey: How do people see the world in 2044?

Around 4,300 people in Switzerland and 5,500 people worldwide were surveyed for the new edition of the "Hope Barometer 2025" study. Once again, the study explores how people in Switzerland and other regions of the world think about the future and their country in 20 years' time. What are their fears and wishes? How will the quality of life in their countries look like? Which visions of the future are seen as likely, and which futures are considered desirable for a good life? It turns out that people in wealthier countries assume a crisis-ridden future, while poorer and crisis-ridden countries retain a belief in a better future. The pessimism about the future, which is particularly evident in the rich countries of Europe, is a consequence of increasing uncertainty. The situation in the world is seen as threatening and out of control by many people who were previously accustomed to security and order. What surprises the study director is the strong desire and will for peace, sustainability and progress in a time full of crises and conflicts.

Results of the survey

According to the latest survey, most people in Switzerland are generally satisfied with their lives and are also optimistic about the future. However, personal satisfaction and confidence are dampened by a general unease about social and global events and developments. The international research network has now also surveyed people in crisis regions such as Palestine, Israel and Jordan. This revealed that pessimism about the future is much more pronounced in richer countries than in poorer regions of the world.

The key findings of the study are:

• Little trust in betterment, but willingness to change: personal dissatisfaction is often linked to scepticism towards politics, the economy and global developments. Many people would be prepared to take action to protect the climate if politicians and business were to do more.
• Regional differences in future expectations: In wealthy countries, many people expect their quality of life to deteriorate, while people in poorer countries hope for improvements.
• Economic progress alone is not enough: economy and technology do not solve social and ecological problems on their own - prosperity nevertheless remains important, especially in poorer countries.
• Scepticism towards technology and AI: Many doubt whether technologies and AI can improve the climate crisis or social problems and are rather critical of them. Some see AI as an opportunity to improve skills, but the majority are sceptical or dismissive. For technology to inspire hope, it must contribute to the achievement of personal and social goals.
• Sustainability and harmony as goals: Most people want a future with sustainability, harmony and peace without loss of prosperity. The main sources of hope are health, family, relationships and a meaningful life.

The hope barometer puts these theses up for discussion:

• Confidence despite worries: Most people in Switzerland are satisfied with their lives, but are concerned about global and social developments. Given their opportunities and skills, more people in Switzerland could get involved in tackling environmental and social challenges, both professionally and on a voluntary basis.
• More confidence in solutions needed: There is a lack of confidence that politics and business can solve social and environmental problems. Individual confidence can serve as a basis for collective confidence when working together on new solutions.
• Desire for sustainability and a sense of community: People are striving for more sustainability, social cohesion and peace. Most respondents reject progress without consideration for the environment and social values.
• Technology as an opportunity and a risk: Technological advances offer hope, but also raise fears - they should be more closely aligned with people's needs and wishes.

About the Switzerland 2025 hope barometer

The Hope Barometer has been conducted annually since 2009 for the coming year in an online survey with the support of the daily newspaper 20 Minuten. The current report presents the results of the survey in November and December 2024. The public was asked about their expectations for the future in various areas, about long-term social future scenarios, about their personal hopes, about the sources of hope and about their attitude towards climate change and artificial intelligence (AI).

In addition to the data from Switzerland, the survey is now also being conducted in collaboration with universities in Australia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Greece, France, India, Israel, Italy, Nigeria, Poland, Portugal, Spain, South Africa, Lebanon, Egypt, Palestine and Japan. The international research network of the Hope Barometer consists of more than 20 scientists who collect and analyse data together. Study director Dr Andreas M. Krafft is Research Associate for Future Studies at the Institute for Systemic Management and Public Governance at the University of St. Gallen and Co-President of the Swiss Association for Futures Studies.

You can also find more on the topic of hope research and positive psychology in the Spiegel podcast "Smarter Life" with Dr Andreas M. Krafft and in the SRF-produced programme " Hoffnungbringer ". The results of the study were also published by project partner 20 Minuten.

Image: Adobe Stock / Kittiphan