Switzerland remains a nation of savers, with nearly 60 percent of the population setting aside money regularly over the past twelve months, according to the first-ever Monitor Finanzkompetenz released Monday by Migros Bank. The survey coincides with World Savings Day, observed on the last working day of October.
For 43 percent of respondents, security tops the list of savings motives — primarily the desire to avoid losing money. Long-term wealth building came second at 31 percent, while flexibility ranked nearly as high, with 30 percent wanting unrestricted access to their funds at any time. Additional motivations included tax optimization at 28 percent, retirement preparation at 26 percent, and protection against unexpected expenses at 25 percent. Just 3 percent said they saved nothing at all.
The study found that the importance of security grows with age, and women place greater weight on it than men. The reverse holds for wealth building: its significance declines with age and is less important to women than to men.
Overall financial resilience appears robust. Ten percent reported being unable to pay a bill on time in the past year due to a lack of funds, while 90 percent said they managed their regular payments well. Eighty-six percent could cover an unexpected expense of roughly CHF 2,500 without taking out a loan or selling valuables. Despite this cushion, nearly half of respondents said they worry about money frequently.
Engagement with retirement planning was high in intensity but narrow in scope. Sixty-two percent said they worry strongly or very strongly about Vorsorge — Switzerland’s three-pillar pension system — yet the focus concentrates on straightforward measures such as saving through the third pillar. Slightly more than half make regular 3a contributions, including two-thirds of those aged 18 to 39. Only about a third had reviewed their Vorsorgeausweis, the official pension statement, for gaps. Thirty percent had addressed inheritance, wills, advance directives, or patient instructions, and 28 percent had consulted a financial adviser. Voluntary additional payments into the occupational pension fund were made by just 15 percent.
When asked why they hold back on further pension savings, 38 percent cited a lack of disposable income. Roughly a third rely on the state pension (AHV) and occupational schemes, while a fifth said the system is too complicated.
The study surveyed nearly 3,600 people aged 18 and older across all four language regions of Switzerland. Fieldwork ran from June 29 to July 23, 2026.
