Experience of discrimination

Discrimination refers to acts or practices that unjustifiably disadvantage, humiliate, threaten or endanger the integrity of person on grounds, for example, of their physical appearance, ethnicity, religious affiliation or gender. The indicator on the experience of discrimination captures the prevalence of the phenomenon in Switzerland from the perspective of the victims.

In 2022 the indicator measuring the experience of discrimination stood at 27%. This means that almost 3 out of 10 persons in Switzerland said that they had been subjected to discrimination over the past five years.

Change over time

During the period under observation (2010–2020), the proportion of the population saying they had experienced discrimination rose by 13 percentage points, a statistically significant increase. This percentage then stayed stable between 2020 and 2022. Due to the confidence intervals, the decrease in the rate between 2020 and 2022 is not statistically significant.

Method

Proportion of the population that said they had been a victim of discrimination or violence during the past five years. See codebook questions discri_01, discri_02. The figures presented do not tally with the cases of discrimination reported in counselling or reporting centres (explicit incidents, without conviction) or with judicial sentences (explicit incidents, sentenced in court).

Codebook

Data sources

In Switzerland, various bodies record experiences of discrimination. The Service for Combating Racism (SCRA) provides an overview of existing quantitative and qualitative data sources and monitors racial discrimination in Switzerland.

Grounds of discrimination, situations in which it occurs and its different forms

The figures below indicate which groups are most likely to experience negative treatment and the grounds of discrimination. The experiences of victims and the incidents they endured are also described.

Which grounds of discrimination do victims mention most? 

• Nationality : 40%
• Language : 25.5%
• Gender : 23%
• Ethnic origin: 21%
• Name: 20%

Discrimination is often experienced on multiple grounds. On average, victims mention two different grounds of discrimination.

Change over time

Since 2016, nationality, language and gender are the three grounds of discrimination mentioned most by victims. Over this period, there has been a statistically significant increase in the proportion of victims mentioning language or gender.

Racial discrimination

Reports of discrimination on grounds of ethnicity or race have almost doubled in 12 years. Racial discrimination includes incidents experienced as being related to nationality, ethnic origin, religion or skin colour. This increase can also be seen in other data sources, in particular those of counselling or reporting centres.

Racism in figures (German)

As part of its monitoring, the Service for Combating Racism (SCRA) provides a detailed analysis of racial discrimination in Switzerland.

Integration indicators

As part of the indicators system, the racial discrimination indicator is presented by people's migratory status.

Disadvantages

Although it may not be discrimination in the strict sense, people sometimes experience disadvantages or encounter obstacles related to their ethnic or racial background. In 2023, 11% of the population experienced disadvantages because of their language or their name and 10% because of their nationality. These grounds are among those most mentioned by victims of discrimination. For more information on disadvantages, see the Identity and belonging page.

Which situations of discrimination do victims mention most?

• Work and job search: 56%
• Public spaces: 31%
• School and education: 22%

On average, victims mention two different situations of discrimination.

Change over time

Since 2016, work and public spaces have been among the situations of discrimination mentioned most by victims. Since that time, the increase in the proportion of victims mentioning public administration has been statistically significant.

Which forms of discrimination do victims mention most?

• Exclusion and lack of consideration : 42%
• Mockery: 41%
• Verbal abuse and threats: 36%
• Mobbing and withholding information: 35%

On average, victims mention two different forms of discrimination.

Analysis of an incident and its consequences

A quarter of victims said that they had no relationship to the person discriminating against them. The person is either unknown or a stranger. In more than one in ten cases, the perpetrator is a work colleague. Almost as frequently, they are a hierarchical superior.

Two-thirds of victims react when faced with an incident of discrimination. The most frequent reactions are to discuss the incident with close friends and family, followed by confronting the perpetrator. Reports to official bodies are relatively uncommon.

Eight out of ten victims of discrimination say that the incident has had an impact on their lives, for example by preventing them from accessing a service or benefit, various forms of loss, or even a negative impact on their health. The most frequent consequences are a growing feeling of not belonging in society and a deterioration in social relations, followed by avoiding situations and places related to the incident.

Further information

Tables

Methodologies

Proportion of the population that said they had been a victim of discrimination or violence during the past five years in Switzerland. See codebook 2022 questions discri_01 and discri_02.

Proportion of victims who said they had been discriminated against: by ground, situation, form, relation to the perpetrator, reaction and consequence. Participants in the survey could mention several grounds, situations, forms, relationships, reactions and consequences of discrimination. See codebook 2023 questions discri_03_gr_, discri_04_sit_, discri_form, discri_rel, discri_reac, discri_conseq_.

To calculate the discrimination indicators, a distinction is made between two population groups:

• The population, i.e. the permanent resident population aged between 15 and 88 or the entire survey sample. In 2022 the sample comprised 2904 people and in 2023 3152.
• The victims, i.e. the population who said they had been a victim of discrimination in the last five years in Switzerland, or a subset of the survey sample. This consisted of 752 people in 2022 and 658 in 2023. 

Sources

• Survey on diversity and coexistence in Switzerland
• Pilot survey: 2010, 2012, 2014
• Main survey: 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022
• Module: 2023
• Time series breaks between 2014 and 2016 and 2022 and 2023

Due to differences between the 2022 and 2023 questionnaires, and despite the fact that the questions on discrimination are similar, the results of those two years cannot be compared with one another.

Documentation on survey