First-ever figures on hate crime in Switzerland
More than three out of 100 Swiss people have experienced crime motivated by prejudice. A new study sheds light on this type of crime in Switzerland for the first time.
A representative study published in 2023 has provided data on the prevalence of hate crime in Switzerland. The survey examined whether the offences were linked to group affiliation, such as skin colour, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation. Out of 15,519 respondents, 3.4 percent reported having experienced an attack based on group affiliation in the previous year, with insults being the most common form. In 40.1 percent of cases, the assault was based on ethnicity, followed by gender (17.7 percent) and appearance (17.5 percent).
Most extensive victim survey to date
These findings stem from the 2022 Crime Survey, which was carried out on behalf of the Conference of Cantonal Police Commanders of Switzerland. The victim survey is the most extensive survey of its kind to date and was conducted by the Institute of Delinquency and Crime Prevention at the ZHAW School of Social Work and the University of St. Gallen.
Cybercrime on the rise
The survey also highlighted positive developments since the last assessment in 2015: more than eight out of ten people feel safe in Switzerland. Property crimes such as robbery and theft have decreased. Meanwhile, cybercrime is on the rise, ranking second at 6.2 percent, right behind fraud at 8.4 percent. However, official figures for cybercrimes often remain underreported: according to the study, only one out of ten online offences end up being reported.