Digitalisation as a strategy for the future: opportunities, hurdles and...
A recent study by gfs.bern on behalf of the Swiss Bar Association sheds light on...
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Sixty years of expertise and innovation in political and communications research
gfs.bern provides empirical and evidence-based answers to a wide variety of societal, political and economic questions.
We are seen as leading the way with our findings on opinion forming trends in Switzerland and in direct democratic processes. We apply a wide variety of methods for data gathering: representative surveys, specific target group surveys, focus groups, qualitative in-depth interviews, planning and accompanying studies for campaigning, data modelling, regional analyses and media analyses. We also conduct surveys simply and efficiently using our own online panels polittrends.ch.
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Before and after national elections and referendums we conduct surveys among voters on behalf of Switzerland’s Federal Chancellery or the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRG / SRR).
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These are used when approximate or anecdotal knowledge of opinions among target groups or stakeholders is not sufficient.
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Impact analyses and evaluations are methods that are used to study the How and Why of political and societal changes.
Over 60 years of expertise in political and communications research
gfs.bern stands for political and communications research. A further key aspect of our work lies in the accompaniment of strategic, evidence-based communication
The GfS research institute was founded in 1959 by the Schweizerische Gesellschaft für praktische Sozialforschung. Even in the early days, the findings published by the GfS Research Institute on opinion forming trends in Switzerland and in direct democratic processes were considered groundbreaking. From 1992, the GfS research institute had an independent office in Bern in the form of gfs.bern.
Our clients include political parties, associations, private-sector companies, cities and municipalities, cantons, the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRG/SRR) and also civil society organizations. Our services cover all kinds of market and opinion research, such as surveys, data science, evaluations, analyses around referendums and campaigning, as well as campaign analyses, issue monitoring or image and reputation analysis for the optimization of communication strategies.
Switzerland in figures and words, the latest referendum results and current gfs.bern publications
We provide background information and rankings on referendums, opinion polls, barometers and monitors. We have summarized the most important points for you and present the details here.
08.05.2026
1st SRG trend survey on the federal vote of june 14th 2026
Voter turnout 50% | Deadlock on the ‘No to a 10-million-strong Switzerland’ initiative, narrow majority in favour of amending the Civil Service Act
Had the vote taken place on 26 April 2026, the amendment to the Civil Service Act would have been approved. The sustainability initiative, however, would have resulted in a deadlock.
Opinion-forming on the two proposals is at different stages of development at this early stage of the referendum campaign. Support for the SVP’s sustainability initiative appears comparatively solid: 79 per cent of those willing to vote state a firm intention to vote for or against the proposal. Opinion-forming is less advanced regarding the amendment to the Civil Service Act. Here, only 57 per cent of those willing to participate express a firm opinion in favour or against it. The arguments underpinning voting decisions are also already clearly discernible at the start of the main campaign for the SVP’s sustainability initiative. Regarding the amendment to the Civil Service Act, however, they remain less pronounced.
At 50 per cent, voter turnout is already above the long-term average of 47.1 per cent between 2011 and 2024, according to the FSO.
These findings represent a snapshot at the start of the main campaign phase and should not be interpreted as a forecast.
05.05.2026 | Barometer
TCS Travel Barometer 2026: Travel in times of global crises and conflicts – security concerns shape travel behaviour
The desire to travel in Switzerland remains strong, despite growing global uncertainties. However, safety concerns are increasingly leading to changes in travel destinations and travel styles.
30.04.2026 | Barometer
Justice Barometer 2026: Confidence in the justice system is falling significantly
The 2026 Justice Barometer reveals a clear shift in the Swiss public’s perception: confidence in the fairness of the system is waning, and a narrow majority no longer considers Switzerland to be a fair country. Compared with the first survey in 2024, public sentiment has deteriorated significantly. At the heart of the criticism are primarily issues surrounding costs, income and distribution – and thus the fundamental question of who bears which burdens in society and who benefits from them.
30.04.2026 | Surveys
Switzerland 2038 – Support is built where funding, trust and implementation are seen as credible
Currently, a majority of Swiss voters support a bid to host the 2038 Winter Olympics and Paralympics. At the same time, the project is caught between a sense of keen interest and fundamental reservations. Whether this majority will hold depends on how credibly the opportunities and risks are assessed.
