The Science Barometer Switzerland (Wissenschaftsbarometer Schweiz) is a regular, nationally representative survey of the Swiss resident population conducted every three years, first launched in 2016. Since 2025, more than 1,500 individuals aged 16 and over have been recruited from the German-, French-, and Italian-speaking regions of Switzerland using the Swiss Federal Statistical Office's (FSO) Sampling Frame for Population and Household Surveys (SRPH) and surveyed through online and paper questionnaires. For the first three survey waves (2016, 2019, and 2022), approximately 1,000 individuals aged 15 and over were interviewed in 20-minute telephone interviews. This change in data collection methodology should be taken into account when making comparisons across survey waves.
The overall sample is weighted according to gender, age, language region, canton, type of settlement, and education. This weighting ensures that the sample reflects the structure of the target population with regard to these characteristics. As a result, the findings are representative and can be generalized to the population within the limits of statistical margins of error. The survey measures Swiss residents’ scientific knowledge as well as their attitudes toward scientific issues. In addition, respondents are asked about their use of different sources of information: the extent to which they consume science-related content in newspapers, on radio and television; how often they encounter such topics on the internet and social media; the degree to which they make use of non-media information sources such as museums and zoos; and whether they discuss these topics with family and friends. On this basis, the relationships between Swiss residents’ information behavior and their attitudes toward science and research can be examined. Through time-series analyses and comparisons with survey data from other countries, it is also possible to draw conclusions about changes in science communication and its audiences over time.
The project therefore provides current and meaningful cross-sectional and trend data and helps identify both opportunities and challenges for science communication.
