Despite housing shortage: Swiss reject building solutions
59% of the Swiss population perceive a housing shortage in their region. Nevertheless, a majority reject structural solutions to this problem. This is shown by a representative Comparis survey.
27.01.2026
iStock/Michael Derrer Fuchs
1. Switzerland is suffering from a housing shortage
A representative Comparis survey shows that the housing shortage remains an important everyday issue in Switzerland. 59% of the adult population perceive a lack of available housing In cities, the figure is as high as 66 percent.
2. What solutions are there to the lack of housing?
There are various solutions to the housing shortage. These include:
Building higher buildings (e.g. more than six floors)
Denser development (e.g., smaller distances between houses and fewer green spaces)
Creation of new building zones (e.g., on current agricultural or green areas)
3. Despite housing shortage: solutions unwanted
Although a clear majority of the population feels the housing shortage, structural measures to solve this problem are unpopular:
50 percent of respondents reject the construction of higher buildings (more than 6 floors) in their municipality.
68 percent are against a denser development with less green space and smaller distances.
66 percent reject new building zones at the expense of agricultural or green areas.
Only the Restriction of appeals finds a relative majority: 47 percent of respondents are in favour, 43 percent against.
The survey shows that Switzerland needs more housing, but does not know where it should come from. We want more homes – but we don't want to build higher or denser, nor do we want to encroach on green spaces or reduce the number of objections.
Gender gap: women perceive a housing shortage, but reject measures to combat it
The graph shows: although men and women perceive the housing shortage almost equally (59 percent vs. 58 percent), their attitudes to possible measures differ significantly.
Women often bear the brunt of family and neighbourhood – changes in the living environment are therefore probably perceived more strongly as a loss of quality of life. Men seem to think more pragmatically and are more willing to compromise – and they may still be more likely to bear the financial burden of rent.
4. City dwellers and young people are ready for higher houses
The housing shortage is felt most acutely by young people aged 18 to 35 and the urban population. Approval for construction measures is also highest in these two groups: 52 percent of young respondents would be willing to build higher. Among urban residents, the figure is even 54 percent.
5. Conclusion: social tension in housing policy
According to Comparis finance expert Harry Büsser Switzerland is facing a future with high demand for housing, low construction activity and major political hurdles.
At the same time, it is not foreseeable whether structural solutions to the housing shortage will meet with more approval in the future. Measures are as unpopular as in the previous survey from May 2025. Only in the creation of new building zones is there a statistically significant difference: currently 30 percent agree, while in 2025 it was still 25 percent.
Politicians and builders need patience, courage – and good arguments. Especially towards women and in rural areas. Now we have to decide: do we want to seriously combat the housing shortage or just talk about it? Without building higher and without faster building permit procedures, the housing shortage will worsen.
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Methodology
The representative survey was carried out by the market research institute Innofact on behalf of comparis.ch in November 2025 among 1,039 adults in all regions of Switzerland.
This article was first published on 19.06.2025
