Votes in numbers
What more than 170 years of popular votes show. All figures come from the official results.
Based on 706 proposals with a result, 1848 to 2026.
Turnout
Each dot is one proposal; the line shows the average per decade.
Average since 2000: 47%.
Numbers as a table
| Decade | Proposals | Average |
|---|---|---|
| 1870s | 2 | 61 % |
| 1880s | 12 | 59 % |
| 1890s | 22 | 57 % |
| 1900s | 14 | 55 % |
| 1910s | 11 | 51 % |
| 1920s | 32 | 61 % |
| 1930s | 23 | 63 % |
| 1940s | 17 | 60 % |
| 1950s | 45 | 51 % |
| 1960s | 26 | 45 % |
| 1970s | 86 | 42 % |
| 1980s | 62 | 41 % |
| 1990s | 100 | 42 % |
| 2000s | 91 | 46 % |
| 2010s | 82 | 47 % |
| 2020s | 62 | 51 % |
Popular initiatives
How many popular initiatives came to the vote in each decade, and how many were accepted.
Since 1893, 26 of 244 popular initiatives were accepted (11%).
- 1890s1 of 3
- 1900s1 of 4
- 1910s1 of 3
- 1920s3 of 14
- 1930s0 of 6
- 1940s1 of 6
- 1950s0 of 10
- 1960s0 of 5
- 1970s0 of 23
- 1980s2 of 24
- 1990s3 of 29
- 2000s5 of 44
- 2010s5 of 45
- 2020s4 of 28
Do voters follow the Federal Council?
Share of proposals per decade where the result matched the Federal Council's recommendation.
Since 1875: 76% (431 of 570 proposals).
Numbers as a table
| Decade | Proposals | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1870s | 8 | 38 % |
| 1880s | 8 | 25 % |
| 1890s | 10 | 40 % |
| 1900s | 9 | 67 % |
| 1910s | 4 | 75 % |
| 1920s | 21 | 67 % |
| 1930s | 14 | 57 % |
| 1940s | 13 | 69 % |
| 1950s | 22 | 64 % |
| 1960s | 13 | 69 % |
| 1970s | 52 | 81 % |
| 1980s | 62 | 79 % |
| 1990s | 99 | 80 % |
| 2000s | 91 | 82 % |
| 2010s | 82 | 82 % |
| 2020s | 62 | 76 % |
Röstigraben
Yes share in French-speaking Switzerland minus yes share in German-speaking Switzerland, per proposal. Above zero, the Romandie voted yes more often; below zero, German-speaking Switzerland did.
In the 2020s: on average 8 percentage points apart.
The largest differences
- Abkommen mit Frankreich betreffend Hochsavoyen18 February 1923+54 points
- Railway accounting Act4 October 1896−51 points
- Initiative to ban slaughter without stunning20 August 1893−50 points
- Banknote monopoly18 October 1891−48 points
- Monopoly on matches29 September 1895−46 points
Cantons by their majority language: Fribourg and Valais count as French-speaking, Bern and Graubünden as German-speaking.
Numbers as a table
| Decade | Proposals | Difference (points) |
|---|---|---|
| 1860s | 9 | 19.1 |
| 1870s | 11 | 21.7 |
| 1880s | 12 | 11.6 |
| 1890s | 22 | 24.4 |
| 1900s | 14 | 9.8 |
| 1910s | 11 | 9.3 |
| 1920s | 32 | 11.7 |
| 1930s | 23 | 11.3 |
| 1940s | 17 | 8.3 |
| 1950s | 45 | 10.2 |
| 1960s | 26 | 11.0 |
| 1970s | 86 | 7.6 |
| 1980s | 62 | 9.4 |
| 1990s | 100 | 10.5 |
| 2000s | 91 | 8.5 |
| 2010s | 82 | 8.6 |
| 2020s | 60 | 7.6 |
Cantons with the majority
How often the canton's majority voted the same way as Switzerland as a whole, since 1990.
- Bern95 %
- Solothurn95 %
- Lucerne94 %
- Zurich93 %
- Basel-Landschaft93 %
- Zug92 %
- Graubünden91 %
- Aargau91 %
- St. Gallen90 %
- Schaffhausen90 %
- Nidwalden88 %
- Glarus88 %
- Appenzell Ausserrhoden87 %
- Thurgau87 %
- Obwalden86 %
- Fribourg86 %
- Basel-Stadt85 %
- Uri84 %
- Valais83 %
- Vaud82 %
- Ticino82 %
- Appenzell Innerrhoden80 %
- Schwyz80 %
- Neuchâtel80 %
- Geneva78 %
- Jura77 %
Parties by topic
Where the parties stood on a topic, decade by decade: how often they recommended Yes, and their recommendations on the latest votes.
Source: Swissvotes (Année Politique Suisse, University of Bern) and FSO; own analysis.