The Friendliest Cantons in Switzerland

Ticino is Switzerland’s friendliest canton. That is the verdict of a survey of 1500 people across German- and French-speaking Switzerland conducted by moneyland.ch in July 2021. The survey aimed to determine how friendly the population of each canton is, through the eyes of the Swiss population as a whole. Survey participants gave the highest friendliness ratings to Switzerland’s southernmost canton, with Ticino receiving an average rating of 7.4 out of 10 for friendliness. Grisons follows with 7.3 points. Both of these top-scoring cantons are popular holiday destinations for resident of German-speaking Switzerland.

You can get a full breakdown of friendliness ratings per canton as a PDF at the foot of this article.

Grisons and Lucerne popular with young adults

Ticino is particularly highly-rated by older adults. On average, Ticino receiving a rating of 7.8 out of 10 points from adults in the 50-74 age group. Adults between the ages of 26 and 49 gave Ticino a 7.3-point rating. This makes Ticino the highest-rated canton in terms of friendliness for adults in both of these age groups.

Young adults show different preferences. Adults between the ages of 18 and 25 years old collectively rate Ticino with just 6.7 points for friendliness. Grisons and Lucerne garnered slightly higher ratings than Ticino, at 6.9 points each.

The least-friendly canton

The canton of Geneva received the lowest friendliness ratings, with an average overall rating of just 5.8 points. The Genevans are the only population group to be rated with less than 6 points for friendliness. According to residents of Aargau, Fribourg, Lucerne, Solothurn, Thurgau, and Valais, the Genevans are the least likeable people in Switzerland.

Even the Genevans themselves consider other cantons to be more friendly – namely Neuchâtel, Ticino, and Valais.

In addition to receiving the lowest ratings from other cantons, Geneva also received the lowest ratings from its own residents of any canton. “That stands out because the majority of survey participants considered their own cantons to be the friendliest,” explains Benjamin Manz, CEO of online comparison service moneyland.ch. A possible explanation for this is that Geneva has an exceptionally large expatriate population, which may perceive fellow residents as less friendly than people in other cantons.

Young adults find Switzerland unfriendly

The survey also shows that the canton of residence and age both play significant roles in how positively or negatively residents perceive the rest of Switzerland. People living in the Canton of Zug are the most generous with their praise, rating each of Switzerland’s other cantons with around 7.5 points for friendliness. Residents of the cantons of Jura and Neuchâtel are not as lenient, being the only ones to give all other cantons average ratings of just 6 points for friendliness.

Young adults are the stingiest in their appraisals. Residents between the ages of 18 and 25 give their fellow residents average overall ratings of just 5.9 points per canton. Adults between the ages of 26 and 49 find Switzerland somewhat more friendly, with average ratings of 6.3 points. Adults in the oldest age group gave Swiss cantons an average of 6.9 points for friendliness. This indicates that young people tend to be more sparing in their ratings – a pattern which can also be seen across other surveys such as those for mobile plans and credit cards.

Bad ratings across linguistic borders

People who live in German-speaking cantons generally give French-speaking cantons somewhat poorer friendliness ratings. Likewise, residents of French-speaking cantons generally give German-speaking cantons poor notes. On average, German-speaking cantons rate French-speaking cantons 0.6 percent lower. French-speaking Swiss rate German-speaking cantons around half a point lower, on average, than other cantons. On average, however, cantons in both linguistic regions received almost identical ratings (6.5 points).

French-speaking cantons give the highest ratings to Italian-speaking Ticino. With German-speaking Swiss, Ticino lands in second place after Grisons. But in spite of linguistic barriers, residents across both French- and German-speaking cantons agree on one thing: Geneva is the least-friendly canton, with an average rating of 5.8 points across all cantons. Even Zurich received an average of 6.3 points from all cantons regardless of linguistic regions.

A pattern which stands out is that people often give residents of neighboring cantons above-average likeability ratings.

Friendliness ratings by canton

• Aargau: With a friendliness rating of 6.2 points, Argovians fall below the countrywide average of 6.5 points. The Canton of Jura gives Aargau just 5.1 points for friendliness. Positive feedback, on the other hand, comes primarily from neighboring cantons. Residents of Zug find Argovians relatively friendly, rating them with 6.8 out of 10 points. They are followed by residents of Solothurn (6.7 points). It is worth noting that residents of Zug show a tendency towards giving high friendliness ratings to other cantons, and the rating given to Aargau is average for generous Zug.
• Appenzell Ausserrhoden: This canton follows Geneva as the second least friendly canton in Switzerland – as perceived by other Swiss residents – with an average rating of just 6.1 points. Appenzell Outer Rhodes gets its worst ratings from French-speaking Switzerland, with just 4.8 points from Neuchâtel – the lowest score given to any canton. Ratings from Genevans (5.2 points) and Jura (5.3 points) are also poor. On the other hand, Appenzell Ausserrhoden is perceived as very friendly by residents of Zug (7.6 points) and Schwyz (7 points). Those are high ratings, even taking into account the overall positivity of Zug and Schwyz residents with regards to other cantons.
• Appenzell Innerrhoden: Inner Rhodes is considered somewhat friendlier than Outer Rhodes, receiving an average rating of 6.2 points. Like Outer Rhodes, Appenzell Inner Rhodes received high ratings from the Cantons of Zug (7.4 points) and Schwyz (7.0 points). Like Outer Rhodes, residents of Inner Rhodes are considered relatively unfriendly by French-speaking Swiss. Inhabitants of Neuchâtel in particular do not find Inner Rhodians very friendly, giving them a 5.1-point rating.
• Basel-Landschaft: Both cantons of Basel received an average of 6.3 points – slightly below the national average of 6.5 points. An interesting fact is that residents of Basel-Stadt give Basel-Landschaft a high 7.4-point rating for friendliness. High ratings also come from Solothurn (7.3 points) and Zug (7.1 points). Less positive ratings come from Neuchâtel (5.5 points) and Zurich – with the 5.8 points for Basel-Landschaft being the lowest given by Zurichians to any canton.
• Basel-Stadt: Basel-Stadt too falls just under the 6.5 countrywide average, with a rating of 6.3 points. Basel City received the highest friendliness ratings from Basel-Landschaft (7.3 points) and Zug (7.1 points). The inhabitants of Schaffhausen (5.7 points) and Neuchâtel (5.8 points), on the other hand, are less impressed with Basel’s friendliness.
• Bern: The canton which hosts the federal capital is considered to be a pretty friendly place, receiving an average rating of 7 points. Only Grisons and Ticino received higher ratings. And it is not the Bernese themselves who give Bern the best ratings. These come from the Canton of Zug (8.2 points) and Solothurn (8 points). Bernese themselves give their canton a 7.7-point rating for friendliness. Residents of Jura are the Bernese’ biggest critics, giving them just 5.9 points for likeability. It is important to note that Jura rated most cantons poorly, and the rating given to Bern is not far below their average.
• Fribourg: The bilingual canton gets a 6.6 rating for friendliness, putting it slightly about the average for all cantons. Fribourgians are most popular in Valais, with Valaisans giving them 7.4 points for friendliness. Residents of Zug and Vaud also find Fribourgians likeable, with both of these giving Fribourg a 7.2-point rating. Like Bern and Valais, Fribourg received good ratings from both French- and German-speaking Switzerland – possibly because of its bilingualism. Fribourg is somewhat less likeable for inhabitants of Basel-Landschaft (5.9 points) and St. Gallen (6 points).
• Geneva: With 5.8 points – 0.7 points under the countrywide average – Genevans are the least likeable people for other Swiss. Interestingly, even the French-speaking cantons of Neuchâtel (5 points) and Jura (5.3 points) give Geneva poor friendliness ratings. Even Genevans themselves consider residents of Neuchâtel, Ticino and Valais to be more likeable than their own population. But Geneva did receive decent ratings from Schwyz (7 points) and Zug (6.8 points).
• Glarus: The Canton of Glarus has an average rating of 6.3 points, which is just below the 6.5-point Swiss average. The canton received poor notes from French-speaking Switzerland, with Geneva and Neuchâtel giving residents of Glarus just 5.1 points for likeability and Jura giving it 5.4 points. The cantons biggest fans are the inhabitants of Zug (7.7 points) and Thurgau (7 points).
• Grisons: Residents of the popular holiday destination received 7.3 points, on average, making it the second most likeable canton and the highest-rated canton in German-speaking Switzerland. Grisons received its highest ratings from the Canton of Zug (8.2 points), St. Gallen (7.8 points), and Thurgau (7.7 points). With of 7.5-point rating from the Canton of Zurich, Grisons is the most likeable canton for Zurichians – after Zurich itself. Considering the fact that around a sixth of the country’s population lives in the Canton of Zurich, this rating carries exceptional weight. The lowest ratings for Grison’s inhabitants come from the cantons of Jura (5.9 points), Geneva (6.3 points), and Neuchâtel (6.6 points).
• Jura: With an average rating of 6.4 points for likeability, residents of the western canton fall just below the national average of 6.5 points. It gets the lowest friendliness ratings from the inhabitants of St. Gallen (5.7 points), as well as Bern and Lucerne (5.8 points from both). Jura’s highest ratings come from Zug (7.4 points), Vaud (7.2 points), Neuchâtel and Valais (7.1 points each). The French-speaking cantons generally rate each other somewhat higher, while getting somewhat worse ratings from German-speaking cantons.
• Lucerne: With a likeability rating of 7 points, the Canton of Lucerne shares third place with Bern and Valais as one of the friendliest cantons in Switzerland. Only Grisons and Ticino have higher ratings. Lucerne gets its highest ratings from Zug (8.3 points) and Schwyz (7.7 points). Ratings from the French-speaking cantons of Jura (5.7 points), Neuchâtel (6.3 points), Geneva and Vaud (6.5 points from both) are poorer. Residents of all other cantons rated Lucerne at or over 6.5 points – the Swiss average.
• Neuchâtel: At 6.5 out of 10 points, Neuchâtel has an average friendliness rating. Its highest ratings come from Zug (7.3 points), Valais and Vaud (7.1 points from both). As with other French-speaking cantons, Neuchâtel’s residents received good likeability ratings from western cantons. Geneva, Jura, and Vaud all give Neuchâtel at least 7 points for friendliness. Neuchâtel’s friendliness levels appear drastically lower to residents of Schaffhausen (5.7 points) and Lucerne (6.0 points).
• Nidwalden: Obwalden and Nidwalden received very similar ratings, with both landing 6.2 points for the likeability of their residents – a step down from the national average of 6.5 points. Nidwalden’s notion of friendliness is least appealing to Genevans (5 points), Neuchâtel’s inhabitant’s (5.1 points), and Jura (5.2 points). Its highest friendliness ratings come from Zug (7.6 points) and neighboring canton Lucerne (7.2 points).
• Obwalden: Like neighboring Nidwalden, Obwalden received an average of 6.2 points for the friendliness of its residents, falling just short of the 6.5-point countrywide average. Obwalden received exceptionally bad ratings from French-speaking cantons. Jura (5.1 points), Neuchâtel (5.3 points), and Geneva (5.4 points) all consider Obwalden to be a less-than-friendly place. The canton’s best ratings come from Zug (7.6 points) and neighboring Lucerne (7.2 points).
• Schaffhausen: This northern canton received 6.4 points for friendliness, falling just short of the 6.5-point average for all cantons combined. The likeability of Schaffhausen’s inhabitants is particularly poorly rated by French-speaking Swiss, with residents of Neuchâtel giving Schaffhausen a poor 5-point rating. The inhabitants of Zug (7.6 points) find Schaffhausen to be an exceptionally friendly state, as do Schaffhausen’s neighbors in Thurgau (7.2 points).
• Schwyz: With a likeability rating of 6.3 points, the people of Schwyz are deemed just a little less friendly than the national average. French-speaking Swiss are the main critics, with Jura and Neuchâtel giving Schwyz 5.3 points each, and Geneva giving it 5.5 points. The highest ratings come from neighboring cantons Zug (7.4 points) and Lucerne (7.1 points).
• Solothurn: Solothurn falls just under the 6.5-point country average with its friendliness rating of 6.4 points. Curiously, the poor friendliness ratings for this canton come from both German-speaking and French-speaking cantons: Neuchâtel (5.5. points), Schaffhausen (5.6 points), and Vaud (5.8 points). The canton of Zug, whose inhabitants tend to have a very positive view of all other cantons, rated Solothurn with 7.5 points. Basel-Landschaft gives Solothurn’s residents 7 out of 10 points for likeability.
• St. Gallen: The average friendliness rating for St. Gall matches the Swiss average of 6.5 points. Its highest likeability rating comes from neighboring Thurgau (6.9 points) and from Grisons and Schwyz (6.7 points each). Zug’s residents also give St. Gallen a 6.7 friendliness rating. Residents of Jura (5.7 points) and Neuchâtel (5.9 points) give St. Gallen less-positive ratings.
• Ticino: With a likeability rating of 7.4 points, Ticino’s inhabitants are deemed as the most likeable people in Switzerland, exceeding the national average friendliness rating by near 1 full point. This is true even though the survey did not include participants in Italian-speaking Switzerland so Ticino’s residents could not influence results. Ticino received its highest likeability ratings from Zug (8.6 points), Thurgau and Vaud (7.8 points each). Ticino’s lowest ratings, from the cantons of Basel-Landschaft and Geneva, still impress at 6.9 points from both.
• Thurgau: With 6.2 points, Thurgovia has a below-average rating for friendliness. The French-speaking cantons of Geneva (5.1 points), Neuchâtel (5.3 points), Jura (5.6 points) and Vaud (5.7 points) in particular do not find Thurgovians particularly friendly. The Bernese too rate Thurgau with just 5.7 points. Thurgau’s neighbor St. Gallen is more favorable, giving its residents a 7-point friendliness rating. Zug’s inhabitants give Thurgovians a 6.9-point friendliness rating.
• Uri: Uri falls short of the national average with its 6.2-point rating for the likeability of its inhabitants. French-speaking Switzerland in particular find Uris’s residents difficult to like. Neuchâtel rates Uri with 5.2 points for friendliness, while Geneva and Jura both give them 5.5. points. Uri’s highest ratings come from Zug (7.5 points) and its neighbor Schwyz (7 points).
• Valais: With a 7-point rating for the friendliness of its people, Valais is one of the most likeable cantons in Switzerland. Only Grisons and Ticino received higher likeability ratings. More than half of Switzerland’s cantons rate Valais with 7 out of 10 points or higher. The biggest fans of Valaisan friendliness are the people of Zug (7.9 points), Fribourg, Schwyz, and Vaud (7.4 points each). The lowest ratings come from the two cantons of Basel (6 points from both), but these are still relatively high.
• Vaud: With a 6.4 average rating, the likeability of Vaud’s inhabitants lies just under the Swiss average of 6.5 points. Vaud is perceived as somewhat unfriendly by the German-speaking cantons Schaffhausen (5.6 points), Basel-Landschaft (5.8 points), and St. Gallen (5.9 points). But its highest friendliness rating also comes from a German-speaking canton – Zug – which gives its residents a 7.3-point likeability rating.
• Zug: Although Zug’s inhabitants are very generous in their praise of their compatriots across cantonal borders, Zug itself only received 6.3 points, on average – less than the national average. The French-speaking cantons of Neuchâtel (5.1 points), Geneva and Jura (5.3 points from both) consider Zug’s residents to be somewhat unlikeable. Zug can thank its neighboring cantons of Schwyz (7.3 points) and Lucerne (6.9 points) for its highest ratings. Grison’s inhabitants also favor Zug’s sense of friendliness, giving it a rating of 6.7 points.
• Zurich: With 6.3 points for friendliness, the Canton of Zurich falls just under the 6.5-point countrywide average. Zurichians received less than 6 likeability points from more than half of Switzerland’s cantons. Its worst ratings are from Bern and Jura (5.3 points from both), as well as Lucerne and Thurgau (5.6 points from both). Zurich’s high population resulted in an above-average number of its residents participating in the survey, and Zurichians give their canton an above-average friendliness rating (7.6 points, on average). These factors influenced Zurich’s likeability rating. Zurich also received a relatively high rating from the Canton of Geneva (6.7 points), which itself received the lowest likeability ratings.  

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