A study conducted by the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts indicates that 28 percent of surveyed individuals designate one of the 24 Kantonalbanken as their primary bank. This figure compares with approximately 26 percent recorded two years prior.
Raiffeisen secures the second position with 25 percent, followed by Postfinance at 19 percent and UBS at 17 percent. Combined, these four provider groups account for 89 percent of primary bank relationships in Switzerland. Regional banks, savings banks, Migros Bank, and Bank Cler collectively hold about 9 percent, whereas digital banks and comparable providers such as Revolut, Yuh, and Neon account for roughly 2.5 percent.
Notable shifts are observed at UBS. Following the acquisition of Credit Suisse and the integration of its domestic operations, 17 percent of respondents name UBS as their primary bank. In the previous comparable survey conducted two years ago, the combined share of UBS and Credit Suisse stood at roughly 20 percent, marking a decline of approximately three percentage points.
The regional distribution of bank selection varies across language regions. In Western Switzerland, Kantonalbanken hold a prominent share of 30 percent. A contrasting pattern appears in Ticino, where only 10 percent of respondents designate a Kantonalbank as their primary institution, while Raiffeisen reaches 33 percent and UBS attains 20 percent.
Income and wealth levels also influence banking choices. Among individuals possessing wealth exceeding 500,000 francs, approximately one in three names UBS as their primary financial connection. For households with monthly incomes surpassing 9,000 francs, the UBS share is 23 percent. Gender disparities are similarly evident, with 20 percent of men naming UBS compared to 14 percent of women, who more frequently maintain primary relationships with Kantonalbanken or Postfinance.
Postfinance displays a higher concentration among lower income and wealth brackets. For assets under 25,000 francs, it records a 22 percent share, which drops to 8 percent for wealth exceeding 500,000 francs. Raiffeisen maintains strong positioning among younger demographics, capturing roughly 27 percent of respondents aged 16 to 29 and 28 percent of those aged 30 to 45, compared to about 21 percent among older demographics. Postfinance leans stronger among older clientele, registering 13 percent in Generation Z and exceeding 22 percent among individuals aged 46 to 61. Kantonalbanken display steady shares ranging between 27 and 30 percent across all age brackets.
Despite increasing user adoption, digital alternative providers continue to hold minor shares in primary banking. Previous figures stood at 1.8 percent, rising to 2.4 percent, which represents an increase of approximately 0.6 percentage points. Among individuals aged 30 to 45, digital banks reach a 4 percent share, compared to 1 percent among baby boomers. Education levels also correlate with adoption, as 4.7 percent of university graduates name a digital provider as their primary bank, versus 1.8 percent for individuals without university credentials.
The findings are derived from a representative online survey encompassing 2,016 participants aged 16 to 89. The survey was executed between May 29 and June 11, 2026, by the market research institute Bilendi as part of the IFZ Retail Banking study in cooperation with Simon-Kucher.
