Why Switzerland needs to rethink its approach to ageing

The bare figures speak volumes. According to the Federal Statistical Office, there were already 2,086 centenarians living in Switzerland in 2023 – an increase of 3.2 per cent compared with 2022, around 80 per cent of whom were women. In 2024, there were over 523,000 people aged 80 or over, plus up to 100,000 people over the age of 90.

Anyone who retires at 65 realistically still has two decades of active life ahead of them. Two decades that are often not put to good use. If just one in ten people had set up another business at the age of 65, there would be 50,000 additional companies today, creating a total of 200,000 new jobs. A massive driver of prosperity.

What we teach young people – and what we don’t

At school, young people learn how to write application letters, CVs and cover letters. Yet hardly anyone teaches them how to develop a business model or write a business plan.

The youth cohort (aged 10–19) comprises around 800,000 people. If just one in ten of them were to go on to set up and run a business, between 300,000 and 400,000 new jobs could be created. A young generation of entrepreneurs would massively boost our country’s innovative strength.

If we teach young people entrepreneurship rather than just job-application rituals, we are sowing the seeds of prosperity for the future.

New Centre, New Thinking

Mid-life is no longer at 50, but at 60. Anyone turning 60 should not be thinking about retiring, but about a fresh start. That is why a birthday party with the theme ‘Now the second half begins’ changes not only the birthday person’s outlook, but also that of their guests.

Why do 67-year-olds play football every week, work up a sweat for 90 minutes and battle for the ball? Not because they have to, but because they want to and enjoy it. Passion knows no age.

For me, the crucial question is: ‘How many new things have I learnt over the last five years?’ Anyone who cannot come up with a convincing answer to this may have lost sight of life’s most important resource – intellectual and social agility.

I advise every 65-year-old to undertake a career assessment. The state may say that it’s all over at 65 – but mentally, physically and intellectually, one should never retire. Those who set their minds to this will gain more years full of purpose and joie de vivre.

The age of 65 is not a natural limit, but a social construct. It stems from an era when physical labour shaped people’s lives and life expectancy was much lower. Today, 65 is an artificial barrier that comes too soon and wastes valuable potential.

At a Rotary lunch recently, I said: ‘I am 71 years old myself. When someone asked me how old I would like to live to be, I replied: 85. That gives me another 14 years to try something new – so why not set up a company? The drive remains as long as you allow it to.’

Switzerland is at a turning point. Our society is ageing, and with it come growing challenges for the labour market, social welfare systems and innovation. Yet rather than viewing this development as a threat, we should begin to see it as an opportunity. What is needed is a new way of thinking about ageing – one that strengthens our economy rather than paralysing it.

Firstly: we need a culture that fosters entrepreneurship across all generations. Innovation must not be the sole preserve of 25-year-olds. Young founders bring fresh ideas, whilst older entrepreneurs contribute business acumen and networks. When these two groups come together, they create a driving force for innovation that has a more sustainable impact than any short-term financial injection.

Secondly: experience is not a thing of the past, but an underrated asset. At a time when many companies are complaining about a shortage of skilled workers, it would be short-sighted to force people aged 55 or 60 out of the workforce. Expertise, leadership experience and resilience in the face of crises cannot be acquired in a few months at university – they are developed over many years. Those who make use of these qualities give our economy a decisive competitive advantage.

Thirdly: age is not a liability, but a resource. A 70-year-old who sets up a business often does so with a sense of calm and a long-term perspective, free from the pursuit of quick profits. Such projects can grow into stable, value-oriented companies – exactly what is needed in times of global uncertainty.

The new approach to ageing must therefore move away from a deficit-based perspective towards productive collaboration. Politics, business and society are called upon to create the right framework conditions to unlock this potential: flexible working models, age-diverse teams and better access to venture capital for entrepreneurs at every stage of life.

Switzerland has everything it needs to set an example in this area – provided we recognise that the future is shaped not in spite of, but alongside, ageing.

65 is a silly number – it’s high time we rethought it.