Behind the scenes
Galaxus survey: 1 in 2 people washes their dishes with germ-ridden sponges
by Jana Pense
One third of women in Europe feel self-conscious in a swimsuit
24/6/2025
Translation: Jessica Johnson-Ferguson
One in three European women feel ill at ease sporting a bikini or one-piece. This was revealed by a representative survey carried out for Galaxus. Men, on the other hand, seem to have no problem donning trunks – especially the older they get.
The sun’s beating down, your sweat’s dripping, summertime is here. For many of us, this means slipping into a swimsuit and getting into the cool water. For others, however, the looks of fellow bathers on the beach or by the pool cause anxiety and self-consciousness.
But how good do women and men generally feel in a bikini or swimming trunks? Which type of swimwear do they feel best in? To find out, online retailer Galaxus asked market researcher YouGov Switzerland to conduct a survey asking 5,263 people in Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Italy and France these questions.
Happy by the Danube, stressed by the Seine
The figures reveal major differences between genders. While one third of women in Europe feel uncomfortable in swimwear, it’s only one fifth of men. In fact, one in five men said they feel «very comfortable» in their swimwear, while this only seems to be the case for one in ten women.
French women are the least happy in bathing suits. On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = very uncomfortable, 5 = very comfortable), they gave a rating of 2.6 points. For younger madames in particular, wearing a swimsuit or bikini seems to be the stuff of nightmares. With a rating of just 2.5 points, French women aged 15 to 29 hit the lowest number of all the groups who took part in the survey. Their male peers came in at 3.3.
The younger male participants, regardless of their country of origin, generally said they felt good in swimwear. Alongside France, the young male participants in Switzerland also gave a confident score of 3.6. But overall, mature men are at the top of the ranking. In Germany, France and Italy, men over 60 feel best in swimwear. In Switzerland, it’s the 45- to 59-year-olds.
The top scorers who feel the most confident in swimwear live in Austria and reached 4.0 out of 5 points. Comparing women, it’s the 15- to 44-year-old Austrians spearheading the European charts with a score of 3.4. Hot on their heels is Switzerland, where all female age groups reached the same score of 3.1.
More fabric every year
The above figures are also reflected in the choice of swimsuit: the proportion of women wearing bikinis decreases with age. While one in three Swiss women between 15 and 29 prefer to wear bikinis, it’s one in four in Germany. In the age group of 45- to 59-year-olds, one in six women or seven women respectively prefer two-piece swimsuits.
Italy is an exception, where the bikini rate drops with increasing age. However, from the beaches of Rimini to Capri, almost as many women aged 60+ wear bikinis as the 15- to 29-year-olds in France.
When it comes to men’s swimwear, not much seems to change over the course of a man’s life: the majority consistently opt for classic swim shorts. Speedos are rarely worn, and mainly by men over 45.
Young Italians stand out in one aspect. Compared to the rest of Europe, they’re more inclined to wear board shorts you usually see on surfers. One seventh of men opt for slightly longer pants, which often reach down to the knees.
It remains to be seen whether this trend from the fashion hotspot Italy will spill over to the rest of Europe. Who knows, maybe the Italians will inspire women all over Europe to simply wear whatever they feel like when they’re swimming – regardless of their age. After all, swimming against societal norms is currently on trend.
Do you feel good in your swimsuit? Who or what has an influence on how you feel in your trunks or bikini? We’re looking forward to reading your comments.
Header image: Shutterstock
Tobias Heller
Communications Manager
Tobias.Heller@digitecgalaxus.ch
15 comments
later