City beats country Swiss men have the best sperm in this region - and the worst here
Sperm quality varies depending on the region. Swiss researchers have demonstrated this for the first time. According to the study, sperm quality appears to be higher in urban regions.
12.11.2025, 15:06
12.11.2025, 15:48
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- A study shows regional differences in the sperm quality of young men - city dwellers perform better than men from the countryside.
- Particularly poor sperm quality was found between Thun and Bern, while the region around Aarau stood out with particularly good quality.
- According to the researchers, possible causes could be environmental factors such as pesticides in agricultural areas.
The sperm quality of young men in Switzerland differs depending on where they live. Men from rural areas appear to have poorer sperm quality than men in cities.
This is the conclusion of a study published in September in the journal "Human Reproduction". SRF reported on it on Wednesday.
For the study, a research team from the University of Geneva and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) examined sperm samples from 2677 men between the ages of 18 and 22. These test subjects were recruited between 2005 and 2018 as part of compulsory military service.
"Hotspot" is near Aarau
The new analysis of the sperm revealed striking patterns: they found regions with comparatively good sperm quality and regions with poor sperm quality. The researchers refer to these as "hotspots" and "coldspots".
They found that there is a "coldspot" region in central-western parts of Switzerland where sperm quality was particularly low. As can be seen on a map, this concerns an area between Thun BE and Bern.
In contrast, the "hotspots" where sperm quality was particularly high were found in north-central regions. As the map shows, this applies to the region around Aarau.
According to the study, the "coldspot" region is characterized by a higher proportion of agricultural land.
The researchers suspect that chemical influences from agriculture, such as pesticides, could play a role. However, they emphasize in the study that causal relationships have not been proven. It is therefore not possible to say whether agriculture is the cause.
