In 1950, 6% of Switzerland’s nearly 5 million residents were foreign. By 2015, 24.6% of the nation’s 8.3 million inhabitants, more than 2 million, were. The vast majority of foreigners in Switzerland in 2015 were from Europe (84.6%). Relatively smaller percentages were from Asia (6.7%), Africa (4.6%), Latin America (2.6%), North America (1.3%) and Australasia (0.2%). […]
More than 60 percent of urban Swiss affected by noise pollution
A report by the European Environment Agency (EEA) shows at least 2.5 million of the people living in Switzerland’s 13 largest cities are exposed to noise levels above 55 decibels, a level at which noise becomes annoying and above the 50 decibels that disturbs sleep. This number, which relates only those living in Switzerland’s 13 largest urban […]
Swiss healthcare ranked third globally for preventing death
A study of data from 195 countries from 1990 to 2015 published recently in the medical journal The Lancet, ranks Switzerland’s healthcare system third. The analysis looked at mortality rates from causes that should not be fatal in the presence of effective medical care. It considered both healthcare access and quality and was designed with […]
Could compulsory military service be extended to Swiss women?
20 Minutes. In Switzerland all able men must serve in the country’s military when they turn 18. Women can sign up however this is not legally required and few do. The minimum military training male Swiss citizens must undertake depends on rank. For the lowest rank of corporal the minimum is 260 days, which starts with initial […]
Switzerland sees steep rise in number of mothers working
Recent figures from Switzerland’s Federal Statistical office show that in 2016 74% of women with children under 15 were working. In 1996, the same percentage was 61%. The percentage of mums working climbs significantly with the level of education. In 2016, 79% of those with tertiary qualifications were working, compared to 61% of mums in […]
Roger Moore’s love of mountains and life in Switzerland
On 23 May 2017, Roger Moore passed away at the age of 89 after a short battle with cancer. Born in 1927 in Stockwell in south west London he started his film career at the age of 17 achieving fame in the fifties and sixties after starring in the British television series Ivanhoe and The […]
Big debts at 18 because parents didn’t pay Swiss health insurance bills
20 Minutes. A recent article in the newspaper 20 Minutes highlights the nasty surprise some young people experience when their parents fail to pay their health insurance premiums. Turning 18 is one of life’s key milestones. It corresponds with the end of school and entry into a new world. In Switzerland it is also a […]
Some Swiss cantons overwhelmed with confessions of tax evasion
Ahead of the automatic exchange of bank account information, which comes into effect at the beginning of next year, Swiss residents with undeclared foreign bank accounts are rushing to come clean to the tax authorities, according to Swiss broadcaster RTS. According to RTS, 380 have come forward in Fribourg, 173 in Valais, 254 in Jura, around […]
Get ready for heavy traffic
Switzerland’s Federal Roads Office (FEDRO) issued a traffic warning today ahead of the long weekends in May and June. The public holiday this Thursday (Ascension) means many will take a day of leave on Friday to make a four-day weekend. Monday 5 June is also a public holiday (Pentecost) creating a three-day weekend. Later in […]
How Switzerland is turning tunnels into huge batteries
The problem with wind and solar power production is that the wind sometimes blows and the sun sometimes shines when the energy isn’t needed. Batteries are needed to store excesses until they are needed. One form of storage, which has earned Switzerland the nickname of the battery of Europe, is hydro. Excess power is used […]
