The latest figures show that Swiss salaries have not kept up with inflation. An average Swiss salary rose 0.4% in 2017, compared to inflation of 0.5%. This left the average salary earner 0.1% worse off in real terms over the year. The figures were the same for both the secondary and tertiary sectors. The rise […]
No relief for Swiss renters as mortgage rates barely move
Every three months the rate of interest used to set Swiss rents is reviewed. If it goes down some renters have the right to request a decrease in rent. This time it remained at 1.50%. The last time it dropped was 2 June 2017 when it fell to 1.5%, its lowest level since 2008. The […]
Climate change contributes to surprise fall in Swiss GDP
Third quarter Swiss GDP figures released yesterday show Switzerland’s economy shrank compared to the quarter before. GDP for the quarter to September was down by 0.2% compared to the quarter before, ending an 18-month run of quarterly growth. The fall in Swiss GDP follows a quarterly slowdown across the rest of Europe, in Germany in […]
FILM: THE GRINCH – the pain behind the nastiness revealed with humour and adventure
30 November 2018. By Neptune THE GRINCH *** Now here’s the bittersweet fable from our trusty old Dr. Seuss, about that grumpy, nasty Grinch who hates Christmas. But why is he so, and why the resentment towards all that is friendly and shiny, especially around Christmas time? This latest animation illustrates with humor and lots […]
Break-away Swiss town likely to revote
After the town’s current administration declared the 2017 vote result, dubbed “Mouxit”, invalid last week, a tripartite gathering of town leaders and representatives from the cantons of Bern and Jura, convened to look into the issue, according to RTS. Last week, the 18 June 2017 referendum result was deemed invalid based on allegations including propaganda, […]
Swiss prison rate one of world’s lowest
This week, Switzerland’s Federal Statistical Office released the latest Swiss prison figures. In 2017, the total incarceration rate was 81 per 100,000, down from 83 in 2016. Switzerland’s rate is a far cry from the 656 per 100,000 found in the US. In a world ranking of 222 countries, Switzerland comes in 162nd lowest. In […]
Swiss gender pay gap 10th highest in Europe
In a recently published study Switzerland has the 10th highest gender pay gap in Europe. Switzerland’s gap of 17% is bigger than Italy’s (5.3%), Luxembourg’s (5.5%), Belgium’s (6.1%), Sweden’s (13.3%), Spain’s (14.2%), Denmark’s (15%), France’s (15.2%) or the Netherlands’ (15.6%), but lower than Finland’s (17.4%), Portugal’s (17.5%), Austria’s (20.1%), the UK’s (21%) or Germany’s (21.5%). […]
Men in Switzerland 27% more likely to die from cancer than women
Statistics released this week show that cancer death rates in Switzerland are far higher for men than women. The data covering the period from 2011 to 2015 show men are 29% more likely to suffer from cancer and 27% more likely to die from it. Cancer is Switzerland’s second biggest killer after heart disease. The […]
Geneva decides to ban the most polluting vehicles
On Friday, Geneva’s parliament voted in favour of a plan to progressively ban the most polluting vehicles from the city centre when air pollution reaches certain levels. While the legal details need to be worked out, the plan, which was put together by the canton’s executive, could be modeled on the French system. The French […]
Swiss vote results on self-determination, cow horns and welfare fraud – 25 November 2018
Today, Swiss voters voted on self-determination, cow horn and welfare fraud investigation initiatives. Both the self-determination and cow horn votes were rejected by 66.2% and 54.7% of voters respectively. Majorities in all cantons voted against the self-determination initiative. While most cantons were against providing extra financial support to farmers keeping livestock with horns, five cantons had majorities in favour of it. The cantons of […]
