In 2021, 82% of mothers in Switzerland were economically active, according to data published by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) this week. The rate of mothers working in 2021 (82%) was 22 percentage points higher than it was in 1991 (60%). At the same time fathers were not working at a significantly lower rate. In […]
Switzerland’s ETH Zurich remains top university on the continent
Switzerland has two Federal universities. ETH Zurich, famous for educating Einstein, and the far newer EPF Lausanne. This year ETH Zurich remained the highest ranking university in continental Europe, according to Times Higher Education. Ranked 11th globally, ETH Zurich was the highest ranked university in Europe beyond the UK. In Europe including the UK it […]
New Swiss train pass coming in 2023
After being hit hard by the pandemic, Swiss Rail is looking for ways to encourage greater use of its network. This week it announced a new kind of pass that should be available towards the end of 2023, reported 20 Minutes. The “Public transport credit” pass or “Credit TP” pass will allow travellers to buy […]
Swiss state pensions to get a boost in 2023
On 12 October 2022, Switzerland’s Federal Council announced an increase in state pensions from 1 January 2023 by 2.5%. The minimum pension with rise from CHF 1,195 to CHF 1,225 per month, while the maximum amount will rise from CHF 2,390 to CHF 2,450 (US$ 2,450). The amount paid in state pension in Switzerland is […]
Switzerland expects government surplus in 2022 and lower public debt from 2023
After a roughly CHF 40 billion blow to Swiss public finances due to the Covid pandemic, Switzerland’s financial outlook is beginning to look positive, according to a recent government press release. Figures from the Federal Finance Administration (FFA) forecast a surplus of CHF 1.5 billion in 2022, an amount equivalent to 0.2% of GDP. In […]
Swiss fines for face covering reduced to 1,000 francs
On 7 March 2021, a vote to ban face covering at a federal level was accepted by 51.2% of Swiss voters. Since then the government has been working on implementing the decision. This week it presented the details. After the latest consultation on the subject the Federal Council decided on Wednesday on a maximum fine of CHF 1,000 instead of […]
Numerous Swiss health insurance price comparison sites misleading
Ahead of deciding on where best to insure in 2023 numerous websites claim to offer reliable health insurance comparison tools. However, many cannot be trusted, according to a report by RTS. Nine out the 16 websites reviewed by a consumer advocacy association failed the test. The nine failing sites offered no product comparison. Instead they […]
More than 70% of Swiss homes heated by burning stuff
Statistics published this week by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), show that 70.1% of homes in Switzerland are heated by burning either mazout (heating oil), gas or wood. Across Switzerland 40.7% of homes are heated with mazout or heating oil. A further 17.6% are heated by burning gas and 11.8% by burning wood. These high […]
Covid: free booster shots available from 10 October in Switzerland
From 10 October 2022, booster vaccine shots against the SARS-CoV-2 virus will be available free of charge across Switzerland. The Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) is recommending everyone 16 and over get a booster shot. A key aim of the vaccination programme is to reduce the load on hospitals over the autumn flu season, […]
Inflation turns negative in Switzerland in September
In September 2022, Switzerland’s consumer price index (CPI) fell by 0.2% compared with the previous month, according to data from Switzerland’s Federal Statistical Office (FSO). The 0.2% month-on-month fall was due to falling prices for fuels, heating oil, hotels and related accommodation. Falls in the prices of these items were offset by higher clothing and […]
