In Switzerland, the gap between male and female life expectancy at birth has been shrinking. However, the gap in life expectancy at the age of 65, which only emerged in 1876 has remained relatively consistent over the last two decades, according to statistics from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO). Over the last 20 years it […]
Chart of the week: 11% of Swiss over 64 work
More and more people 65 and older are continuing to work across the OECD. The reasons for working beyond this particular point in life vary from person to person. Labour force participation among this age group across the OECD ranges from 2.4% (Romania) to 41.7% (Indonesia). In Switzerland, the rate was 11.1% in 2020, higher […]
Chart of the week: Swiss public versus private sector pay
Recent statistics show the median pay for those working in the public sector compared to those working in the private sector in Switzerland. The difference is significant. In 2020, a median gross monthly salary for a public sector employee was CHF 8,012 compared to CHF 6,361 in the private sector. On average, a full time […]
Chart of the week – Swiss wine by canton
Switzerland produces around 90 million litres of wine a year, placing it among the top 25 largest wine makers in the world. Other nations producing similar amounts of wine include Georgia, Ukraine and Japan. Switzerland has a long history of wine making and many of its own grape varieties. Müller-Thurgau, a well-known white wine grape […]
Chart of the week: Switzerland’s most popular sporting activities
Unsurprisingly, hiking and skiing are among the top sporting activities in Switzerland. Cycling, swimming, jogging, fitness training, weight lifting, yoga, dance and gymnastics complete the top ten. Switzerland’s most popular sporting activities in 2020 included walking and hiking (56.9%), cycling excluding mountain biking (42.0%), swimming (38.6%), skiing (34.9%) and jogging (27.0%). The sports with the […]
Chart of the week: Swiss retirement age compared
Switzerland’s retirement age of 65 for men and 64 for women puts its state pensioners in the youngest half of OECD retirees. This week, when a Swiss parliamentarian asked in which direction pension reform was heading, he received a written response that said the state pension system could be stabilised from 2030 with a rise […]
Chart of the week: rates of homeownership by Swiss canton
Switzerland has one of the lowest rates of home ownership. Most residents live in rented accommodation. Across the whole country, only 36.2% of homes were owned by their occupants in 2020, according to data published this week by Switzerland’s Federal Statistical Office (FSO). However, home ownership rates vary significantly depending on the canton. In popular […]
Chart of the week: the rising number of popular initiatives in Switzerland
Four times a year, Swiss voters are asked to cast votes on proposals put forward by at least 100,000 citizens who must sign in support. Popular initiatives that do not reach the hurdle of 100,000 signatures don’t make the cut. Over the decades the number of popular initiatives has grown significantly. In the 80 years […]
