Young adults in Switzerland are staying longer in the family home. Half of the population now leaves their parents’ household at an average age of 23.7, almost two years later than previous generations, according to figures published on Monday by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO). The study compared people born between 1988 and 2007 with […]
Swiss primary-school enrolment set to fall sharply by 2034
Switzerland’s primary schools are expected to see a steep decline in pupil numbers over the coming decade, according to projections from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO). The number of primary pupils will begin to fall from 2027, dropping by about 7% between 2025 and 2034. The decline reflects a sharp fall in births since 2022. […]
Swiss school leader calls for social-media ban for minors
Social media should be banned for under-18s, argues the head of Switzerland’s association of German-speaking school principals, reported RTS. Thomas Minder, president of the association, says young people need stronger protection from the addictive pull of online platforms, comparing smartphone dependency to addictions to alcohol and tobacco. Even adults struggle to use these apps responsibly, […]
Swiss students rally against austerity fee hikes
Students staged protests across Switzerland on Wednesday against a plan to double university registration fees and other austerity measures in higher education, reported RTS. A petition with more than 37,000 signatures was handed to the Federal Chancellery in Bern. The fee rise forms part of the Federal Council’s 2027 budget-consolidation package. The Swiss Students’ Union […]
Switzerland’s family-doctor shortage continues to worsen
Switzerland faces a worsening shortage of general practitioners, according to a workforce study published on 2 October 2025. By 2035 hundreds will need replacing. Already three-quarters of practising doctors report a shortfall in their region. The survey, conducted by the University of Basel among 1,776 medical practices, highlights five main problems, says the Swiss association […]
A lesson in national cohesion – federal government considers forcing Swiss cantons to teach French
Switzerland’s government is considering forcing cantons to keep teaching a second national language in primary schools. The Federal Council said on September 19th that it would draft a law to that effect, though the rule would bite only if the 2004 compromise on language teaching were abandoned. Some German-speaking cantons have moved French from the […]
Switzerland to make it easier to adopt stepchildren
Switzerland’s government wants to make it simpler for step-parents to adopt. Under a draft law approved by the Federal Council, couples who have raised a child together since birth would no longer need to undergo a one-year foster-care period before adoption. The reform, which amends the Civil Code, stems from the introduction of “marriage for […]
Swiss upper house says no to daycare initiative
Switzerland’s Council of States has rejected a popular initiative on subsidised childcare but endorsed a watered-down alternative, reported SRF. The initiative, backed by the Social Democrats, Greens, Centre Party, Green Liberals and trade unions, would entitle every child from the age of three months until the end of primary school to supplementary childcare. Parents’ contributions […]
Swiss health declining, with poor sleep a leading problem
Fewer Swiss now say they are in good health. Only one in ten describe themselves as feeling very healthy, down from one in five when the insurer CSS began surveying well being in 2020. The decline is steepest among the young. Nearly half of those aged 18 to 35 report poor sleep, alongside exhaustion, loneliness […]
Zurich to stop teaching French in primary schools
Zurich is the latest German-speaking Swiss canton to question Switzerland’s policy of teaching French from the first years of school. This week, its cantonal council voted to scrap early French lessons, joining Appenzell Ausserrhoden, which made a similar decision earlier this year. Proposals to delay French instruction until high school are under discussion in other […]
