A proposal to implement the tobacco advertising ban that was accepted in a referendum by a majority voters in February 2022, was rejected by parliament this week, reported RTS. Some on the left argued it was too lax, while some on the right complained that it was too strict. The referendum wording is focused on […]
Swiss winter holidays – hotel association calls on cantons to avoid clashes
Most Swiss do not ski. Only a third of the population regularly takes to the snow in winter. One deterrent is school holiday planning. Many years ago, the typically two week break over Christmas fell during the prime ski season, a period with abundant snow. Now this period is hit and miss. Beyond this, most […]
Switzerland’s birth rate – from baby boom to bust
Before the pandemic, the number of births in Switzerland was falling. Then the number shot up as the pandemic waned. Between 2020 and 2021 the birthrate rose by 4%. However, in 2022, the rate fell by nearly 10%, according to Switzerland’s Federal Statistical Office (FSO). In 2022, the birth rate was lower than it has […]
Every third Swiss childcare centre loss making
Finding a place in a Swiss nursery is difficult. Running one is also challenging. Around a third are failing to breakeven, reported SRF. A study by the Swiss childcare association Kibesuisse found that a third of the nurseries surveyed made a loss. In addition, the centres lacked qualified staff. 95% of the daycare centres surveyed […]
Swiss cabinet opposed to universal childcare initiative
On 29 September 2023, Switzerland’s Federal Council announced that it was opposed to an initiative to introduce publicly financed universal childcare, reported RTS. On 26 July 2023, a green light to a vote on a proposal to provide “good affordable childcare for everyone” was given. A total of 102,238 valid signatures were confirmed, a figure […]
Switzerland’s catholic sex abuse investigation finds document destruction
In late 2021, the catholic church in Switzerland instructed historians to investigate sexual abuse within the organisation following evidence of widespread sexual abuse in the church in France. In May 2022 researchers from the University of Zurich started their investigation. This week they presented some of their results, reported RTS. The investigation marks the first […]
High classroom temperatures in Switzerland spark calls for better insulation
In Basel there are calls for better insulation of school buildings or a postponement of the summer holidays. However, the authorities are dampening expectations. The latest heatwave has pushed some school pupils and teachers to their limits, reported SRF. In Basel there are calls to better insulate buildings and adjust the timing of school holidays after […]
Swiss to vote on subsidised childcare
On 26 July 2023, the administration announced that it had given a green light to a vote on a proposal to provide “good affordable childcare for everyone”. A total of 102,238 valid signatures were confirmed, a figure beyond the 100,000 required to call a popular vote in Switzerland. Vote organisers want day-care centres to be […]
Fertility reaches 20-year low in Switzerland
Data from Switzerland’s Federal Statistical Office show a further decline in the average number of births per woman. In 2022, the rate was 1.39 children per woman or 9.3 births per 1,000 residents, the lowest level in 20 years. During 2022 around 82,000 babies were born in Switzerland, 8.5% fewer than in 2021. Extrapolating recent […]
Sons leave home later than daughters in Switzerland
In Switzerland, 32% of women have moved out of the family home by the age of 20, compared to only 23% of men, according to data published this week by Switzerland’s Federal Statistical Office (FSO). This gender different persists with rising age. By 25, 83% of daughters have left but only 68% of sons have. […]
