In 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic weighed heavily on Swiss foreign trade. But in 2021, exports bounced back, rising 15.2% to reach a record high of CHF 260 billion. The sharp jump in exports in 2021 caused Switzerland’s trade surplus to reach CHF 58.7 billion, despite rising imports, which were pushed up by rising energy prices […]
Switzerland experienced fewer stronger earthquakes in 2021
Switzerland is a nation lying across a number of significant fault lines making it highly exposed to the risk of earthquakes. The mountainous canton of Valais is the region at highest risk, followed by Basel, Graubünden, the St. Gallen Rhine Valley, and central Switzerland. The largest earthquake in Switzerland’s recorded history occurred in Basel in […]
Switzerland remains in top 10 for lowest corruption
Switzerland was ranked tenth in the latest 2021 Corruption Perception Index (CPI) published by Transparency International this week. The index ranks 180 countries and territories around the world by their perceived levels of public sector corruption, with results ranging from 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). This year’s index reveals that corruption levels are at […]
Price of wood pellets rises sharply in Switzerland
The price of wood pellets in Switzerland is up 20% over the last 12 months, according to Patrick Schmutz, a wood pellet expert, reports RTS. According to Schmutz, the price rise is due to a cold 12 months, especially last spring, and the success of wood pellet heating. More and more pellet-based heating systems are […]
Electric scooter accidents on the rise in Switzerland
With more and more electric scooters on Swiss streets every year the number of accidents is rising. In 2021, there were around 2,500 accidents involving electric scooters in Switzerland, according to an estimate by Suva, a public insurer. The latest figure is three times the 800 accidents involving electric scooters estimated by Suva in 2019. […]
The concept of a 4-day week makes headway in Switzerland
A 4-day work week on 100% pay has become a reality at some small businesses in Switzerland, reports RTS. Andreas Ott, the owner of a small graphic design studio in the canton of Aargau told the SonntagsZeitung that his clients reported no issues with staff taking Fridays off. Ott introduced the concept several years ago […]
Higher tax deductions for parents in Switzerland starting in 2023
This week, Switzerland’s government set a date for the introduction of more generous tax deductions for childcare. From 1 January 2023, parents will be able to deduct up to CHF 25,000 per child in childcare costs from their annual taxable income, reported RTS. Currently, the maximum is CHF 10,100 per child. The change is the […]
Vote against Swiss “Netflix tax” passes signature hurdle
In October 2021, Switzerland’s government created a law requiring online streaming services to pay money into a Swiss cinema fund. Under the law, from 2024, streaming services such as Netflix and Disney+ will need to pay a levy equivalent to 4% of their Swiss turnover into the fund, which would be spent on producing Swiss […]
US diplomats in Geneva report suffering from Havana syndrome
Several US diplomats in Geneva appear to be victims of the Havana syndrome, according to RTS. The mysterious syndrome was first reported in Havana in Cuba in 2016 by US and Canadian embassy staff, but may have been occurring earlier. The symptoms include ear pain and ringing, nausea, disorientation, dizziness and cognitive difficulties. Brain scans […]
1 in 7 new cars in Switzerland were electric and nearly half were 4x4s in 2021
Recent data on new car sales in Switzerland in 2021 show that 31,823 new electric cars were registered in 2021. The data also show that 48% of new registrations were 4x4s. Electric cars made up 13% of the 238,481 new vehicles registered in Switzerland in 2021. Diesel (42%), petrol (14%) and hybrid (31%) cars made […]
