The economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic was unequal, hitting low-income households far harder than those on high incomes, according to a study published by the KOF Swiss Economic Institute at ETH Zurich. Infection rates rise with incomeMore people in the higher income range reported being infected with Covid-19 than those in lower income groups. […]
Swiss lakes at risk to climate change
Climate change could leave some Swiss lakes with higher amounts of algae and toxic cyanobacteria, according to a recent study by the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag). A simulation done by scientists at Eawag shows that as climate change alters water temperature, ice cover and mixing of many Swiss lakes could […]
Record fall in Swiss hotel occupancy in 2020
In 2020, the number of overnight stays in Swiss hotels fell by 40% to 23.7 million, a fall of 15.8 million nights compared to 2019. The fall, driven by Covid-19, is the largest fall in overnight stays in Switzerland since the end of the 1950s, according to Switzerland’s Federal Statistical Office. Plummeting hotel stays were […]
Acts of antisemitism rise in Switzerland in 2020
Every year, organisations that fight against antisemitism publish statistics on antisemitism in Switzerland. During 2020, CICAD, a non-profit organisation covering French-speaking Switzerland, reported a significant rise in cases, which rose to a total of 147, 144 of which were considered concerning. This represents a rise of 41% compared to 2019 when 100 significant antisemitic acts […]
Last weekend’s coldest Swiss temperature disqualified
Last weekend, at 4am on Saturday a thermometer at Switzerland’s Glattalp weather station 1,900m above sea level plunged to -44 degrees Celsius, the coldest temperature ever recorded in Switzerland. However, the record was disqualified because the thermometer was not in the open air at 2 metres from the ground. Instead it was buried under snow. […]
Sharp rise in Swiss trade
Swiss trade rose sharply in January 2021. However, one industry dominated and masked falls in other sectors. After falling in December 2020, seasonally adjusted Swiss exports rose 5.4% to CHF 18.9 billion in January 2021, according to recently published figures. In addition, imports were up 3.3% to CHF 15.3 billion. 90% of the rise in […]
Swiss residential property prices on the rise
After falling by 0.8% in the first quarter of 2020, average Swiss residential property prices have rebounded, rising in every quarter since to deliver an annual 2020 increase of 2.5%. Average residential property prices rose by 1.4% in Q2, by 0.2% in Q3 and by 2.3% in the final quarter of 2020. Across the year, […]
Swiss unemployment jumps exceeding EU rate in Lake Geneva region
The rate of unemployment in Switzerland in the 4th quarter of 2020 was 4.9%, up from 3.9% in the 4th quarter of 2019. The same figures for the EU were 6.6% (Q4 2109) and 7.5% (Q4 2020). Unemployment rates were highest among those aged 15-24 (7.3%) and 25-39 (5.4%). Those aged 40-54 (4.6%) and 55-64 […]
Switzerland breaks deficit record in 2020
Switzerland’s federal accounts ended 2020 with a record-breaking deficit of CHF 15.8 billion. The deficit was caused by the pandemic. An unexpected CHF 3.6 billion fall in revenue combined with net CHF 12.5 billion in largely unplanned expenses combined to take the overall result CHF 16.1 billion below the expected positive net result of CHF […]
Poverty in Switzerland: fresh data on those struggling to get by
In 2019, the poverty line in Switzerland was CHF 27,348 (US$ 30,500) for a single person and CHF 47,712 (US$ 53,200) for a couple with two young children. The figures are calculated by SKOS based on the cost of living in Switzerland. People with incomes below these levels in Switzerland are considered to by living […]
