Switzerland’s agricultural sector costs the country CHF 19.9 billion while contributing only CHF 3.4 billion, concludes a study published by the think tank Avenir Suisse. The CHF 19.9 billion cost is made up of tax breaks and direct federal and cantonal payments to the sector (4.9b), the cost of artificially inflated consumer prices due to […]
Switzerland slides significantly in expat country ranking
A recent survey suggests Switzerland might be losing its attractiveness as a place for foreigners to live and work. Switzerland fell 17 places from 27th to 44th in the ranking of 68 countries done by the networking company Internations. Switzerland’s overall ranking is a mix of good and bad. 78% of expats in Switzerland said […]
New long-haul budget airline from Basel launches fundraising
The idea is simple. Keep costs low by flying point-to-point, thus avoiding costly hubs, use one model of aircraft to contain pilot and aircraft maintenance costs, and charge passengers for everything from coffee to checked-in luggage. Southwest Airlines was first to launch the model and copycats like EasyJet followed. Now a new, yet to be […]
Survey reveals sexual behaviour of young Swiss
A survey of 7,142 Swiss, with an average age of 26, conducted by two university hospitals, was published this week. 95% of those surveyed had had at least one sexual partner, and 86% had had only heterosexual relationships. The average age for the first relationship was 17. 62% of men and 44% of women had […]
Vaud caps health insurance premiums at 12% of income
Starting in September 2018, health insurance premiums in excess of 12% of income in the canton of Vaud will be covered by the government. From the beginning of 2019, this percentage will be reduced to 10%, increasing the number of people who qualify and the size of the subsidies, according to the newspaper Le Matin. […]
Switzerland ranked 11th for global arms exports
In 2016, Switzerland exported CHF 412 million of weapons, according to the Swiss Federal Audit Office (SFAO). This ranks Switzerland 11th globally, according to RTS. The five largest importers of Swiss weapons were Germany, South Africa, the US, India and Pakistan. Weapons exports made up only 0.14% of Switzerland’s total exports in 2016, said the […]
Steep rise in number of Catholic church sexual abuse reports in Switzerland
The Episcopal Conference of Switzerland (ECS) recently released figures that show a steep rise in the number of cases of sexual abuse reported in 2017 in the Catholic church in Switzerland. After a steep fall in reported cases from 115 in 2010 to 9 in 2012, the number rose to 65 in 2017. The ECS said […]
Halogen light bulbs to be banned in Switzerland
At the beginning of September 2018, Swiss retailers stopped replacing their stocks of nearly all halogen light bulbs. Along with standard incandescent bulbs, which were forced from Swiss shop shelves in 2013, the sale of halogen bulbs will be banned from the end of August 2019. The only halogen bulbs that will remain on sale […]
Certain cat foods sold in Switzerland might be causing cancer
Recent tests show there are high levels of toxins in some dry cat foods available in Switzerland, according to the Swiss romande consumer federation (FRC), a consumer advocacy group. The FRC’s investigation was aimed at finding out whether industrially produced cat food plays any role in the number of cats dying from diseases like cancer […]
Daylight savings likely to go in Switzerland
After a public consultation where 84% of 4.6 million people across the EU called for an end to daylight savings, EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said millions “believe that in future, summer time should be year-round, and that’s what will happen”. The European Parliament said it is “crucial to maintain a unified EU time regime”. […]
