Comparing the most recent statistics on Swiss consumer inflation to those in 1993 reveals a steep drop in the percentage of spending allocated to food. When statisticians calculate consumer price rises they look at the prices of a standard basket of goods. In 1993, food and non-alcoholic beverages made up 14.3% of the value of […]
Swiss fact: more than 60% of one Swiss canton is farmed organically
25% of Switzerland’s surface is farmed, a total of just over 1 million hectares. Much of the rest is mountains or forest. Of this roughly 1 million hectares, 142,000 hectares (13.5%) is farmed organically. The organic percentage varies hugely by canton and even more by region. The canton with the least organic farming is Appenzell […]
Aerial photos of Zurich 100 years apart
The first photograph was taken by Eduard Spelterini between 1893 and 1924. Swiss-born Spelterini was an early aviator who took to the air with his camera in a balloon well before flying as we know it became a reality – the Wright brothers made their first powered flight in 1903. The photograph below was taken […]
Tax and spend – canton of Geneva generates a surprise budget surplus
When Geneva’s finances make the news it is typically bad. At the end of 2016, the canton had debts of CHF 12.5 billion, equal to 153% of its income. In January 2018, the rating agency Standard and Poors gave Geneva a negative outlook citing risks related to the canton’s poorly funded public pension scheme. This […]
Tariq Ramadan – new testimony undermines alibi
This week, things took a turn for the worse for Tariq Ramadan. According to a report by Swiss broadcaster RTS, a witness contradicted an alibi given by the Swiss muslim academic. One of his accusers claims she was raped in Lyon during the afternoon of 9 October 2009. In opposition to this claim, Tariq Ramadan’s […]
Swiss traffic misery – worst traffic days of the year
If you thought you’d beat Switzerland’s traffic by leaving on Good Friday (30 March 2018) you’ll be disappointed. The two worst days for traffic in the first quarter of this year are Good Friday and the day before it – 29 March 2018. This map shows Easter traffic hotspots. Traffic predictor Via Suisse has four […]
Swiss government raises allowable limits for pesticide residues in waterways
In 1998, the maximum concentration of micro pollutants, such as heavy metals, drug residues, pesticides and other substances in the water of Swiss lakes and waterways was set at 0.1 μg/litre. This month Switzerland’s government decided to change this limit, reducing it for some pollutants, but setting it significantly higher for many others. Among the […]
Toxic turf – how great are the health risks of Switzerland’s synthetic sports pitches?
Synthetic sports pitches might be durable and easy to maintain, but the small black beads made from old tires found in some of them contain toxic chemicals. The French football magazine So Foot, raised the issue recently. Around 20 pitches in French speaking Switzerland are affected, according to RTS. Several analyses have been done around […]
IMF forecasts 2.25% Swiss GDP growth in 2018 while pointing to risks
A boost to investment and net exports from the tailwind of strong external demand, together with faster expansion of household spending owing to rising employment, are forecast to lift GDP growth to around 2¼ percent in 2018, said the IMF in a statement referring to Switzerland issued on 26 March 2018. On the downside the […]
Maker of the Sniper’s Choice, makes the news – but what is the Swiss company RUAG?
The Swiss company RUAG made the news last week when investigators were called in to look at information relating to the sale of ammunition. But what is this company? According to RTS, the investigation revealed contracts for the sale of ammunition to Russia that had not been properly declared, RUAG triggered the investigation itself when […]
