On 12 January 2024, Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) announced the donation of as many as 78 trams to the Ukrainian cities of Lviv and Vinnytsa. The cities of Bern and Zurich will provide 11 and up to 67 decommissioned but fully operational trams respectively. SECO will organise and finance the transport of […]
Inflation and poverty in Switzerland
This week, SRF held a discussion on poverty in Switzerland. Philipp Frei, Managing Director of the Swiss Budget Consulting Association, an organisation that helps people budget, voiced concern over shrinking disposable incomes. While economic historian Tobias Straumann spoke of the progress Switzerland has made on welfare and poverty’s often transient nature. In 2021, Switzerland’s poverty […]
Switzerland’s second astronaut gets ready for lift off in 2026
In 1992, Claude Nicollier, who was born in Vevey on the shore of Lake Geneva, went on the first of four space shuttle flights. Nicollier, along with Franco Malerba from Italy were the only non-Americans on board the shuttle in 1992. Now, Marco Sieber, a doctor of urology at the hospital of Biel/Bienne, is set […]
Swiss New Year fireworks death and injuries
Numerous incidents involving fireworks and and fires kept Switzerland’s emergency services busy on New Year’s Eve, reported SRF. The worst incident was the death of a 46-year old man in the canton of Luzern who died when a homemade device for firing fireworks exploded. The man died at the scene of the explosion. Two people […]
Young Swiss no longer saddled with health insurance debt when turning 18
In Switzerland, the law allowed health insurance companies to pursue young people for unpaid insurance premiums when they turned 18. From 1 January 2024, this is no longer possible. These debts remain with the parents. If insurers want to collect the money they are owed they will now have to pursue parents. However, the law […]
Swiss Federal Council’s theme and photo for 2024
Every year, Switzerland’s Federal Council publishes a photograph reflecting the theme for the year, which is chosen by the new president. This year’s theme is optimism, solidarity and foresight. The photo shows the 7 Federal Councillors and the Federal Chancellor in front of a canvas with the outlines of well known mountain peaks in Switzerland, […]
Three laws changing in Switzerland in 2024
On 1 January 2024, three new laws came into force. The first is a change to Swiss pensions. Under the new rules it will be easier to retire later or to continue working part time. Working for longer will mean a larger state pension when it is taken. The economic rationale is that more people […]
Top 10 most popular electric cars in Switzerland in 2023
Electric car sales continue to rise in Switzerland. In 2023, the percentage of total new cars registered that were electric rose to 20.9%, up from 17.3% in 2022, reported Swiss eMobility. At 1 January 2024, 163,511 electric cars were registered in Switzerland, around 3% of the total cars on Swiss roads. German-speaking Switzerland was the […]
Solar will cover 10 percent of Swiss electricity consumption in 2024
Solar power production will make up 10% of the electricity consumed in Switzerland in 2024, estimates the association Swissolar. 2023 was a good year for the expansion of Switzerland’s solar power capacity, which rose 40% from 2022. The strong performance was partly driven by sharply rising electricity costs. The median price across Switzerland shot up […]
Swiss inequality – a perception gap?
In a recent poll, nearly 82% completely (46%) or somewhat (36%) agreed that the gap between rich and poor in Switzerland is increasing. However, these responses are at odds with typical measures of inequality. Two key measures of inequality are the S80/S20 and the Gini Coefficient. On both measures Switzerland is fairly stable. The S80/S20 […]
