Switzerland doesn’t produce enough electricity to meet its needs, particularly in winter when demand is highest. To keep the lights on it imports electricity from its neighbours, much of it produced with polluting fuels. This leaves Switzerland reliant on its neighbours and acts as a drag on its climate progress. To remedy this, the government […]
Swiss inflation in May erodes case for further interest rate cut
In March 2024, as Switzerland’s month-on-month inflation rate went to zero and the annual inflation rate dipped to 1%, the Swiss National Bank (SNB) cut its key interest rate from 1.75% to 1.5%. Some expected the bank to keep cutting. However, in both April and May 2024, monthly inflation returned, making further imminent rate cuts […]
Most Swiss empty-nesters not planning to downsize
Switzerland has one of the world’s tightest housing markets. Vacancy rates in cantons like Geneva (0.42%) and Zurich (0.53%) are extremely low. By comparison, the rate in New York City (1.4%) is around three times higher. The vacancy rate across Switzerland (1.15%) as a whole is lower than NYC. With such a shortage of housing, […]
Switzerland remains a country of car commuters
Data published this week, shows that half of Swiss workers travel to and from work by car, despite a push to get commuters to switch to public transport to meet climate targets. Federal Statistical Office data shows that around 80% of the nation’s 5 million workers were required to travel to work in 2022. Of […]
Swiss premium relief vote shifts towards rejection
Rising health insurance premiums, which partly fund Switzerland’s healthcare system, are a key concern among Swiss voters. An initiative that aims to subsidise the premiums of those on low incomes will be put to voters on 9 June 2024. Had the vote taken place in April 2024, 56% of voters would have supported it. However, […]
Swiss universities triple fees for foreign students
Switzerland’s federal government is spending more than it collects. To improve its finances it is looking for additional revenue and costs that it can cut. This week, the government decided to charge foreign students at its two federal universities, EPFL in Lausanne and ETHZ in Zurich, three times what they currently pay, reported SRF. Switzerland […]
Winter avalanche deaths above Swiss average
Over the last 20 years, there have been an average of 21 avalanche deaths per year in Switzerland. During the winter of 2023/24, 23 lives were cut short by avalanches, according to data published by the Swiss Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research (WSL) in Davos, a figure slightly above average. At 261, the number […]
Apprenticeships top choice for Swiss school leavers in 2024
Across much of the world, the number of school leavers starting apprenticeships is low and often in decline. In Switzerland, apprenticeships remain the preferred choice of most school leavers. In Switzerland, of the 94,303 young people about to complete compulsory school in the coming weeks, 55% listed an apprenticeship as an option of interest. By […]
Swiss want to work less
More and more people in Switzerland want to work less, according to a study published by Swissstaffing, a placement agency umbrella organisation, reported SRF. A shortage of skilled workers is a perennial challenge in Switzerland. One potential solution is for part-time staff to work longer hours and extend retirement. However, reality is different. Swiss workers […]
Gambling addiction rising fast in Switzerland
With the arrival of the internet, gambling was transformed. It became easier to access and market gambling products. Data published this week show how this continues lure an increasing number of people in Switzerland to bet, which is pushing up the number of people with a gambling addiction. According to the report by an organisation […]
