Data published this week show that Switzerland invested CHF 24.6 billion into research and development (R&D) in 2021, a sum 4% higher than in 2019 before the pandemic struck. With an R&D investment equivalent to 3.4% of GDP, Switzerland was fourth internationally behind only the United States (3.5%), South Korea (4.9%) and Israel (5.6%). R&D […]
Job growth continues in Switzerland
Figures published by Switzerland’s Federal Statistical Office (FSO) on 26 May 2023 show continued growth in the number of jobs in Switzerland. At the end of the first quarter of 2023, total employment was 2.2% higher than a year earlier and 0.6% higher than at the end of 2022. Companies in Switzerland reported a total […]
Switzerland’s higher company tax vote – a step into the unknown
On 18 June 2023, Swiss voters will choose whether to accept the government’s plan to raise company tax rates to a minimum of 15%. The minimum 15% tax, which will apply to any company with annual revenues of Euro 750 million or more, has essentially been forced on Switzerland by the OECD as part of […]
Price of generic drugs close to double in Switzerland
On 17 May 2023, Interpharma and Santésuisse published their annual report showing drug price comparisons across Europe. The good news is the drug price gap between Switzerland and its neighbours has narrowed. The extra paid for on-patent drugs in Switzerland is now 5.4% on average. However, the price premium paid for generic (+45.5%) and biosimilar […]
Swiss initiative that aims to let voters fire cabinet members
Currently, the members of Switzerland’s seven-member Federal Council, the nation’s executive or cabinet, are elected for four years by the members of parliament (National Council) and the upper house (Council of States). This week, an initiative was launched for a referendum on whether to allow voters to remove any Federal Councillor they don’t like, reported […]
Swiss real estate gives up some of its recent gains
On 15 May 2023, the Federal Statistical Office published its latest residential property price index. During the first quarter of 2023, average Swiss home prices fell by 1.2%, leaving them 3.9% higher than a year before. Stand alone houses dropped in price by 1.3% while apartments lost 1.1% of their value over the three months […]
20 Swiss towns favour 30 km/h speed limits
This week, a Swiss organisation focused on urban transport with 20 members, announced its support for city-wide 30 km/h speed limits, a limit significantly lower than the current standard limit of 50 km/h in urban areas. On 16 May 2023, the organisation, which brings together 20 towns, ranging from Zurich (the largest) to Chiasso (the […]
Swiss fact: 44 Swiss municipalities have changed their official language since 1950
Language is a complicated matter in Switzerland. The nation has four official languages and numerous other languages and dialects. On top of this some Swiss have had to cope with shifting language borders. Between 1860 and 2000, 83 municipalities, known as communes (in French), Einwohnergemeinde1 (in German), comuni (in Italian) and vischnancas (in Romanche), changed their official […]
Proposal for budget Swiss health insurance
Last weekend, the PLR/FDP unveiled a plan to create a budget low cost health insurance option in Switzerland, reported RTS. The proposal, which includes lower cost ways of delivering healthcare, will be presented to parliament next month. Examples of ways to lower costs include limiting the choice of hospital and sharing hospital rooms with more […]
Switzerland needs to be able to recharge 2.8 million vehicles
This week, the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) published its predictions and ambitions for electric transport infrastructure. By 2035, SFOE expects more than half of all passenger cars in Switzerland to be electric. This means the country has around 12 years to complete its charging infrastructure, it said. The SFOE study estimates there will […]
