Private retirement saving is popular in Switzerland; nearly 60% of workers hold a pillar 3a account, which lets savers prepare for retirement while benefiting from annual tax relief. From January 1st 2026 they will gain more flexibility: missed contributions will be allowed to be made up retroactively. Today contributions to the third pillar are capped […]
Swiss parliament finally accepts 2026 budget cuts to balance books
Switzerland’s federal parliament has approved a balanced budget for 2026 after weeks of negotiation, settling the last points of contention on Friday, reported Le Temps. The compromise leaves the public finances in the black, with a slim margin of manoeuvre of CHF 84.6m, and reflects a clear political priority: security. Both chambers of the Federal […]
Trump sets deadline to conclude binding trade agreement with Switzerland
Donald Trump has set Switzerland a deadline to conclude a binding trade agreement, reported RTS. Washington wants a legally enforceable deal in place by March 31st 2026. Failing that, the United States says it may review and reconsider the tariffs imposed on Swiss exports. According to several Swiss newspapers, the Trump administration is keen to […]
Schools close as Vaud’s teachers extend strikes
Teachers in the canton of Vaud have intensified their strike over the canton’s austerity plan, forcing the closure of numerous schools and disrupting classes for weeks, reported SRF. The canton faces a sizeable deficit in its 2026 budget, prompting the government to introduce a package of cost-cutting measures. Christelle Luisier Brodard, the finance minister and […]
Swiss solar initiative clears signature hurdle
Switzerland’s Greens have gathered enough signatures to force a vote on a far-reaching solar initiative. On December 10th the party submitted 134,000 signatures to the Federal Chancellery—well above the 100,000 needed for a popular initiative. It is the first time in a decade the party has raised the necessary support on its own. The proposal, […]
Switzerland moves ahead with first phase of its F-35 purchase
Switzerland has signed a first contract with Lockheed Martin for the delivery of eight F-35 fighter jets, marking the first concrete step in its long-planned rearmament programme, reported RTS. The agreement, signed on September 29th, was confirmed this week by Armasuisse, the federal procurement agency. Two further contracts, covering the remaining 28 aircraft, are still […]
Swiss government weighs VAT hike to fund army
Switzerland’s government is weighing a rise in value-added tax to help fund a rapid expansion of the armed forces, reported RTS. According to the Tages-Anzeiger, the proposal—an increase of 0.5 percentage points—was floated by Martin Pfister, the defence minister, amid growing anxiety about Europe’s security and the risk of further Russian aggression. Pfister argues that […]
Switzerland’s median salary surpasses CHF 7,000 a month
The median full-time salary in Switzerland rose to CHF 7,024 (US$8,780) a month in 2024, up 3.5% from CHF 6,788 two years earlier, according to the Federal Statistical Office. Despite nominal gains, the overall shape of the country’s wage pyramid has changed little since 2008. The bottom 10% of earners took home less than CHF […]
Cuts in Swiss bureaucracy could save 30 billion a year
Swiss business and farming groups are stepping up calls for a rollback of red tape, warning that an expanding regulatory burden is stifling productivity just as labour shortages intensify. They are urging the Federal Council and parliament to act before the end of the current legislative term. At a press conference in Bern, economiesuisse, the […]
Poverty in prosperous Switzerland refuses to fall
Despite its wealth and generous welfare system, Switzerland has struggled recently to make meaningful progress in reducing poverty. In 2023, some CHF 15bn in social transfers trimmed Switzerland’s underlying poverty rate from nearly a third of the population (31.7%) to 8.1%, according to the country’s first comprehensive national poverty study. That share has barely moved […]
