Switzerland’s residential battery market is growing fast. Around half of new photovoltaic installations are now paired with storage, according to Swissolar. Falling battery prices, lower payments for surplus solar power and the prospect of more flexible electricity tariffs are all helping to drive demand. But popularity should not be confused with profitability. In Switzerland, solar […]
Swiss public-transport fares to rise by less than expected
Swiss public-transport fares will rise by an average of 3.6% in December 2026, less than the 3.9% increase originally planned. The reduction follows negotiations between the industry and Switzerland’s price regulator. The price of a second-class GA travelcard, which provides unlimited travel on much of the Swiss public-transport network, will rise by CHF 100 to […]
Mental illness remains the leading cause of disability-welfare claims in Switzerland
The number of people receiving vocational-rehabilitation support through Switzerland’s disability-insurance system rose again in 2025. Mental illness remained the leading cause of disability, especially among young people. Some 61,000 people received vocational-rehabilitation support, the Federal Social Insurance Office (FSIO) said on Monday. That was 3,300 more than in 2024 and more than three times as […]
How the Big Mac Index overstates the Swiss franc’s strength
For 40 years, The Economist has indulged in what it refers to as “burgernomics”: a worldwide comparison of the price of a Big Mac. The McDonald’s Big Mac is remarkably consistent wherever you eat it, so you might expect its price to be consistent too. But it is not—and, according to the publisher, that reveals […]
Moving to France – a cheaper life across the border
While Switzerland is debating how to curb immigration, some of its own residents are considering a move in the opposite direction. According to a survey commissioned by Comparis, a price-comparison website, nearly one-third of adults in French-speaking Switzerland could imagine moving to France. Some 4.2% are already looking for a home there—equivalent, by the company’s […]
Swiss workers miss out on a decade of economic growth
Real wage growth has slowed sharply for most Swiss workers over the past decade, leaving real disposable incomes stagnant or falling for nearly all households. According to a Swiss Trade Union Federation’s (SGB) 2026 report, only single people in the top 10% of the income distribution and families in the top 1% recorded an increase […]
Unions launch referendum against a minimum-wage reform they describe as attack on women
Minimum wages are one of the most contentious issues in Swiss labour policy, exposing tensions between Switzerland’s federal government and the cantons over who should determine pay. Trade unions and left-wing parties have now launched a federal referendum against legislation that would give sectoral collective labour agreements1 precedence over cantonal minimum-wage laws. The reform, approved […]
Higher health-insurance deductible wins backing on the right, not the left
Switzerland’s government is pressing ahead with plans to raise the minimum annual health-insurance deductible from CHF 300 to CHF 400, reports RTS. The proposal has exposed familiar political divisions: parties on the right and health insurers support it, while the left, trade unions and cities oppose it. The Centre Party and the cantons occupy a […]
Swiss rent control initiative passes signature hurdle
This week, the Swiss Tenants’ Association submitted a popular initiative aimed at curbing rents after collecting more than 140,000 signatures. The proposal would require rents to be reviewed automatically at regular intervals. If a review found rents to be too high, landlords would be obliged to reduce them. The initiative is backed by an alliance […]
Swiss government trims defence tax increase
The Swiss government has scaled back—but not abandoned—its plan to raise value-added tax (VAT) to finance higher defence spending. In January the Federal Council proposed a temporary 0.8-percentage-point increase in the standard VAT rate to help fund Switzerland’s growing security needs. Following a public consultation, it has reduced the proposed rise to 0.5 percentage points. […]
