About a quarter of single-parent households in 20 Swiss cities received social assistance in 2023. They were almost five times as likely to receive it as households overall. Children in single-parent families accounted for 59% of minors receiving assistance, up from 52% in 2010. Women headed about 93% of single-parent households on welfare. Foreign nationals […]
New foundation hopes some will donate Switzerland’s extra pension payment
Swiss pensioners will receive a 13th monthly state pension payment for the first time in December 2026. A new foundation wants those who can afford to donate the money to charity. Fondation Chance 13 is asking better-off recipients to pass on the extra payment. It aims to tackle poverty among older people and support younger […]
Motorists cross borders for cheaper fuel
As fuel prices rise motorists quickly work out where to find cheaper fuel, reports SRF. At petrol stations in Vacallo, a Swiss town near the Italian border, few cars stop to fill up. Italy’s government has temporarily cut fuel duty, making petrol cheaper across the border. One woman says she shops and fills up in […]
VAT rise to fund extra pension narrowly opposed in first poll
Swiss voters are divided over a proposed increase in value-added tax (VAT) to fund an extra annual state-pension payment, according to the first representative SRG poll. The survey, conducted by gfs.bern from 5 to 18 October and published this week, found that 49% of eligible voters opposed the proposal and 46% supported it, with 5% […]
One in six people in Switzerland spends more than a third of their income on housing
One in six people (16%) in Switzerland spends more than a third of their income on housing, exceeding a widely recommended limit, according to a survey published on Thursday by Comparis, a price-comparison website. Among tenants, the share rises to 22%. A common rule of thumb is that housing costs should not exceed a third […]
Zurich’s housing squeeze begins to ease
More building and slower immigration are taking pressure off the rental market. But rents are still rising. Finding a flat in Zurich has long meant crowded viewings and frequent rejection. Now there are tentative signs of relief. Zurich Cantonal Bank (ZKB) sees a possible turning point as construction picks up and immigration slows. The canton’s […]
Why Swiss mortgage rates are rising faster in some regions than others
Switzerland’s mortgage rates are rising. How much borrowers pay depends on where they are. Switzerland has one currency, but its mortgage market is far from uniform. In the third quarter of 2026, median ten-year fixed rates ranged from 1.62% in Central Switzerland to 2.15% in Valais, according to Resolve’s quarterly mortgage report. Geography matters because […]
Fraud in Switzerland nearly doubled between 2022 and 2025
Crime has risen in Switzerland since 2022, led by a sharp increase in fraud, according to the Crime Survey 2025 by the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) and the University of St Gallen. Most people nonetheless still regard the country as safe. Of those surveyed in 2025, 15.9% said they had been victims of […]
Swiss minister defends VAT rise to fund higher state pension
Swiss social affairs minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider has defended a proposed increase in value-added tax (VAT) to help finance the 13th annual pension payment. Voters will decide on the measure in a referendum on November 29th. “A ‘no’ would have serious consequences,” Ms Baume-Schneider warned at a press conference in Bern, reported RTS. Without additional revenue, […]
Vaud’s vote to cut taxes won’t turn it into a tax haven
Voters in Vaud approved a 12% cut in income and wealth taxes on Sunday, with 53.1% backing the initiative. The measure will not turn the canton into a tax haven. Even after the cut, Vaud’s tax burden will remain above the national average. Vaud’s residents will continue to rank among the most heavily taxed in […]
