This article was first published on 365 club.ch Residents of Switzerland have long grumbled about the nation’s high prices compared to neighbouring countries. On 19 March 2021, the government moved a step closer to removing two of the competitive barriers inflating Swiss prices. There are many factors behind Switzerland’s high prices. Chief among them are […]
Swiss upper house votes to raise pension age for women
As Switzerland’s population ages the number of people paid state pension is rising relative to the number of workers funding it. Since 2014, more has been paid out than has been paid in. The most effective way to fix this imbalance is to raise the pension age. If the average life expectancy of a retiree […]
Low-income households had lower Covid-19 rates but suffered worse economically
The economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic was unequal, hitting low-income households far harder than those on high incomes, according to a study published by the KOF Swiss Economic Institute at ETH Zurich. Infection rates rise with incomeMore people in the higher income range reported being infected with Covid-19 than those in lower income groups. […]
Swiss residential property prices on the rise
After falling by 0.8% in the first quarter of 2020, average Swiss residential property prices have rebounded, rising in every quarter since to deliver an annual 2020 increase of 2.5%. Average residential property prices rose by 1.4% in Q2, by 0.2% in Q3 and by 2.3% in the final quarter of 2020. Across the year, […]
Swiss unemployment jumps exceeding EU rate in Lake Geneva region
The rate of unemployment in Switzerland in the 4th quarter of 2020 was 4.9%, up from 3.9% in the 4th quarter of 2019. The same figures for the EU were 6.6% (Q4 2109) and 7.5% (Q4 2020). Unemployment rates were highest among those aged 15-24 (7.3%) and 25-39 (5.4%). Those aged 40-54 (4.6%) and 55-64 […]
Switzerland breaks deficit record in 2020
Switzerland’s federal accounts ended 2020 with a record-breaking deficit of CHF 15.8 billion. The deficit was caused by the pandemic. An unexpected CHF 3.6 billion fall in revenue combined with net CHF 12.5 billion in largely unplanned expenses combined to take the overall result CHF 16.1 billion below the expected positive net result of CHF […]
Poverty in Switzerland: fresh data on those struggling to get by
In 2019, the poverty line in Switzerland was CHF 27,348 (US$ 30,500) for a single person and CHF 47,712 (US$ 53,200) for a couple with two young children. The figures are calculated by SKOS based on the cost of living in Switzerland. People with incomes below these levels in Switzerland are considered to by living […]
Middle class shrinks in Switzerland
Statistics published at the end of January 2021 show a fall in the percentage of the population included in the definition of middle class in Switzerland. Middle class includes everyone belonging to a household with a gross income of between 70% and 150% of the median, according to a definition by Switzerland’s Federal Statistical Office. […]
Swiss shares can now be traded again in London
On 1 July 2019, the EU withdrew stock market equivalence for equity securities listed on the Swiss stock exchange. Since then it has not been possible to trade Swiss-listed shares in the EU. The loss of EU financial market equivalence occurred while Switzerland was haggling with Brussels over a framework agreement aimed at replacing Switzerland’s […]
6 billion franc Swiss National Bank payment after new agreement
Switzerland’s Federal Department of Finance (FDF) and the Swiss National Bank (SNB), Switzerland’s central bank, have signed a new agreement on how SNB profits can be distributed. The new agreement, which applies until 2025, allows for the SNB to make an annual payment of up to CHF 6 billion to the government, should central bank […]
