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The website homegate.ch has compiled data on rental prices in Zurich, Basel, Bern and Geneva over the last two years. The data shows how rents have risen in these cities and presents them on maps showing prices rises by suburb in each of these cities. Paradeplatz Zurich_© Denis Linine _ Dreamstime.comThe data presents rental prices for a 70 square metre three-room apartment. The most expense location in Switzerland is Paradeplatz in Zurich where the average rental price is CHF 3,760....

The Swiss government has been looking at measures to shore up the finances of Switzerland’s pension system for some time. © motortion | Dreamstime.comThe difference between the official retirement age for women (64) and men (65) is an obvious target.  Recently, the Federal Council, Switzerland’s executive, said it would include increasing the retirement age of women from 64 to 65 in a package of reforms aimed at reducing the financial strain on the nation’s pension finances, something...

The Swiss bank UBS estimates there could be a shortfall of 500,000 workers in Switzerland in the coming 10 years as the baby boomer generation retires. © Sebnem Ragiboglu | Dreamstime.comHowever, the bank predicts the shortfall will not be even across all industries. Some sectors are expected to stagnate. Workers in these industries might find it harder to find work. Demand for workers is expected to be high in the health and care sectors but low in manufacturing. In general, growth is...

According to an analysis by the Swiss broadcaster RTS, Switzerland’s reliance on EU exports has declined in recent years.  Swiss exports – © Alan Stoddard | Dreamstime.comOver the first quarter of 2019, for the first time, exports to the US exceeded those to Germany by more than CHF 1 billion reaching CHF 15.7 billion. Exports to the US have risen from 8.3% to 16.3% of total Swiss exports over the last 30 years.  Another Swiss export market on the rise is China, which has increased its...

In Switzerland, the revenue poverty line is income of CHF 27,108 (US$ 27,490) a year for someone living alone and CHF 47,880 (US$ 48,550) for a family of four. © David Carillet | Dreamstime.comIn 2017, the percentage of Switzerland’s population living below the poverty line was 8.2% or 675,000 people. In 2016, the percentage was 7.6%. Those most likely to be below the poverty line are those in single parent families (12.4%), those not working (22.3%), those with no more than a...

A generation ago millionaires were relatively rare. These days it is fairly easy to rub shoulders with one. According to a report by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) there were 22 million US$ millionaires worldwide in 2018. One driver of the rising number of millionaires is inflation. A million dollars isn’t worth what it once was. Another is rising average age.  An average 65 year old is worth far more than an average 20 year old. As life goes by assets accumulate before they’re...

In 2019, Switzerland came top overall in a ranking of destinations for expatriates to live and work, moving up from eighth last year. Geneva – © Hai Huy Ton That | Dreamstime.comSingapore, which had held the top spot for four years in the HSBC’s list of the best countries for expatriates, dropped to second place. Switzerland scored highly on salaries (1st), stability (1st), education (2nd) and quality of life. 82% of expats say they experienced an improvement in quality of life after...

Switzerland’s Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO) recently published the results of its farm inspections in 2018. © Melissa Mahoney | Dreamstime.com 35% of the 10,647 inspections were done without warning, a percentage above the 10% minimum. 87% of farms were found to be operating on or above minimum Swiss animal welfare standards, while 13% were below the minimum. According to an RTS interview, many of the infractions were oversights, such as not giving an animal water on a hot...

As the 30 June 2019 expiry date for Swiss-EU stock market equivalence approaches, the National Council, Switzerland’s parliament, has given a clear mandate to extend negotiations over the nation’s relationship with the EU. © Denis Linine | Dreamstime.com The negotiations, which began in 2014, are centred on the Framework Agreement, an arrangement designed to replace the patchwork of deals Switzerland has with the EU, deals that include free movement of people, mutual recognition of industrial...

Switzerland’s government is aiming to make it easier to access medical marijuana, which is used by those suffering from cancer or other serious medical conditions. © Olegmalyshev _ Dreamstime.com The proposed rules would make it possible for doctors to directly prescribe cannabis as part of their treatment, said the Federal Council in a statement. Currently, patients have to apply for an exception from the Federal Office of Public Health to get a prescription. Around 3,000 people were granted...