Tag Archives: Business & Economy

Switzerland’s consumer price index (CPI) fell by 0.1% in January 2025. Across 12 months inflation was +0.4%, reported the Federal Statistical Office (FSO). Annual inflation at the end of January 2025 is the lowest it has been since April 2021 when it was +0.3%. © Rochu2008 | Dreamstime.comWhile many nations, such as the UK and the US, are struggling to rein in inflation, Switzerland is going against the grain. In the US annual inflation rose to 3% at the end of January 2025 and in...

Relative to the price of many things, the price of milk in Switzerland is low. A litre of milk in a Swiss supermarket typically costs between CHF 1.50 and CHF 2.00. Plant milk alternatives often cost close to CHF 3.00. Of the retail price paid for milk only 70 cents makes it into the pockets of dairy farmers. Milk Switzerland © William Bode | Dreamstime.comThis week, dairy producers in Zurich announced the creation of an association to set a higher price. The current price of 70 cents is...

Authorities in several Swiss cantons are gearing up for a sharp rise in the number of bankruptcies this year, possibly double the number in 2024, reported SRF. Bankrupt © Tatyana Gladskikh | Dreamstime.comSome cantons are employing new staff to deal with the sharp rise, which is partly due to a change in the rules. Many companies on the edge of bankruptcy are kept alive by the forebearance of cantonal and municipal creditors. Unsurprisingly, the public sector is the largest creditor...

Currently, it is impossible for individuals to legally escape their debts in Switzerland, even when they have no chance of ever paying them back. Some find themselves trapped in debt for the rest of their lives. This week, the Federal Council unveiled a new legal procedure that will offer some heavily indebted people a second chance, reported RTS. Photo by Mikhail Nilov on Pexels.comAs an increasing number of people in Switzerland find themselves stuck in a debt trap, political pressure...

Since the beginning of the year, a new step has been added to buying fresh fruit and vegetables in Swiss supermarkets. Previously, the produce went on the scales, the relevant number was entered, a button pushed, and a price sticker produced. Now there’s an extra step: a bag choice must be made. What is going on? Swiss broadcaster RTS asked some supermarket customers about the change. Most seemed slightly confused by the question and thought the change might be an ecological initiative...

This week, the shut down of The Body Shop in Switzerland was announced, reported SRF. The brand’s 33 remaining shops will close in May 2025. Body Shop © Hermin Utomo | Dreamstime.comThe Body Shop Switzerland is a franchise owned and operated by the Coop supermarket group. Coop has said that it will not extend the franchise contract, which ends in May 2025. The Body Shop brand’s market positioning is no longer unique, said the group. The Body Shop, which was founded in 1976 in...

This week, modelling published by the Zurich Office for Economic Affairs, shows a significant shortage of workers emerging in the canton by 2050. Photo by Valentin Angel Fernandez on Pexels.comWithin 25 years, Zurich will have tens of thousands of workers less than it needs, despite a growing population. The modelling shows that as more people retire from the workforce than enter it, a gap will open up. According to the authors, immigration will not solve the problem because the shift...

The Swiss National Bank (SNB), Switzerland’s central bank, has a narrow role: to ensure price stability, which means managing inflation. Sometimes in the course of this task it generates a profit. For the year ended 31 December 2024, the SNB made a profit of CHF 80 billion, of which CHF 3 billion will be paid to federal and cantonal governments. © Tamer Adel | Dreamstime.comFor many years, the SNB reliably paid a share of its profits to the government. The government, particularly those...

A project to end Switzerland’s controversial system of imputed rent was launched more than seven years ago. This week, discussions in Bern suggest the project’s chances of sucess remain narrow. Photo by Melike Benli on Pexels.comIn Switzerland, anyone who owns a property retained as a primary or secondary residence must add a fictional rent to their taxable income, which is calculated based on the location and size of the property. The system was introduced during the second world war to...

New data show that tourism accounts for 25% of the total traffic on Swiss roads, reported SRF. The Federal Council report shows that leisure and tourism account for 53% of passenger road traffic, with the other 47% made up of commuting to and from work. Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.comRegular leisure traffic by residents of Switzerland accounted for 27% of road traffic, 12% was locals engaging in tourism, 13% foreigners travelling for tourism and 47% commuting. The remaining 1% is...