Tag Archives: Human interest

Data published this week reveal Switzerland’s cantonal crime hotspot, a phenomenon connected to geography. Basel Police © Neydtstock | Dreamstime.comIn 2023, after a sharp rise, the canton of Basel-City recorded the largest number of violent crimes and the highest per capita rates of theft and burglary. The rate of violent crime reached 13.2 per 1,000 residents in the city in 2023. The number of property crimes, which includes theft and burglary rose to 21,329 in 2023, a figure 18%...

Married couples in Switzerland are taxed together, unlike unmarried couples who are taxed individually. This often acts as a tax disincentive for one spouse to work, disproportionately affecting women. For many years, certain political parties have been pushing to remove what is essentially discrimination on the basis of marital status. The issue came back into the limelight this week in the run up to a 27 March 2024 deadline for the government to respond to an...

Married couples in Switzerland are taxed together, unlike unmarried couples who are taxed individually. This often acts as a tax disincentive for one spouse to work, disproportionately affecting women. For many years, certain political parties have been pushing to remove what is essentially discrimination on the basis of marital status. The issue came back into the limelight this week in the run up to a 27 March 2024 deadline for the government to respond to an initiative on the...

In a recent poll, nearly 82% completely (46%) or somewhat (36%) agreed that the gap between rich and poor in Switzerland is increasing. However, these responses are at odds with typical measures of inequality. © Nora Tarvus | Dreamstime.comTwo key measures of inequality are the S80/S20 and the Gini Coefficient. On both measures Switzerland is fairly stable. The S80/S20 takes the average income of the top 20% and divides it by the average income of the bottom 20%. In Switzerland in 2021...

In 2022, 2.9% of the population received welfare, according to data published by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) this week. Since 2005, when nationwide data on welfare was first collected, the rate has only dipped below 3% once before in 2008. The highest it has been was 3.3% in 2016 and 2017. © ochu2008 | Dreamstime.comWelfare does not include basic unemployment benefits, state pension payments or standard disability payments, which are Switzerland’s largest social transfers....

Total donations made in Switzerland reached CHF 2.5 billion in 2022, a record according to Zewo, an auditor of charities. The record figure was partly driven by the CHF 418 million donated to Ukraine. © Francisco Javier Zea Lara | Dreamstime.comThe CHF 2.5 billion donated in 2022 was 22% higher than the total in 2021 and 38% than the total in 2018. The figures showed an increase in donations aimed abroad with no increase in those aimed locally. In addition, the growth came mainly from...

At 37% of the total, one-person households are now the most common way to live in Switzerland, according to recently published data by Switzerland’s Federal Statistical Office (FSO). Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.comThe data from 2022, show that 37% of households contained one person, followed by the 32% that contained two, 13% that contained three, 12% with four and 5% with five or more. This does of course not mean that 37% of the population lived alone. Households of five or...

A recently published survey shows 23% of employees in Switzerland reported a risk to safety or health due to their work in 2021, compared to a European average of 34%. Photo by Life Of Pix on Pexels.comIn 2021, 23% of employees in Switzerland identified a risk to safety or health due to their work. The rate across Europe this was significantly higher at 34%. Key areas of concern in Switzerland were work related strain on the musculoskeletal system (55%) and stress from a high work...

Over the first half of 2023, the number of foreign residents in Switzerland rose by 47,200. Most came from the EU to work, show recently published statistics. Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.comAfter deducting the number of people leaving Switzerland, a net 9,384 people were added to the resident population during the first half of 2023. Much of the movement was driven by those moving from EU nations. Nearly 70% of those arriving were from the EU and 84% of net migration was from the EU....

In 1941, George de Mestral, while hunting in the Jura, with his son and dogs, noticed how the plant burdock stuck with microscopic hooks to his trousers and to the ears of one of his dogs. Fifteen years later the strong-willed Vaud handy man had turned his observation into something that would become a household name. Wild burdock_© Olga Budonna | Dreamstime.com He carried his hunting trip observation around in his head for ten years before realizing it could be used as an alternative to a...