Author: switzerlandtimes.ch

The recent winter season was positive for Switzerland’s mountain resort lift operators. However, the picture was mixed with low altitude resorts missing out on much of the joy, reported Switzerland’s mountain lift association this week. By the end of April 2024, the number of first-time visitors to Swiss ski areas overall was up 3% compared to the previous year, and up by 5% compared to the 5-year average. Early snow in November and December combined with late snow in April extended the season at both ends, especially at altitude. Early snow at low altitude in November and excellent weather conditions…

The population is growing exceptionally fast in Switzerland. The nation draws many migrants from the EU and takes in proportionally high numbers of refugees. Over the last 20 years, the nation’s population has risen by 20%, far more than in France (10%), Austria (12%), Italy (3%) and Germany (2%) over the same period. In addition to these large inflows of people from outside, cantons with the highest growth rates have been exporting people to other cantons, according to figures published by RTS. The main regions with the highest population growth are the Lake Geneva region, Greater Zurich, parts of central…

The number of incidents of discrimination reported in Switzerland jumped 24% to 876 cases in 2023, according to a report published by a human rights organisation helping victims of harassment and discrimination. Of the total, roughly half involved expressions of discrimination and the rest discriminatory treatment. The most common place these events occured was at school, where 181 incidents were reported. Work (124), political settings (62), home hunting (43) and job hunting (36) were the next most frequent settings. These five together accounted for roughly half of the total number of reported incidents. The most common victims were those discriminated…

The winter and recent spring snowfall has brought record amounts of snow to Switzerland. Experts ponder whether this could lead to floods as it did in 1999. Snowfall in Switzerland this winter was contrasted by altitude. Down low (below 2,000m) there was significant rain, leaving many low altitude ski resorts short of snow. However, above 2,000m there were record levels of snowfall in many places. On the Säntis, a 2,502m peak in the Alpstein Mountains in eastern Switzerland, the snow depth reached nearly 7m, more snow than the peak has seen in 25 years, reported SRF. On average the snow…

Consumer prices in Switzerland increased by 0.316% in April 2024, rising 1.4% over the previous 12 months, reported Switzerland’s Federal Statistical Office (FSO) this week. However, annualised, the monthly rate comes to 3.79%, a rate well above the Swiss National Bank’s (SNB) preferred maximum of 2%. April’s 0.3% monthly price increase was driven by several factors including rising prices for packaged holidays abroad (+6.7%), airfares (+3.4%) and fuel (+3.1%). In contrast, gas, wood pellets and hotels were cheaper. Most of the monthly jump in prices came from imported goods, which accounted for 81% of monthly inflation. During April the Swiss…

In today’s world, financial freedom is more than just a dream; it’s a tangible goal that individuals strive to achieve. With the advent of digital banking, accessing and managing finances has become more convenient and efficient than ever before.  Financial Freedom is the state of having enough income, savings, and investments to live the desired lifestyle without relying on a traditional job. It involves being debt-free, feeling in control of finances, having the ability to cover unexpected costs, saving money each month, and having disposable income available. Achieving financial freedom requires discipline, planning, and making sacrifices to reach financial…

This week, the Swiss National Bank (SNB) announced a record quarterly profit for the first quarter of 2024. The result was largely predicted after the SNB made a surprise interest rate cut, which led to a weaker Swiss Franc. Switzerland’s central bank is unusual. It is privately owned (mainly by a German citizen) but distributes much of its profit to the nation’s cantons and federal government. This feature adds to the politicisation of monetary policy in Switzerland as it increases the likelihood voters and politicians view the bank primarily as a cash generator rather than the custodian of a stable…

The severe drop in temperatures across Switzerland last week froze large areas of wine grape vines. Parts of Vaud and Geneva have been particularly hard hit, reported RTS. Wine growers now fear for their coming grape harvest. While it is too soon to quantify potential harvest damage, one farmer in the canton of Geneva reported three quarters of her vines completely freezing. However, the true level of damage will only be clear once the fruit begins to develop. In any case the wine grower expects her harvest to be half of what it would have been. 2017 was a similarly…

An idea put forward by the FDP/PLR to have certain rejected asylum seekers sent to a country other than the one they came from found support in a parliamentary commission this week, reported SRF. The comission voted 14 to 11 in favour of the idea. Normally, asylum seekers who have their applications rejected are returned to their home country. However, the nation of Eritrea will not accept its own citizens back unless they return voluntarily, leaving open the question of where to send those unwilling to return. The idea put forward by the FDP/PLR would be to arrange to have…

Switzerland has three main languages, and liguistic divides run through some cities such as Biel/Biennes and Freiburg/Fribourg. In Swiss cities in general, French is on the rise. In bilingual cities where some residents speak French at home and others German, French is gaining ground fast, according to data from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO). There are several reasons for this. Switzerland is a trilingual nation, quadrilingual if the rarely spoken language of Romanche is included. However, many Swiss are monolingual, speaking only their mother tongue. In addition, many of those who are bilingual are likely to speak English alongside their…