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REVEALED: The most liked and disliked towns in Switzerland

The Swiss are notoriously wary of foreigners in their midst. But it seems they can also be critical of each other.

Published: 31 December 2019 11:48 CET

REVEALED: The most liked and disliked towns in Switzerland

RICHARD A. BROOKS / AFP

A new study by the Institute for Customer Insight at the University of St.Gallen revealed that “almost nobody in Switzerland” likes Aarau.

This may not hold true for the 20,000 people who actually live there, but the study respondents said the town, located in the northern part of the country, lacks cultural opportunities.

They also give it a low rating because they don’t like the Aarau dialect.

In fact, regional dialects seem to play an important role in determining whether a particular location deserves thumbs up or down: study participants also did not care for the way people in Basel and Zurich speak, although most criticism about those dialects came from the German-speaking part of Switzerland.

People living in the French-speaking region, on the other hand, rated both cities positively, possibly because they are not as attuned to Swiss-German dialect nuances as their counterparts.

While most respondents praised Zurich’s vibrant cultural scene and urban vibe, they also complained about its high cost of living — a familiar gripe, as Switzerland’s largest city is notoriously expensive.

READ ALSO: REVEALED – What the Swiss are most interested in

Switzerland’s capital, Bern, is generally liked for its cultural activities and job opportunities. No issues with its dialect have been brought up.

St. Gallen boasts a spectacular baroque-style abbey, but the city got low scores for its frequently bad weather and — you guessed it —the dialect.

Study respondents also found that this northeastern town is more popular with older people than with the younger generation, even though it is home to a big university.

So the question is: which city do the Swiss actually like?

The answer: Lucerne is a clear favourite, with respondents classifying the residents of this picturesque medieval city in central Switzerland as open and friendly.

And, most importantly, the city’s dialect is pleasing to the ear.

READ ALSO: Swiss town ranked the 'best small city' in the world

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'Pleasantly constant': Why Switzerland ranks as the 'world’s best country' — again

It’s official: Switzerland has been ranked ahead of 87 other countries analysed by the US News & World Report for its 2023 ranking, which was released on Wednesday morning.

It is the sixth time that Switzerland tops the rankings, which measure a country’s global performance based on 73 categories. They include entrepreneurship; quality of life; adaptability and progress; social purpose; and other attributes listed here.

What exactly makes Switzerland the best in the world?

The country “snags the top spot for business-friendliness and education, “and ranks in the top 10 for quality of life, social purpose and cultural influence,” according to study authors. “Among attributes, it was considered No.1 for being economically stable, safe and least corrupt.”

“And while people may not see it as the sexiest place, they would like to live there.”

One of Switzerland’s top qualities, the study showed, is ‘consistency.’

Unlike the political and economic volatility of many other countries, “there is something pleasantly constant about Switzerland,” the survey found.

It is true that change of any kind is slow to come here.

Part of the reason for this sluggishness is cultural: the Swiss don’t like spontaneity (unless it’s planned) or doing anything on a whim.

They believe that rushing things and making hasty decisions will have disastrous results, which is why they prefer to take a cautious — even if painstakingly slow — path.

As a general rule, the Swiss have a penchant not only for planning, but for pre-planning as well. They like to thoroughly examine each aspect of a proposed change and look at it from all possible angles.

Another reason (besides the cultural one mentioned above) contributes to Switzerland’s notorious slowness in decision-making — the country’s political system.

Due to Switzerland’s decentralised form of government, the Federal Council must consult with cantons before a decision can be made at the national level.

That, as you can imagine, could take a while as each of the 26 cantons may drag their individual feet, and there could be no consensus among them.

READ ALSO : Why are things so slow to change in Switzerland?

While some may see this ‘consistency’ as a negative, the US News & World Report considers it to be a definite plus.

How did Switzerland rank in major categories?

‘Open for business’

In this category, the country is in the first place (100 points out of 100).

Simply, this means the country is ‘business friendly’ because the government has created a good environment for businesses to thrive.

“Switzerland has low unemployment, a skilled labour force and one of the highest gross domestic products per capita in the world,” the report relates.

‘Educated population’

Here, too, Switzerland excels (100 points, first place).

Switzerland not only has an excellent and accessible education system, but according to Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), well over 80 percent of the country’s population have an upper secondary education or above.

This proportion is higher than the OECD average of 75 percent.

READ ALSO: How can foreigners get into a Swiss university?

‘Quality of life’

Here, Switzerland also got a high score ( 96.7), which places it in the fourth place.

This particular category, which includes essentials such as broad access to food, housing, quality education, healthcare, and employment, also comprises “intangibles such as job security, political stability, individual freedom and environmental quality.”

This is not exactly a surprise, as Switzerland often ranks highly in this category in other international surveys as well.

In which categories does Switzerland rate poorly?

‘Power’

Switzerland’s score here is 26, which lands it in the 20th place.

But this is actually good news, if you consider criteria for this category:

“The world’s most powerful countries also are the ones that consistently dominate news headlines, preoccupy policymakers and shape global economic patterns. Their foreign policies and military budgets are tracked religiously.”

Needless to say, Switzerland has no interest in wielding global power.

Besides (unintentionally) invading neighbouring Liechtenstein on three occasions, Switzerland is not at all power-hungry.

This is not only because it is neutral, but also because its politics is based on peaceful coexistence.

(The number 1 spot in this category was snagged, not surprisingly, by the United States).

‘Movers’

This too is not a major surprise, since the sub-category here is ‘dynamic’, for which Switzerland was given a low score of 29.1.

The country did a bit better in the ‘distinctive’ and ‘unique’ sub-category, with scores of 43.5 and 42.1, respectively.

Overall, Switzerland is in the 26th place.

You can see details of each category here.

What is the Swiss reaction to the report?

Overwhelmingly positive, of course.

“What people love about us is our reliability and our predictability,” said Jacques Pitteloud, the Swiss ambassador to the U.S.

“With us, you know what you get, which is rare nowadays,” Alexandre Edelmann, head of Presence Switzerland, a government agency that promotes the country abroad, pointed out.

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