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LIVING IN SWITZERLAND

Have your say: Which Swiss ‘unwritten rule’ should become law?

Switzerland loves laws and regulations, but it is the ‘unwritten rules’ which really keep the country together. Let us know which unwritten rule you like so much it should be made law.

Published: 24 March 2022 14:43 CET
Updated: 11 April 2022 12:12 CEST

Which unwritten rule would you want to put into law in Switzerland? Photo by Syed Umer on Unsplash

Which unwritten rule would you want to put into law in Switzerland? Photo by Syed Umer on Unsplash

Whether you’ve been in Switzerland for a day or a decade, you’ll be aware of the country’s love for rules, regulations and laws.

However, as we’ve covered in the following guide, it is the ‘unwritten rules’ which really make the country tick.

In this guide, we listed eight unwritten rules that everyone living in Switzerland will be familiar with to some degree.

Eight unwritten rules that explain how Switzerland works

If you aren’t familiar with them, then there’s a good chance you’ve been annoying your Swiss and not-so-Swiss friends in various ways.

Like to ‘pop in’ and surprise your friends when you’re in the neighbourhood? You’re breaking a Swiss unwritten rule.

Like to start up a conversation with the man next to you at the urinal? That’s another no no.

Got a bit of a cold but think you should push on through and head to work? The Swiss would rather you didn’t.

Let us know which of the eight should be written into law – or add your own if your favourite isn’t here.

We’ll publish the results of the survey and add your favourite unwritten rules to the report.

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Pigs, jobs and money: What the new data reveals about Switzerland

Yes, there are chocolate, cheese, and cows, but they only partly represent what Switzerland is all about — not even if you throw watches, banks, and army knives into the mix.

But new data released by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) on Friday completes that picture with some interesting facts and figures about the country.

Here are some of them.

Life expectancy at birth

Switzerland is known to have one of the world’s highest life expectancy rates, and the study confirms that: 85.4 years for women and 81.6 years for men.

Demographers attribute this longevity to factors like good access and quality of healthcare, along with generally high standard of living.

READ ALSO: The reasons why living in Switzerland can prolong your life

Employment

Switzerland has been experiencing higher immigration, with the population expected to reach the 10-million mark within the next few years.

Out of the 5.2-million-strong workforce, 1.7 million are foreign nationals: 78.3 are permanent residents, and the remaining 21.7 percent are cross-border commuters.

FSO also found that 45 percent work in or around just five cities: Zurich, Basel, Bern, Geneva, and Lausanne.

Economy

The country boasts one of the world’s strongest and most prosperous economies.

According to FSO’s latest findings, Switzerland’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) — the total value of goods and services provided in a country during one year — amounts to 781,460 million francs.

This translates to 88,717 francs per inhabitant.

Cattle (yes, you heard it right, cattle)

Switzerland has just over 1.5 million head of cattle.

You might think that cows constitute the majority but no — the pigs do.

Roughly 1.3 million pigs live in Switzerland and ‘only’ 670,000 cows (no data is available for goats).

However, cows have an edge over pigs in at least one area: they have names, with Fiona, Diana, Bella, Bianca, and Nina being the most popular. (For pigs, we only know of Babe).

READ ALSO : Why are cows so important in Switzerland?

The happiness factor

Nearly 70 percent of Switzerland’s population say that are happy and satisfied with their lives, while 3 percent are not (27 percent remain neutral on this issue).

Just over 8 percent of residents are classified as poor (so probably not happy) — that is, earning less than 2,284 francs per month for an individual, and 4,010 per month per month for a family.

Politics

Thanks of Switzerland’s unique system of direct democracy, 666 referendums have been held since 1848 — the year the country’s constitution was created.

Half of those were held in the last 40 years.

Of the political parties, the Swiss People’s Party has the highest representation in the parliament (47.9 percent) and the Greens the lowest (9.8 percent).

Public spending

The government is spending just over 82 million a year, with the bulk of this money earmarked to fiancé the social security scheme, followed by public transport and education.

The least is spent on environmental protection.

Social security

Just over quarter million people in Switzerland — 256, 800 to be exact — receive social security payments; 27 percent of the GDP goes toward social welfare.

Of that, most (42 percent) is spent on pensions, followed by healthcare (33 percent).

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