Although there were 8,200 (12.1%) more deaths than the year before and fewer births, net migration caused the population to increase, provisional figures from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) revealed on TuesdayExternal link.
More precisely, there was a significant decrease in people leaving Switzerland. Overall, 56,000 more people came to Switzerland than left, but compared with 2019 both immigration and emigration decreased, by 3.9% and 15.6% respectively.
The large increase in deaths was related to the Covid-19 pandemic, the FSO said. Deaths of men increased more than those of women, at 14.6% and 9.9% respectively.
No reliable statement can yet be made about the impact of the pandemic on the birth rate, the FSO said. The number of births fell slightly from 86,200 in 2019 to 85,500. Of these, almost three-quarters (72.4%) were to married parents. The average number of children per woman was 1.46.
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New cash bonus for babies born south of the Swiss Alps
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In an effort to boost the local birthrate, the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland is introducing a CHF3,000 ($3,032) bonus for having a child.
The birth surplus – the difference between births and deaths – practically halved compared with the previous year, from 18,400 to 9,500 people. This decline was mainly due to the increase in deaths, according to the statistical office.
“This means that the birth surplus is at its lowest level since 2004,” it noted. “In cantons Ticino, Bern, Basel Country, Basel City, Neuchâtel, Graubünden, Jura, Schaffhausen and Glarus, the birth surplus was even negative: more people died than children were born.”
Fewer marriages and divorces occurred in 2020, which was “probably related to the Covid-19 pandemic”.
There were 34,900 marriages, down 10.4%. While 5.2% fewer Swiss nationals tied the knot, foreign or mixed-national couples said yes 15% and 15.6% less often.
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Unused Covid coffins overwhelm undertakers
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Funeral directors who stocked up on coffins now have hundreds of excess caskets on their hands.
Should raw milk sales be banned or should consumers decide?
Swiss food regulations do not allow raw milk to be sold for direct consumption. However, a loophole allows 400 raw milk vending machines to do just that.
Amherd and von der Leyen discuss ongoing Swiss-EU negotiations
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Swiss President Viola Amherd and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have met and talked about the ongoing negotiations between Bern and Brussels.
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One million francs, 34 million euros and around 830 kilos of gold: this is the fortune that two Swiss nationals are accused of having moved across borders for at least four years.
Girls in female-dominated classes earn more later on
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At the age of 30, women from school classes with a 55% share of girls earn $350 more per year than women from classes with a 45% share of girls.
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Geneva-based luxury goods group Richemont reported a downturn in performance for the first half of its 2024/25 financial year. Both sales and profit declined.
COP29: Swiss NGOs call for strong financial support
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Ahead of COP29, Swiss NGOs call for wealthy nations to pay $1,000 billion a year to help other countries solve climate problems.
Real Swiss wages likely to rise in 2025, says UBS bank
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Higher wages and falling inflation are likely to boost Swiss purchasing power, which will be dragged back by rising health premiums.
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Switzerland has a new tectonic map at a scale of 1:500,000, containing updates to geometry, distribution and nomenclature of the tectonic units.
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