Today in Switzerland: A roundup of the latest news on Wednesday
New twist on Zurich's housing woes; Swiss university hospitals lack funding; and other news in our roundup on Wednesday.
Most Zurich residents expect to be ‘pushed out’ of the city soon
A survey of 10,000 people by the Tsüri.ch portal shows that the housing shortage is a huge concern for the Zurich population.
Sixty percent of participants assume they will not be able to find another apartment in Zurich the next time they move, and will have to settle outside of the city.
And 92 percent of respondents are concerned about rising rents; half said their rents are too high – on average, they pay about 650 francs too much per month.
Also according to the survey participants, responsibility for the housing crisis lies with politicians, who have not undertaken any effective measures to remedy the situation.
Investors such as banks and pension funds, which own many residential buildings, are also to blame, respondents said as they continue to raise rents in order to achieve higher returns.
READ ALSO: Zurich hit by affordable housing shortage amid record-high immigration
Healthcare alert: Swiss university hospitals are facing financial hardships
Switzerland's five university hospitals — in Geneva, Vaud, Bern, Basel and Zurich — are underfunded and are expected to post cumulative losses of 250 to 300 million francs in 2023.
There are several reasons why these facilities, which are essential for public health, are in this situation, even through they are funded by the cantons.
For one, understaffing is so acute that some hospitals have had to reduce the number of beds which, in turn, has had an effect on overall revenue.
In addition to the shortage of personnel, higher costs of energy and medicines also play a role.
“The more patients we treat, the more we are in the hole," according to Bertrand Levrat, director of the Geneva University Hospitals (HUG).
And the most densely populated Swiss neighbourhoods are…
Only a small part of the Switzerlands population lives in high-density urban areas.
According to maps created by Geneva’s daily newspaper, Tribune de Genève, most people per square kilometre are found, not surprisingly, in Switzerland’s largest cities.
By far the most densely populated area in Switzerland, with 29,096 people per square kilometre, is in Geneva, between rue de Lyon and rue de la Servette, around Geisendorf park.
Next is the area to the left and right of Kalkbreitestrasse in Zurich-Wiedikon, where about 20,277 people live together on one square kilometre.
Swiss economy has grown despite inflation
Switzerland's GDP rose by 0.5 percent in the first quarter of 2023, which is a positive development, given that no growth was recorded in the last three months of 2022.
"Domestic demand proved robust. Along with rising goods and exports, manufacturing also registered a slight increase,” the Federal Council said in a press release on Tuesday.
Private consumption rose by 0.6 percent during this time. In particular, "there was a significant increase in consumer spending on services, such as mobility and tourism," the government reported.
If you have any questions about life in Switzerland, ideas for articles or news tips for The Local, please get in touch with us at [email protected]
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Most Zurich residents expect to be ‘pushed out’ of the city soon
A survey of 10,000 people by the Tsüri.ch portal shows that the housing shortage is a huge concern for the Zurich population.
Sixty percent of participants assume they will not be able to find another apartment in Zurich the next time they move, and will have to settle outside of the city.
And 92 percent of respondents are concerned about rising rents; half said their rents are too high – on average, they pay about 650 francs too much per month.
Also according to the survey participants, responsibility for the housing crisis lies with politicians, who have not undertaken any effective measures to remedy the situation.
Investors such as banks and pension funds, which own many residential buildings, are also to blame, respondents said as they continue to raise rents in order to achieve higher returns.
READ ALSO: Zurich hit by affordable housing shortage amid record-high immigration
Healthcare alert: Swiss university hospitals are facing financial hardships
Switzerland's five university hospitals — in Geneva, Vaud, Bern, Basel and Zurich — are underfunded and are expected to post cumulative losses of 250 to 300 million francs in 2023.
There are several reasons why these facilities, which are essential for public health, are in this situation, even through they are funded by the cantons.
For one, understaffing is so acute that some hospitals have had to reduce the number of beds which, in turn, has had an effect on overall revenue.
In addition to the shortage of personnel, higher costs of energy and medicines also play a role.
“The more patients we treat, the more we are in the hole," according to Bertrand Levrat, director of the Geneva University Hospitals (HUG).
And the most densely populated Swiss neighbourhoods are…
Only a small part of the Switzerlands population lives in high-density urban areas.
According to maps created by Geneva’s daily newspaper, Tribune de Genève, most people per square kilometre are found, not surprisingly, in Switzerland’s largest cities.
By far the most densely populated area in Switzerland, with 29,096 people per square kilometre, is in Geneva, between rue de Lyon and rue de la Servette, around Geisendorf park.
Next is the area to the left and right of Kalkbreitestrasse in Zurich-Wiedikon, where about 20,277 people live together on one square kilometre.
Swiss economy has grown despite inflation
Switzerland's GDP rose by 0.5 percent in the first quarter of 2023, which is a positive development, given that no growth was recorded in the last three months of 2022.
"Domestic demand proved robust. Along with rising goods and exports, manufacturing also registered a slight increase,” the Federal Council said in a press release on Tuesday.
Private consumption rose by 0.6 percent during this time. In particular, "there was a significant increase in consumer spending on services, such as mobility and tourism," the government reported.
If you have any questions about life in Switzerland, ideas for articles or news tips for The Local, please get in touch with us at [email protected]
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