http://www.news.admin.ch en 2013-05-20 2013-05-20 News Service Bund http://www.news.admin.ch/NSBSubscriber/message/en/48903 (FSO) - A partial revision of the Ordinance on the Conduct of Statistical Surveys by the Confederation is currently being prepared. In addition to amendments taking account of new EU legislation, the implementation provisions in Article 14a of the Federal Statistics Act (BstatG) in particular are being revised. The Federal Statistical Office (FSO) will be consulting affected and interested parties until mid-June 2013 on the draught Ordinance and explanations. 2013-05-17 Federal Statistical Office http://www.news.admin.ch/NSBSubscriber/message/en/48875 (FSO) - According to the latest results from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), 12,008 new bankruptcies were registered in Switzerland in 2012. In comparison with the previous year this represents an increase of 935 cases (+8.4%). Losses from completed bankruptcy proceedings rose during the same period by 4.4% to CHF 2.2 billion. 2013-05-16 Federal Statistical Office http://www.news.admin.ch/NSBSubscriber/message/en/48833 (FSO) - The Producer and Import Price Index calculated by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) rose in April 2013 by 0.2% compared with the previous month. In particular, watches and machinery showed rising prices, whereas metals and semi-finished products in metal were sold at lower prices. The index stands at 98.6 points (base December 2010 = 100). The price level of the whole range of domestic and imported products fell slightly by 0.1% year on year. 2013-05-15 Federal Statistical Office http://www.news.admin.ch/NSBSubscriber/message/en/48828 (FSO) - The Federal Statistical Office (FSO) has published the results of a second set of indicators for measuring the integration of the population with an immigration background. The aim of integration monitoring is to measure the opportunities for access to and participation in different areas of society. The numerous indicators show, among others results, significant differences between people with and without an immigration background in labour market participation and in the use of Switzerland's national languages. 2013-05-14 Federal Statistical Office http://www.news.admin.ch/NSBSubscriber/message/en/48821 (FSO) - According to provisional results from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), real turnover in the retail sector adjusted for sales days and holidays fell by 0.9% in March 2013 compared with March 2012 (in nominal terms -2.4%). Seasonally adjusted turnover, in both real and nominal terms, fell by 0.1% in March 2013 compared with the previous month. 2013-05-13 Federal Statistical Office http://www.news.admin.ch/NSBSubscriber/message/en/48790 (FSO) - The Swiss Consumer Price Index calculated by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) remained unchanged in April 2013 at 99.1 points (December 2010=100). Compared to the same month in the previous year, the inflation rate was -0.6%, compared with annualised rates of also -0.6% in March 2013 and of -1.0% in April 2012. 2013-05-08 Federal Statistical Office http://www.news.admin.ch/NSBSubscriber/message/en/48760 (FSO) - According to provisional results from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), the Swiss hotel industry registered 3.2 million overnight stays in March 2013, which corresponds to a growth of 4.7% (+143,000 overnight stays) compared with March 2012. Foreign visitors recorded 1.7 million overnight stays, representing an increase of 5.1% (+85,000 overnight stays). Domestic demand registered 1.5 million overnight stays, i.e. an increase of 4.2% (+58,000 overnight stays). In 2012, the Easter weekend took place during the first week of April, whereas in 2013 it fell in the last week of March. Therefore the results for both March and April should be taken into account in order to neutralise the effect of Easter. 2013-05-07 Federal Statistical Office http://www.news.admin.ch/NSBSubscriber/message/en/48668 This year, the Federal Office of Culture is once again awarding the Grand Prix Design to inter-nationally renowned Swiss designers. The three individual prizes go to textile designer Martin Leuthold, the designers and architects Trix and Robert Haussmann, and the graphic designer Armin Hofmann. Video portraits of the winners will be shown as part of Design Miami at the Art Basel art show. 2013-04-30 Federal Office of Cultural Affairs http://www.news.admin.ch/NSBSubscriber/message/en/48643 (FSO) - In 2010 62,649 deaths were registered in Switzerland. In over 80% of cases more than one disease contributed to death. Today the majority of people die over the age of 80 from diseases typical for that age group. Cardiovascular diseases are the main cause of death at this age. Among persons aged under 80, however, cancer is the main cause. These are some of the findings from the Cause of Death Statistics of the Federal Statistical Office (FSO). 2013-04-29 Federal Statistical Office http://www.news.admin.ch/NSBSubscriber/message/en/48627 (FSO) - According to the calculations of the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), in 2012 the Swiss nominal wage index rose by 0.8% on average compared with 2011. It settled at 101.8 points (base 2010 = 100). Given a negative average annual inflation rate of -0.7%, real wages registered an increase of 1.5% (102.3 points, base 2010 = 100). 2013-04-29 Federal Statistical Office http://www.news.admin.ch/NSBSubscriber/message/en/48637 (FSO) - According to the final annual results of the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), Switzerland's 55 youth hostels included in the survey generated 917,000 overnight stays in 2012, i.e. an increase of 1.3% compared with 2011. As for the 423 campsites considered in this statistic, 3 million overnight stays were recorded, representing a decline of 3.0% compared with the previous year. Swiss demand generated almost 60% of the overnight stays for both types of accommodation. 2013-04-26 Federal Statistical Office http://www.news.admin.ch/NSBSubscriber/message/en/48632 What futures are there for books, for libraries and publishers in the age of web-facilitated do-it-yourself projects and the convergence of media? Stanford University Librarian Michael Keller will address these questions in a Library Science Talk in Bern and Geneva. The talk in Bern will be held at the Swiss National Library on Thursday 2nd May 2013 at 3.30 p.m. The Geneva talk will be hosted by the Salon du livre et de la presse on 3rd May at 11 a.m. 2013-04-25 Swiss National Library http://www.news.admin.ch/NSBSubscriber/message/en/48631 For many years Switzerland has also been engaged in animal welfare on the international stage and has collaborated in the formulation of international recommendations. Reptile leather plays a major role in the international trade of the Swiss watch and luxury goods industry. But to this day there is still no internationally recognised standard that provides recommendations for the killing of reptiles in a humane way that takes animal welfare needs into account. Led by the Federal Veterinary Office, an international group of experts has elaborated a set of recommendations for international regulation of the methods used for killing these animals. 2013-04-25 Federal veterinary office http://www.news.admin.ch/NSBSubscriber/message/en/48618 (FSO) - In 2012, 5.4% of employees worked on-call and 42.4% worked flexible hours. Weekend work is common: 21.4 of employed persons worked regularly on Saturday and 10.7% on Sunday. Roughly one person in twenty works regularly at night. Apart from a continuing increase in part-time work, working time models have not changed greatly overall in the past ten years. However, great differences can be seen among the economic branches. These are findings from the Swiss Labour Force Survey 2012 from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO). 2013-04-25 Federal Statistical Office http://www.news.admin.ch/NSBSubscriber/message/en/48584 (FSO) - At the end of 2012, Switzerland's permanent resident population was 8,036,900, i.e. an increase of 82,300 persons (+1.0%) compared with 2011. These are the initial, provisional findings of the population and households statistics (STATPOP) issued by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO). 2013-04-25 Federal Statistical Office http://www.news.admin.ch/NSBSubscriber/message/en/48596 (FSO) - According to the Federal Statistical Office's (FSO) provisional figures, health care expenditure for 2011 was CHF 64.6 billion, equal to CHF 680 per person per month. Compared with the previous year, health care costs rose by 3.4% or CHF 19 per person per month. The percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) spent on health care rose slightly, reaching 11.0% in 2011 (10.9% in previous year). 2013-04-23 Federal Statistical Office http://www.news.admin.ch/NSBSubscriber/message/en/48551 (FTA/FSO) - The net tax receivable from value added tax (VAT) amounted to CHF 22 billion in 2011. This is an increase of 6.9% on the previous year. This development can be explained to a large extent by the increase in VAT rates as of 1 January 2011. 2013-04-22 Federal Statistical Office http://www.news.admin.ch/NSBSubscriber/message/en/48513 (FSO) - The Producer and Import Price Index calculated by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) remained stable in March 2013 compared with the previous month. Whereas the producer price index also remained unchanged, a decline of 0.1% was observed for imported products; petroleum and metal products in particular were sold at lower prices. The total index stands at 98.5 points (base December 2010 = 100). Year-on-year, a price decline of 0.3% was observed. 2013-04-16 Federal Statistical Office http://www.news.admin.ch/NSBSubscriber/message/en/48454 (FSO) - According to provisional results from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), 12,250 new dwellings were built in Switzerland in the 4th quarter 2012. This represents a 12% decrease in the number of new dwellings compared with the same quarter a year earlier. At the end of December 2012, some 75,600 dwellings were under construction, which corresponds to a 12.5% increase year-on-year. The number of dwellings with planning permission increased by 71% compared with the same quarter a year earlier, to 22,260 units. 2013-04-15 Federal Statistical Office http://www.news.admin.ch/NSBSubscriber/message/en/48486 The Swiss Federal Archives and Wikimedia CH are joining forces to review source materials from the Federal Archives and publish them online. To this end, the post of a “Wikipedian in Residence” is now being advertised via Wikimedia. The first joint project will provide access to a photographic collection on the First World War. 2013-04-12 Swiss Federal Archives http://www.news.admin.ch/NSBSubscriber/message/en/48478 On 11 April 2013, Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter received Uruguayan Minister of Foreign Affairs Luis Almagro for an official working visit in Bern. The highpoint of their meeting was the signature of a convention on social security to facilitate the access of Swiss citizens to a Uruguayan pension, while enabling Uruguayan citizens who have worked and paid social security contributions in Switzerland to draw a Swiss pension if they leave the country. Discussions also touched upon bilateral relations between Switzerland and Uruguay, as well as cooperation on the multilateral level, particularly in the domain of the environment. 2013-04-11 Federal Department of Foreign Affairs http://www.news.admin.ch/NSBSubscriber/message/en/48463 (FSO) - In 2010 there were 3.5 million private households in Switzerland. More than two-thirds of them were composed of one or two persons. The size of an average household was 2.21 persons. In the 2000 Population Census it was 2.29 persons. The majority of private households are family households (approximately 60%). Just under 80% of families with children were "original” (non-reconstituted) families, 15% single-parent families and approximately 6% "reconstituted" families. These are findings from the Structural Survey 2010 from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO). 2013-04-11 Federal Statistical Office http://www.news.admin.ch/NSBSubscriber/message/en/48239 (FSO) - According to data from the Federal Statistical Office, women researchers are poorly represented at the highest level of scientific research in Switzerland. In higher education institutions, for example, they represent only 26% of professors conducting research. Nonetheless, the number of women researchers is increasing faster than that of men. 2013-04-11 Federal Statistical Office http://www.news.admin.ch/NSBSubscriber/message/en/48415 (FSO) - The Swiss Consumer Price Index calculated by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) registered an increase of 0.2% in March 2013. It reached 99.1 points (December 2010=100). Compared with the same month in the previous year, the inflation rate was -0.6%, compared with annualised rates of -0.3% in February 2013 and of -1.0% in March 2012. 2013-04-09 Federal Statistical Office http://www.news.admin.ch/NSBSubscriber/message/en/48414 (FSO) - According to provisional results from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), the Swiss hotel industry registered 3 million overnight stays in February 2013, which corresponds to a decrease of 1,4% (-44,000 overnight stays) compared with February 2012. Foreign demand registered 1.5 million overnight stays, i.e. a decline of 2.5% (-40,000 overnight stays). Domestic visitors also generated 1.5 million overnight stays, representing a slight decline of 0.3% (-4700 overnight stays). It should be noted that 2012 was a leap year and the month of February was therefore one day longer than in 2013. Compared with February 2011, which also had 28 days, the number of overnight stays in February 2013 shows a increase of 0.8% i.e. 23,000 overnight stays more. 2013-04-09 Federal Statistical Office http://www.news.admin.ch/NSBSubscriber/message/en/48391 (FSO) - According to provisional results from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), real turnover in the retail sector adjusted for sales days and holidays rose by 2.4% in February 2013 compared with February 2012 (in nominal terms +0.7%). Real, seasonally adjusted turnover in the retail sector fell by 0.2% in February 2013 compared with January 2013 (in nominal terms -0.3%). 2013-04-09 Federal Statistical Office http://www.news.admin.ch/NSBSubscriber/message/en/48394 (FSO) - According to provisional results from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), industrial production rose by 1.7% in the 4th quarter 2012 compared with the same quarter of the previous year. Turnover rose by 3.1%. Orders received decreased by 2.4% while orders on hand remained unchanged. 2013-04-08 Federal Statistical Office http://www.news.admin.ch/NSBSubscriber/message/en/48312 (FSO) - At the end of 2010, the proportion of dwellings occupied by their owners rose to 36.8% in Switzerland overall. At the same time, the average rent paid for a three-room dwelling was CHF 1216 in Switzerland as a whole. With the publication of these results from the 2010 Structural Survey, the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) is making available up-to-date data on housing conditions in Switzerland for the first time since the 2000 Population Census. 2013-03-28 Federal Statistical Office http://www.news.admin.ch/NSBSubscriber/message/en/48285 The 16th Swiss Film Award was held on the evening of 23 March in the Bâtiment des Forces Motrices, Geneva. This gala event, which was also streamed live for the first time on www.schweizerfilmpreis.ch, honoured outstanding Swiss cinematic achievements over the last year. Three films dominated this year’s awards. Sister won in the Best Fiction Film and Best Screenplay categories. More than Honey took the Best Documentary Film and Best Film Score awards, while Hiver Nomade won the Best Cinematography Award as well as the Special Award of the Academy. The 2013 Best Actress/Actor awards went to Sibylle Brunner, Kacey Mottet Klein and Antonio Buil. All winners received a “Quartz” trophy, designed by French artist and sculptor, Jean Mauboulès. 2013-03-26 Federal Office of Cultural Affairs http://www.news.admin.ch/NSBSubscriber/message/en/48275 (FSO) - In their desire to have children, 6350 couples underwent in-vitro fertilisation in 2011. Approximately 10,800 treatment cycles were started. These treatments resulted in 2350 pregnancies which led to 1715 births with 2006 live newborns. These findings are from the Assisted Reproductive Technology Statistics just published by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO). 2013-03-26 Federal Statistical Office http://www.news.admin.ch/NSBSubscriber/message/en/48273 (FSO) - According to surveys conducted by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), the number of employed persons in Switzerland rose by 1.1% between the 4th quarter 2011 and the 4th quarter 2012. In the European Union (EU) this number has declined slightly (-0.4%). The unemployment rate as defined by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) rose during the same period in Switzerland from 4.0% to 4.4%. In the EU the unemployment rate based on ILO definition rose considerably from 9.9% to 10.7%. 2013-03-26 Federal Statistical Office http://www.news.admin.ch/NSBSubscriber/message/en/48237 (FSO) - 750,371 offences were registered in 2012 in the Police Crime Statistics compiled by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO). Compared with the previous year, offences under the Criminal Code increased by 9% (+52,026 offences). The increase in the number of thefts was particularly striking (+11%, +24,276). There was also an increase in the number of offences reported to the police under the Foreign Nationals Act (+15%, +4687) and to a lesser extent under the Narcotics Act (+2%, +1651). 2013-03-25 Federal Statistical Office http://www.news.admin.ch/NSBSubscriber/message/en/48208 For the first time in its history, the 2013 Swiss Film Award ceremony will be streamed live. Scheduled to begin at 7.15 pm, the webcast shown on www.schweizerfilmpreis.ch will offer viewers at home the chance to share in the excitement and glamour of the ceremony, which will be held this year on Saturday, 23 March in the Bâtiment des Forces Motrices, Geneva. Guests at this illustrious event to honour the outstanding achievements of the Swiss film industry will include leading lights from the worlds of film, politics and culture 2013-03-19 Federal Office of Cultural Affairs http://www.news.admin.ch/NSBSubscriber/message/en/48164 (FSO) - The Producer and Import Price Index calculated by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) rose slightly in February 2013 by 0.1% compared with the previous month. In particular, petroleum products showed rising prices, whereas pharmaceutical products were sold at lower prices. The index stands at 98.5 points (base December 2010 = 100). Year-on-year comparison, as for month-on-month, showed a minimal price increase of 0.1%. 2013-03-15 Federal Statistical Office http://www.news.admin.ch/NSBSubscriber/message/en/48146 The Swiss delegation is very satisfied with the decisions taken at the triennial CITES Conference of Parties, which was held from 3 to 14 March 2013 in Bangkok, Thailand. The efforts undertaken by the Federal Veterinary Office to promote more sustainable and traceable exploitation of Asian snakes for the leather trade received a warm welcome. 2013-03-14 Federal veterinary office http://www.news.admin.ch/NSBSubscriber/message/en/48109 On behalf of the Swiss Federal Office of Culture, a five-member jury awarded 19 books for the year 2012. The competition The Most Beautiful Swiss Books exists since 1943, and is coordinated by the Swiss Federal Office of Culture since 1999. The jury received a record 454 submissions into the competition this year. The Jan Tschichold Award, which honours excellence in the field of book design, goes to the typographer, type and graphic designer François Rappo from Lausanne. 2013-03-12 Federal Office of Cultural Affairs http://www.news.admin.ch/NSBSubscriber/message/en/48066 (FSO) - According to provisional results from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), real turnover in the retail sector adjusted for sales days and holidays rose by 1.9% in January 2013 compared with January 2012 (in nominal terms +0.3%). In January 2013, seasonally adjusted turnover in the retail sector fell by 0.5% compared with the previous month in both real and nominal terms. 2013-03-11 Federal Statistical Office http://www.news.admin.ch/NSBSubscriber/message/en/48061 (FSO) - The Swiss Consumer Price Index calculated by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) registered an increase of 0.3% in February 2013. It reached 98.9 points (December 2010=100). Compared to the same month in the previous year, the inflation rate was -0.3%, compared with annualised rates of also -0.3% in January 2013 and of -0.9% in February 2012. 2013-03-08 Federal Statistical Office http://www.news.admin.ch/NSBSubscriber/message/en/48055 (FSO) - According to provisional results from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), the Swiss hotel industry registered 2.7 million overnight stays in January 2013, which corresponds to a decrease of 1.4% (-39,000 overnight stays) compared with January 2012. Foreign demand generated 1.4 million overnight stays, i.e. a decline of 2.1% (-30,000 overnight stays). Domestic visitors generated 1.3 million overnight stays, representing a decline of 0.6% (-8500 overnight stays). 2013-03-08 Federal Statistical Office http://www.news.admin.ch/NSBSubscriber/message/en/48028 (FSO) - According to provisional results from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), production in the construction sector rose by 0.9% in 4th quarter 2012 compared with the previous year and turnover increased by 1.1%. 2013-03-07 Federal Statistical Office http://www.news.admin.ch/NSBSubscriber/message/en/47977 (FSO) - The educational level of women and men is trending towards equality while career and study choices remain gender-specific. The economic activity rate of women has risen considerably, in particular through part-time work. However the share of managerial and supervisory positions held by women has stagnated at around a third. Men are more likely to be victims of violence in the public sphere; women on the other hand suffer more from domestic violence. These are findings from the Federal Statistical Office's (FSO) gender equality indicators, which enable an evaluation of the situation in Switzerland in view of International Women's Day on 8 March. 2013-03-04 Federal Statistical Office http://www.news.admin.ch/NSBSubscriber/message/en/47975 (FSO) - According to the Cross-border Commuter Statistics of the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), the number of foreign cross-border commuters working in Switzerland rose by 4.8% last year. In the Lake Geneva region and in Northwestern Switzerland, about one in ten employed persons is a cross-border commuter; in Ticino, the figure is one in four. Comparing the numbers over a five-year period, there has been an above-average increase among office workers, unskilled workers and managers. 2013-03-04 Federal Statistical Office http://www.news.admin.ch/NSBSubscriber/message/en/47996 Some 5,000 species of animal and 29,000 species of plant are currently protected by CITES against over-exploitation through international trade. Since the creation of CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), Switzerland has committed itself to protecting plant and animal species and ensuring that they are exploited sustainably. The 16th Conference of the Parties will take place in Bangkok from 3 to 14 March 2013. 2013-03-01 Federal veterinary office http://www.news.admin.ch/NSBSubscriber/message/en/47983 From 19 to 25 March Cinémas du Grütli in Geneva and Filmpodium in Zurich will offer the general public a chance to see all the films nominated for this year’s Swiss Film Award. This event, which showcases the diversity, versatility and vibrancy of film-making in Switzerland today, is an initiative by the Association “Quartz” Genève Zürich. As well as special screenings in the run-up to the ceremony, the Association has planned a series of debates and discussions which should throw into sharp relief the issues faced by the Swiss film industry in 2013, and the aspirations that drive it forward. The award ceremony itself, which is organised by the Federal Office of Culture, will take place in Geneva on 23 March. 2013-03-01 Federal Office of Cultural Affairs http://www.news.admin.ch/NSBSubscriber/message/en/47910 (FSO) - The 2013 editions of the Statistical Yearbook of Switzerland and Statistical Data on Switzerland have just been published. These two publications provide an overview of all economic and social aspects of life in Switzerland. The Yearbook is a large compendium of diagrams and texts and Statistical Data on Switzerland is a summary of the most important statistical information. 2013-02-28 Federal Statistical Office http://www.news.admin.ch/NSBSubscriber/message/en/47853 (FSO) - The year 2012 was marked by an increase in the number of births and deaths. The number of marriages and registered partnerships rose as well. These are the provisional findings of the Vital Statistics for 2012 from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO). 2013-02-28 Federal Statistical Office http://www.news.admin.ch/NSBSubscriber/message/en/47898 (FSO) - The employment barometer indicators published each quarter by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) continue to show sustained job growth. However, the job growth rate is falling in the secondary sector. The employment outlook indicator and the number of job vacancies are declining again compared with the same quarter a year earlier. There is little change in the difficulties experienced by enterprises in finding skilled labour. 2013-02-26 Federal Statistical Office http://www.news.admin.ch/NSBSubscriber/message/en/47865 (FSO) - According to final results from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), the number of overnight stays registered in the Swiss hotel industry in 2012 was 34.8 million, representing a decline of 2% (-720,000 overnight stays) compared with 2011. Swiss demand registered 15.7 million overnight stays, representing a decline of 0.4% (-62,000 overnight stays). Foreign visitors registered 19.1 million overnight stays, i.e. a drop of 3.3% (-658,000 overnight stays). However, only the overnight stays by visitors from the European continent (excluding Switzerland) showed a decrease which amounted to 7.7% (-1.1 million units). These results confirm the situation already observed in 2011. 2013-02-26 Federal Statistical Office http://www.news.admin.ch/NSBSubscriber/message/en/47820 The 2013 Swiss Film Honorary Award will go to renowned documentary-maker Jacqueline Veuve. The award ceremony will be held on the evening of 23 March at the Bâtiment des Forces Motrices in Geneva. Guests at this illustrious event to honour the outstanding achievements of the Swiss film industry will include leading lights from the worlds of film, politics and culture. 2013-02-19 Federal Office of Cultural Affairs