Books are food for the brain. But food of the high-calorie sort is very popular too, given that 43 per cent of Swiss are overweight. Not only that, but the proportion of people who are clinically obese has doubled in 30 years. Cheeky question, but could more exercise and less reading be an option? Source: Federal Statistical Office
Are you a prolific reader? If so, you’re not alone. Did you know that the Swiss are Europe’s biggest readers of books? Swiss women in particular love reading. One in four read over 15 books a year. More than any other European nation. And the printed medium is still very much alive and kicking in Switzerland: 80 per cent of us mainly read books, not e-books. Source: YouGov survey, 2025
Talking of exercise: 99 per cent of residents in Zurich are able to access all their essential everyday amenities on foot or by bike within 15 minutes. Zurich tops the list of the world’s most walkable cities. When people live within 15 minutes of all their daily necessities, this not only makes a city more sustainable but also leads to better social interaction. Incidentally, the ranking starts on Z (for Zurich) and finishes on A, with the American city of Atlanta languishing at the bottom. Source: M. Bruno et al., Nature Cities 1
But moving to Zurich in the first place is easier said than done. Renting is expensive there – a four-room 100m2 apartment on the market will cost 3,500 francs a month on average. People who have been living in the same apartment for a long time pay much less in comparison. Anyone moving to Switzerland and hoping for a renter’s market is best advised to try St Gallen or Biel. Source: Wüest Partner
We have saved the biggest number till last. Campaigners launching a new edition of the “Responsible Business Initiative” collected 183,661 signatures within two weeks. Never before has a proposal cleared the first hurdle so quickly in Switzerland. The threshold for triggering a popular vote is 100,000 valid signatures. Source: konzernverantwortung.ch
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