Switzerland Swiss Confederation
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	12nd best
Capital	Bern
Land Area	40 000km²₁
Location	Europe
Population	8.5m₂
Life Expectancy	83.13yrs (2017)₃
GNI	$56 364 (2017)₄
ISO3166-1 Codes	CH, CHE, 756₅
Internet Domain	.ch₆
Currency	Franc (CHF)₇
Telephone	+41₈

1. Overview

“The Swiss Confederation was founded in 1291 as a defensive alliance among three cantons. In succeeding years, other localities joined the original three. The Swiss Confederation secured its independence from the Holy Roman Empire in 1499. A constitution of 1848, subsequently modified in 1874, replaced the confederation with a centralized federal government. Switzerland's sovereignty and neutrality have long been honored by the major European powers, and the country was not involved in either of the two world wars. The political and economic integration of Europe over the past half century, as well as Switzerland's role in many UN and international organizations, has strengthened Switzerland's ties with its neighbors. However, the country did not officially become a UN member until 2002. Switzerland remains active in many UN and international organizations but retains a strong commitment to neutrality.”
CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“Look past the silk-smooth chocolate, cuckoo clocks and yodelling - contemporary Switzerland, land of four languages, is all about epic journeys and sublime experiences. This country begs outdoor escapades with its larger-than-life canvas of hallucinatory landscapes, so grab your boots, leap on board, toot the bike bell and let your spirits rip. Skiing and snowboarding in the winter wonderlands of Graubünden, Bernese Oberland and Central Switzerland are obvious choices. Hiking and biking trails abound in both glacier-encrusted mountain areas and lower down along lost valleys, mythical lakeshores and pea-green vines. Travels are mapped by mountain villages with timber storage barns and chalet farmsteads brightened with red.
The perfect antidote is a surprise set of cities: the capital Bern with its medieval Old Town and world-class modern art, deeply Germanic Basel and its bold architecture, shopping-chic Geneva astraddle Europe´s largest lake, tycoon-magnet Zug (play millionaire over a slice of liqueur-soaked cherry cake) and uber-cool Zürich with its rooftop bars and atypical Swiss street grit.”
"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Switzerland National and Social Development

#economics #human_development

UN HDI (2016)₁₁
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₁₁
1	Norway	1
2	Australia	2
3	Switzerland	2
4	Germany	4
5	Denmark	5
6	Singapore	5
7	Netherlands	7
8	Ireland	8
9	Iceland	9
10	Canada	10
11	USA	10
12	Hong Kong	12
	World Avg	94.3
q=188.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2011)₁₂
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $₁₂
1	Qatar	$129 916
2	Singapore	$78 162
3	Kuwait	$76 075
4	Liechtenstein	$75 065
5	Brunei	$72 843
6	Norway	$67 614
7	UAE	$66 203
8	Luxembourg	$62 471
9	Switzerland	$56 364
10	Hong Kong	$54 265
11	USA	$53 245
12	Saudi Arabia	$51 320
	World Avg	$17 240
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index₁₃_,₁₄
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₃_,₁₄
1	Norway	30.8
2	Denmark	31.8
3	Sweden	33.9
	...
9	New Zealand	37.4
10	Canada	38.0
11	Iceland	39.3
12	Switzerland	39.8
13	Luxembourg	40.4
14	UK	40.7
15	Australia	42.1
16	Japan	43.2
	World Avg	88.0
q=195.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. Switzerland's Demographics

#birth_control #demographics #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population

Population:

Switzerland's population is predicted to fall to 8 094 000 by 2030. Developed countries with falling populations face a pension's crises, whereby an increasingly ageing population must be cared for by fewer and fewer workers. Economic stability can be maintained by increasing foreign workers from younger countries. This country has a fertility rate of 1.53. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population is growing, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity, i.e., the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate, which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1.

Population (2018)₂
Pos.		Population₂
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
96	Austria	8.9m
97	Serbia	8.8m
98	Papua New Guinea	8.6m
99	Switzerland	8.5m
100	Israel	8.4m
101	Togo	7.9m
102	Sierra Leone	7.7m
103	Hong Kong	7.4m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy (2015)₁₂
Pos.		Higher is better Years₁₂
1	Hong Kong	84.16
2	Japan	83.68
3	Italy	83.34
4	Singapore	83.21
5	Switzerland	83.13
6	Spain	82.77
7	Iceland	82.72
8	Israel	82.56
9	Australia	82.54
10	France	82.36
11	Sweden	82.35
12	Canada	82.22
	World Avg	71.27
q=190.

Fertility Rate (2013)₁₅
Pos.		2.0 is best₁₅
1	N. Korea	2.00
2	Brunei	1.99
3	St Vincent & Grenadines	2.01
	...
71	Thailand	1.54
72	Greece	1.54
73	Georgia	1.53
74	Switzerland	1.53
75	Mongolia	2.48
76	Russia	1.52
77	Albania	1.51
78	Latvia	1.50
	World Avg	2.81
q=180.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio (2016)₁₆
Pos.		Lower is better Per 100₁₆
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3	Chad	04.7
	...
167	S. Korea	37.6
168	Estonia	37.9
169	Belgium	38.1
170	Switzerland	38.3
171	Canada	38.5
172	Croatia	39.7
173	Malta	39.9
174	France	40.5
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Migration:

Immigrants (2017)₁₇
Pos.		%₁₇
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
13	Jordan	33.3%
14	Nauru	32.7%
15	Lebanon	31.9%
16	Switzerland	29.6%
17	Australia	28.8%
18	Antigua & Barbuda	28.1%
19	Brunei	25.3%
20	Israel	23.6%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants (2010)₁₈
Pos.		%₁₈
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
104	Congo, (Brazzaville)	5.6%
105	Togo	5.4%
106	Ivory Coast	5.4%
107	Switzerland	5.4%
108	Malaysia	5.3%
109	Guinea	5.2%
110	Turkmenistan	5.0%
111	Mozambique	5.0%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Switzerland's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#antisemitism #equality #freedom #freethought #gender #gender_equality #homosexuality #human_rights #international_law #mass_media #misogyny #morals #politics #prejudice #religious_tolerance #slavery #tolerance #women

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2020)₁₉_,₂₀
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₉_,₂₀
1	Sweden	9.9
2	Denmark	14.7
3	Norway	15.5
	...
37	USA	50.9
38	Latvia	52.6
39	Lithuania	53.2
40	Switzerland	53.4
41	Brazil	54.2
42	Kosovo	54.2
43	Bolivia	54.9
44	Hungary	55.6
45	Peru	55.8
	World Avg	89.0
q=199.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, Denmark and Norway₁₉. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are The Solomon Islands, Palestine and Somalia₁₉.

The data sets used to calculate points for each country are statistics on commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, supporting press freedom, eliminating modern slavery, opposing gender inequality, the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₁₉, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Micronesia and Australasia₁₉.

For more, see:

"Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2020)

Human Rights & Tolerance:

Nominal Commitment to HR (2009)₂₁
Pos.		Higher is better Treaties₂₁
1	Argentina	24
2	Chile	23
3	Costa Rica	23
	...
50	New Zealand	20
51	Uganda	19
52	Colombia	19
53	Switzerland	19
54	UK	19
55	Venezuela	19
56	Lesotho	19
57	Rwanda	19
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

HR Treaties Lag (2019)₂₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Yrs/Treaty₂₂
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
	...
123	Cameroon	11.63
124	Sudan	11.65
125	Kazakhstan	11.67
126	Switzerland	11.71
127	Macedonia	11.71
128	Czechia	11.73
129	Malawi	11.77
130	Maldives	11.85
	World Avg	10.02
q=195.

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom (2014)₂₃
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₂₃
1	Hong Kong	1
2	Switzerland	2
3	New Zealand	3
4	Ireland	4
5	Denmark	5
6	UK	6
7	Canada	6
8	Australia	6
9	Finland	9
10	Netherlands	10
11	Luxembourg	11
12	Austria	11
	World Avg	79.7
q=159.

Press Freedom (2013)₂₄
Pos.		Lower is better₂₄
1	Finland	638
2	Netherlands	648
3	Norway	652
	...
11	Estonia	926
12	Austria	940
13	Jamaica	988
14	Switzerland	994
15	Ireland	1006
16	Czechia	1017
17	Germany	1024
18	Costa Rica	1208
	World Avg	3249
q=178.

Slavery (2018)₂₅
Pos.		Lower is better % Victims₂₅
1	Japan	0.03
2	Canada	0.05
3	Taiwan	0.05
	...
21	UAE	0.17
22	Finland	0.17
23	Austria	0.17
24	Switzerland	0.17
25	Brazil	0.18
26	Jordan	0.18
27	Netherlands	0.18
28	Norway	0.18
	World Avg	0.65
q=167.

Gender Equality:

Switzerland is notable for its equality between the sexes, even though women were prevented equal voting and standing rights until quite late.

See:

"Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree (2007)

Gender Inequality (2015)₂₆
Pos.		Lower is better₂₆
1	Switzerland	0.04
2	Denmark	0.04
3	Netherlands	0.04
4	Sweden	0.05
5	Iceland	0.05
6	Norway	0.05
7	Slovenia	0.05
8	Finland	0.06
9	Germany	0.07
10	S. Korea	0.07
11	Singapore	0.07
12	Belgium	0.07
	World Avg	0.36
q=159.

Year Women Can Vote
Pos.		Lower is better Year
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
156	Congo, (Brazzaville)	1970
157	Congo, DR	1970
158	Yemen	1970
159	Switzerland	1971
160	Bangladesh	1972
161	Bahrain	1973
162	San Marino	1973
163	Andorra	1973
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

Prejudice:

Anti-Semite Opinions (2014)₂₇
Pos.		Lower is better %₂₇
1	Laos	0
2	Philippines	3
3	Sweden	4
	...
34	Mexico	24
35	Haiti	26
36	Mongolia	26
37	Switzerland	26
38	Belgium	27
39	Germany	27
40	Slovenia	27
41	Austria	28
	World Avg	36.8
q=101.

LGBT Equality (2017)₂₈
Pos.		Higher is better Score₂₈
1	Netherlands	103
2	Belgium	90
3	Sweden	86
	...
37	Monaco	40
38	Poland	40
39	Albania	40
40	Switzerland	40
41	Serbia	40
42	Cyprus	40
43	Italy	40
44	Greece	39
	World Avg	12.6
q=196.

Freedom of Thought (2021)₂₉
Pos.		Lower is better₂₉
1	Belgium	1.0
2	Netherlands	1.0
3	Taiwan	1.0
	...
85	Slovakia	2.8
86	Venezuela	2.8
87	Canada	2.8
88	Switzerland	3.0
89	Belize	3.0
90	Lesotho	3.0
91	Laos	3.0
92	Grenada	3.0
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

5. Switzerland's Health

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #mental_health #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #smoking #suicide #Switzerland #vaccines

Health (2020)₃₀_,₃₁
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₀_,₃₁
1	Hong Kong	18.0
2	Singapore	41.5
3	Maldives	43.3
	...
11	China	62.4
12	Malaysia	64.1
13	Mauritius	64.5
14	Switzerland	65.6
15	Finland	65.9
16	Italy	66.4
17	Bangladesh	68.5
18	Spain	69.1
19	N. Korea	69.6
	World Avg	92.3
q=187.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Hong Kong, Singapore and The Maldives₃₀. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are S. Sudan, Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea₃₀.

The data sets used to calculate points for each country are its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Asia and Europe₃₀, whereas the worst are Africa, Micronesia and Polynesia₃₀.

For more, see:

"Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2020)

Health:

Switzerland does relatively well in encouraging good health, compared to many other countries. Switzerland comes in the best 20 in terms of its adolescent birth rate₂₆ (the best in Europe), its average life expectancy₁₂ (one of the best in Europe) and in its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₂. It does better than average when it comes to its fertility rate₁₅ and in its immunizations take-up₃₃. Switzerland does not succeed in everything, however. It does worse than average in its smoking rate₃₄ and in its alcohol consumption rate₃₅. And finally, it falls into the worst 20 in its suicide rate₃₆. The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% during the past 40 years.

Life Expectancy (2015)₁₂
Pos.		Higher is better Years₁₂
1	Hong Kong	84.16
2	Japan	83.68
3	Italy	83.34
4	Singapore	83.21
5	Switzerland	83.13
6	Spain	82.77
7	Iceland	82.72
8	Israel	82.56
9	Australia	82.54
10	France	82.36
11	Sweden	82.35
12	Canada	82.22
	World Avg	71.27
q=190.

Alcohol Consumption (2016)₃₅
Pos.		Lower is better Per Capita₃₅
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
167	UK	11.5
168	Gabon	11.5
169	Slovakia	11.5
170	Switzerland	11.5
171	Austria	11.6
172	Estonia	11.6
173	Poland	11.6
174	Russia	11.7
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate (2013)₁₅
Pos.		2.0 is best₁₅
1	N. Korea	2.00
2	Brunei	1.99
3	St Vincent & Grenadines	2.01
	...
71	Thailand	1.54
72	Greece	1.54
73	Georgia	1.53
74	Switzerland	1.53
75	Mongolia	2.48
76	Russia	1.52
77	Albania	1.51
78	Latvia	1.50
	World Avg	2.81
q=180.

Smoking Rates (2014)₃₄
Pos.		Higher is worse₃₄
182	Montenegro	4 125
181	Belarus	3 831
180	Lebanon	3 023
	...
161	Croatia	1 709
160	Cyprus	1 688
159	Serbia	1 644
158	Switzerland	1 634
157	Tunisia	1 628
156	Romania	1 620
155	Slovakia	1 618
154	Turkey	1 581
	World Avg	819
q=182.

Suicide Rate (2013)₃₆
Pos.		Per 100k₃₆
1	Haiti	0
2	Grenada	0
3	Egypt	0.1
	...
72	Uruguay	32.3
73	France	33.2
74	Moldova	35.7
75	Switzerland	36.2
76	Croatia	36.4
77	Estonia	37.9
78	Serbia	38.1
79	Finland	39
	World Avg	20.93
q=91.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance (2017)₃₂
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₂
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
4	UK	4
5	Norway	5
6	Switzerland	6
7	Germany	7
8	Canada	8
9	Netherlands	9
10	USA	10
11	Luxembourg	11
12	Finland	12
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults (2016)₃₇
Pos.		Lower is better %₃₇
1	Vietnam	18.3
2	India	19.7
3	Bangladesh	20.0
	...
88	Azerbaijan	53.6
89	S. Africa	53.8
90	Georgia	54.2
91	Switzerland	54.3
92	Austria	54.3
93	Armenia	54.4
94	Belize	54.8
95	Haiti	54.9
	World Avg	49.0
q=191.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate (2015)₂₆
Pos.		Lower is better Per 1000₂₆
1	N. Korea	0.5
2	S. Korea	1.6
3	Switzerland	2.9
4	Hong Kong	3.2
5	Slovenia	3.8
6	Singapore	3.8
7	Netherlands	4.0
8	Denmark	4.0
9	Japan	4.1
10	Cyprus	5.0
11	Sweden	5.7
12	Norway	5.9
	World Avg	47.9
q=185.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 (2015)₃₃
Pos.		Higher is better Avg %₃₃
1	Hungary	99.0
2	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
62	Botswana	95.4
63	Gambia	95.4
64	Cyprus	95.3
65	Switzerland	95.3
66	Israel	95.2
67	Grenada	95.2
68	Slovenia	95.2
69	Macedonia	95.2
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

6. Switzerland's Modernity and Learning

#education #english #intelligence #it_security #maths #modernity #religion #research #science #technology #the_internet

Modernity and Learning (2020)₃₈
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₈
1	Finland	8.0
2	Belgium	9.1
3	Denmark	10.0
4	Sweden	13.3
5	Australia	14.8
6	Switzerland	14.9
7	Estonia	14.9
8	Czechia	15.5
9	New Zealand	15.6
10	UK	15.8
11	Ireland	16.4
12	Norway	16.6
13	Germany	17.1
	World Avg	69.0
q=180.

Modernity and Education:

Research and Development (2016)
Pos.		Higher is better % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.29₃₉
2	Israel	4.11₃₉
3	Japan	3.58₃₉
4	Finland	3.17₃₉
5	Sweden	3.16₃₉
6	Denmark	3.05₃₉
7	Taiwan	3.01₃₉
8	Austria	3.00₄₀
9	Switzerland	2.96₄₁
10	Germany	2.84₃₉
11	USA	2.74₄₂
12	Belgium	2.46₃₉
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Secondary Education (2018)₄₃
Pos.		Higher is better₄₃
1	Luxembourg	100.0%
2	Estonia	100.0%
3	Austria	100.0%
	...
16	Hungary	97.2%
17	Palau	97.1%
18	New Zealand	96.9%
19	Switzerland	96.5%
20	Moldova	96.4%
21	Germany	96.3%
22	Russia	95.9%
23	Croatia	95.7%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling (2018)₄₄
Pos.		Higher is better Years₄₄
1	Australia	22.1
2	Belgium	19.7
3	Finland	19.3
	...
29	Austria	16.3
30	USA	16.3
31	Italy	16.2
32	Switzerland	16.2
33	Canada	16.1
34	Estonia	16.1
35	Israel	16.0
36	Latvia	16.0
	World Avg	13.2
q=193.

Intellectual Endeavours (2017)₃₂
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₂
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
8	Netherlands	8
9	Belgium	9
10	Slovenia	10
11	Switzerland	11
12	New Zealand	12
13	Latvia	13
14	Bulgaria	14
15	Iceland	15
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Maths, Science & Reading (2015)₄₅
Pos.		Higher is better Score₄₅
1	Singapore	1655
2	Hong Kong	1598
3	Japan	1586
	...
12	Slovenia	1528
13	Germany	1524
14	Netherlands	1524
15	Switzerland	1519
16	New Zealand	1517
17	Norway	1513
18	Denmark	1513
19	Poland	1511
	World Avg	1389
q=70.

Religiosity (2009)₄₆
Pos.		Lower is better %₄₆
1	Estonia	16
2	Sweden	17
3	Denmark	19
	...
13	Hungary	39
14	Albania	39
15	Germany	40
16	Switzerland	41
17	Uruguay	41
18	Lithuania	42
19	Canada	42
20	S. Korea	43
	World Avg	75.1
q=114.

IQ (2006)₄₇
Pos.		Higher is better₄₇
1	Hong Kong	108
2	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
4	Japan	105
5	Taiwan	105
6	China	105
7	Italy	102
8	Iceland	101
9	Switzerland	101
10	Mongolia	101
11	Netherlands	100
12	Norway	100
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users (2016)₄₈
Pos.		Higher is better₄₈
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
23	Czechia	88%
24	Germany	88%
25	Aruba	88%
26	Switzerland	87%
27	France	86%
28	S. Korea	86%
29	Australia	85%
30	Bahamas	85%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IT Security (2013)₄₉
Pos.		Lower is better₄₉
1	Ireland	0.11
2	Luxembourg	0.11
3	Belize	0.11
	...
19	Romania	0.52
20	Turkey	0.52
21	Poland	0.55
22	Switzerland	0.55
23	S. Korea	0.56
24	Australia	0.63
25	Libya	0.63
26	Qatar	0.65
	World Avg	0.98
q=81.

IPv6 Uptake (2017)₅₀
Pos.		Higher is better Ratio₅₀
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
4	USA	35.0
5	Greece	33.5
6	Luxembourg	32.4
7	India	26.8
8	Portugal	26.6
9	Ireland	26.1
10	UK	24.7
11	Japan	22.1
12	France	18.8
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

7. National Culture

#charity #corruption #happiness #morals #politics

World Giving Index (2013-2021)₅₁
Pos.		Lower is better₅₁
1	Myanmar (Burma)	2.7
2	New Zealand	4.0
3	USA	4.7
	...
38	Sierra Leone	37.4
39	Zambia	37.4
40	Jamaica	38.5
41	Switzerland	38.5
42	Sweden	38.9
43	Cyprus	39.1
44	Northern Cyprus	39.3
45	Finland	39.3
	World Avg	67.9
q=160.

Corruption (2012-2016)₅₂
Pos.		Higher is better Avg Score₅₂
1	Denmark	90.8
2	New Zealand	90.6
3	Finland	89.4
4	Sweden	88.2
5	Norway	86.0
6	Switzerland	85.8
7	Singapore	85.2
8	Netherlands	83.4
9	Canada	82.2
10	Luxembourg	81.6
11	Australia	80.8
12	Germany	79.6
	World Avg	43.05
q=176.

Happiness (2018)₅₃
Pos.		Higher is better₅₃
1	Finland	7.6
2	Norway	7.6
3	Denmark	7.6
4	Iceland	7.5
5	Switzerland	7.5
6	Netherlands	7.4
7	Canada	7.3
8	New Zealand	7.3
9	Sweden	7.3
10	Australia	7.3
11	Israel	7.2
12	Austria	7.1
	World Avg	5.38
q=156.

Creativity and Culture (2017)₃₂
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₂
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
4	Switzerland	4
5	Sweden	5
6	Denmark	6
7	Austria	7
8	Ireland	8
9	Czechia	9
10	Luxembourg	10
11	UK	11
12	Portugal	12
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Open Trading, Aid and Development (2017)₃₂
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₂
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
4	Netherlands	4
5	Switzerland	5
6	Serbia	6
7	Belgium	7
8	Norway	8
9	Finland	9
10	Croatia	10
11	Georgia	11
12	Philippines	12
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

8. Peace Versus Instability

#extremism #human_development #peace #politics #religious_violence #terrorism

Global Peace Index (2021)₅₄
Pos.		Lower is better₅₄
1	Iceland	1.10
2	New Zealand	1.25
3	Denmark	1.26
4	Portugal	1.27
5	Slovenia	1.32
6	Austria	1.32
7	Switzerland	1.32
8	Ireland	1.33
9	Czechia	1.33
10	Canada	1.33
11	Singapore	1.35
12	Japan	1.37
	World Avg	2.08
q=163.

Peacekeeping and Security (2017)₃₂
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₂
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
41	Canada	41
42	Azerbaijan	42
43	Senegal	43
44	Switzerland	44
45	Bolivia	45
46	Burkina Faso	46
47	Philippines	47
48	UK	48
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees and UN Treaties (2017)₃₂
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₃₂
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
7	Norway	7
8	Finland	8
9	Denmark	9
10	Switzerland	10
11	Canada	11
12	UK	12
13	Belgium	13
14	Italy	14
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism (2019)₅₅
Pos.		Lower is better Score₅₅
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
30	Uruguay	0.17
31	Dominican Rep.	0.18
32	Hungary	0.18
33	Switzerland	0.19
34	Latvia	0.23
35	S. Korea	0.30
36	Macedonia	0.30
37	Zambia	0.31
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

9. The Natural Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #over-exploitation #the_environment

Forest Area Change 1990-2015 (2015)₅₆
Pos.		Higher is better %₅₆
1	Iceland	+205.6
2	Bahrain	+144.4
3	Uruguay	+131.3
	...
43	Macedonia	+10.3
44	Serbia	+09.9
45	Netherlands	+09.3
46	Switzerland	+09.0
47	Ghana	+08.2
48	St Vincent & Grenadines	+08.0
49	Costa Rica	+07.5
50	Romania	+07.4
	World Avg	+02.8
q=184.

Environmental Performance (2018)₅₇
Pos.		Higher is better₅₇
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
4	Malta	80.9
5	Sweden	80.5
6	UK	79.9
7	Luxembourg	79.1
8	Austria	79.0
9	Ireland	78.8
10	Finland	78.6
11	Iceland	78.6
12	Spain	78.4
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency (2014)₅₈
Pos.		Higher is better₅₈
1	Hong Kong	26.32
2	Sri Lanka	20.00
3	Panama	17.86
4	Colombia	17.54
5	Ireland	17.54
6	Switzerland	17.54
7	Dominican Rep.	16.95
8	Mauritius	15.63
9	Malta	15.15
10	Singapore	15.15
11	Denmark	14.93
12	Peru	14.49
	World Avg	09.29
q=119.

Convention on Biological Diversity
Pos.		Earlier is better Signed
1	China	1993 Dec 29
2	Guinea	1993 Dec 29
3	Cook Islands	1993 Dec 29
	...
97	Swaziland	1995 Feb 07
98	Zimbabwe	1995 Feb 09
99	Vietnam	1995 Feb 14
100	Switzerland	1995 Feb 19
101	Argentina	1995 Feb 20
102	Myanmar (Burma)	1995 Feb 23
103	Colombia	1995 Feb 26
104	Ivory Coast	1995 Feb 27
	World Avg	1899 Dec 30
q=197.

10. Economic Inequality and Poverty

#capitalism #economics #health #inequality #life_expectancy #social_development

Inequality in Life Expectancy (2019)₅₉
Pos.		Higher is worse₅₉
184	Chad	40.90
183	Central African Rep.	40.10
182	Sierra Leone	39.00
	...
22	Montenegro	3.60
21	Estonia	3.60
20	Belgium	3.60
19	Switzerland	3.50
18	Greece	3.50
17	Portugal	3.50
16	Ireland	3.40
15	Luxembourg	3.40
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) (2017)₆₀
Pos.		Lower is better %₆₀
1	Ukraine	25.0
2	Belarus	25.4
3	Slovenia	25.4
	...
32	Montenegro	31.9
33	Japan	32.1
34	Mongolia	32.3
35	Switzerland	32.3
36	Bangladesh	32.4
37	Mauritania	32.6
38	France	32.7
39	Estonia	32.7
	World Avg	38.1
q=152.

11. Religion and Beliefs

#belief #buddhism #christianity #god #hinduism #islam #judaism #religion

Religiosity (2009)₄₆
Pos.		Lower is better %₄₆
1	Estonia	16
2	Sweden	17
3	Denmark	19
	...
13	Hungary	39
14	Albania	39
15	Germany	40
16	Switzerland	41
17	Uruguay	41
18	Lithuania	42
19	Canada	42
20	S. Korea	43
	World Avg	75.1
q=114.

Disbelief In God (2007)₆₁
Pos.		Higher is better %₆₁
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
	...
26	Mongolia	20
27	Austria	18
28	Slovakia	17
29	Switzerland	17
30	Belarus	17
31	Greece	16
32	Iceland	16
33	Spain	15
	World Avg	9.9
q=137.

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below₆₂:

Christian	81.3%
Muslim	5.5%
Hindu	0.4%
Buddhist	0.4%
Folk Religion	0.1%
Jew	0.3%
Unaffiliated	11.9%

By adding up the Pew Forum data for the major monotheistic religions we can see that these make up 87.1% of the population. Yet there are simply too many who disbelieve in God for this to be true (17%). This is due to the so-called 'Census Effect', whereby many put down a religion for cultural reasons rather than because it reflects their beliefs. In highly Christian countries, as many as half of those who say they're a Christian lack any connection to a Church, and do not hold Christian beliefs (such as believing in God!).

It appears that when asked "What religion are you" many give pollsters the 'correct' answer despite how they actually feel, and despite what they actually believe. Although 88% of the populace say they belong to a religion, only 41% say that they are religious when the question is phrased as "Is religion an important part of your daily life?".

For more on this phenomenon, see:

"Institutionalized Religions Have Their Numbers Inflated by National Polls" by Vexen Crabtree (2009)

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Roman Catholic 41.8%, Protestant 35.3%, Muslim 4.3%, Orthodox 1.8%, other Christian 0.4%, other 1%, unspecified 4.3%, none 11.1% (2000 census)₆₃.

Switzerland has a long history of religious tolerance₆₄. But things still need improving in several areas. The International Humanist and Ethical Union produced a report in 2012 entitled "Freedom of Thought" (2012)₆₅, in which they document bias and prejudice at the national level that is based on religion, belief and/or lack of belief. Their entry for Switzerland states:

“The constitution and other laws and policies protect freedom of religion or belief. However, some individual cantons still pursue discriminatory policies based on the locally dominant religion (Protestant or Catholic).
Most of the 26 cantons (with the exception of Geneva and Neuchatel, where church and state are separate) financially support at least one of the three traditional religious communities - Roman Catholic, Old Catholic, or Protestant - with funds collected through a church tax. Each canton observes its own regulations regarding the relationship between church and state. In some cantons the church tax is voluntary, while in others an individual who chooses not to contribute to the church tax may have to leave the church formally. In some cantons private companies are unable to avoid payment of the church tax. Some cantons also allow the church tax to be collected on behalf of the Jewish community. Islamic and other nontraditional religious and atheist groups are excluded from these benefits.
In October 2010, Valentin Abgottspon was dismissed from his job as teacher at a public school in the canton of Valais after he raised concerns about the state's promotion of Catholicism in public schools. Article 3 of the canton's education law states that schools should prepare students for their duties "as human beings and Christians". Abgottspon was told he was fired for removing the crucifix from the classrooms in the public school at which he taught.
”
"Freedom of Thought" by IHEU (2012)₆₆

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