Switzerland (Swiss Confederation)

Switzerland Swiss Confederation
Status	Independent State
Capital	Bern
Land Area	40 000km21
Location	Europe
Population	7.7m (2011)2
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
2. Switzerland National and Social Development
3. Population and Demographics
4. Politics and Freedom
5. Gender Equality
6. Peace Versus Instability
7. Religion and Beliefs
8. The Internet
9. Public Health Issues
10. Children's Health
11. More Charts and Comparisons to Other Countries
12. Links

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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

#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.

Social & Moral Development Index12
Pos.		Higher is better Points12
1	Denmark	83.6
2	Finland	83.1
3	Sweden	82.6
4	Netherlands	82.0
5	Norway	81.9
6	Switzerland	81.4
7	Germany	80.6
8	New Zealand	80.4
9	Iceland	80.3
10	Belgium	80.3
11	Ireland	79.4
12	Canada	79.2
	World Avg	55.4
q=198.

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: What is the Best Country in the World? An Index of Morality, Conscience and Good Life.

3. Population and Demographics

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

Old-Age Dependency Ratio (2016)13
Pos.		Lower is better Per 10013
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.

Emigrants (2010)14
Pos.		%14
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.

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.

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.

Immigrants (2010)14
Pos.		%14
1	Qatar	86.5%
2	Monaco	71.6%
3	UAE	70.0%
	...
18	Saudi Arabia	27.8%
19	Australia	25.7%
20	Antigua & Barbuda	23.6%
21	Switzerland	23.2%
22	New Zealand	22.4%
23	Canada	21.3%
24	Ireland	19.6%
25	Kazakhstan	19.5%
	World Avg	9.2%
q=192.

Life Expectancy (2015)16
Pos.		Higher is better Years16
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.

Population (2012)17
Pos.		Population17
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.3b
3	USA	315.8m
	...
93	Austria	8.4m
94	UAE	8.1m
95	Honduras	7.9m
96	Switzerland	7.7m
97	Israel	7.7m
98	Bulgaria	7.4m
99	Hong Kong	7.2m
100	Papua New Guinea	7.2m
	World Avg	36.0m
q=195.

Switzerland's population is predicted to rise to 8.094 million by 2030. This rise is despite a low fertility rate, meaning, that this country is helping to alleviate problems with growing population in neighbouring countries by accepting immigrants, very likely as a requirement of maintaining an active workforce. 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.

• The Population of the Earth
• Abortion, Birth Control and Contraception

4. Politics and Freedom

#antisemitism #burundi #christianity #corruption #democracy #eritrea #france #freedom #germany #human_development #human_rights #indonesia #israel #jordan #judaism #laos #mass_media #morocco #netherlands #pakistan #peace #philippines #politics #religion #religious_violence #saudi_arabia #slavery #spain #sweden #Switzerland #turkey #UK #vietnam

Anti-Semite Opinions (2014)18
Pos.		Lower is better %18
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.

Anti-Semitism is the world given to irrational racism against Jews. It is not the same as anti-Judaism (involving arguments against the religion) nor the same as anti-Zionism (arguments against Israel). In history, influential Christian theologians concocted the arguments against Jews that led, very early on, to widespread Christian action against Jews_19,20,21,22. As Christianity rose to power in the West and presided over the Dark Ages, there were widespread violent outbursts against Jews of the most persistent and horrible kind. The Crusades were frequently aimed at them and the feared Spanish Inquisition paid Jews particular attention. The horror of the holocaust instigated by German Nazis in the 1940s was followed (finally) by the era of European human rights and a movement against racism in general.

The places that are the least anti-Semitical are a few countries of south-east Asia (Laos, the Philippines and Vietnam) and some of the secular liberal democracies of Europe (Sweden, the Netherlands and the UK). The worst countries for antisemitism are Islamic states of the Middle East₂₃, which are undergoing their own Dark Age. Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Morocco, Indonesia, Pakistan and Turkey see the most oppressive and violent actions towards Jews_24,25. Jews in Muslim countries face a host of restrictions and "ceaseless humiliation and regular pogroms"₂₆. In 2004 the European Union Monitoring Center on Racism and Xenophobia reported on violent anti-Jew crimes in the EU and found that that largest group of perpetrators were young Muslim males₂₇.

Corruption (2012-2016)28
Pos.		Higher is better Avg Score28
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.

Corruption is the abuse of public office for private gain₂₉. There are many forms of corruption. Politicians can sometimes (1) steal money (theft or embezzlement), (2) accept bribes (such as backhanders for awarding government contracts to companies), (3) give bribes (i.e., for electoral support or support in the mass media), (4) improperly coerce others (extortion), (5) give positions of power to friends and family without fairly seeking other applicants for those jobs (cronyism), or (6) grant favours to friends and family (nepotism) such as buying services from them at inflated prices (graft). The least corrupt countries between 2012-2016 were Denmark, New Zealand and Finland₂₈ and the worst were Somalia, N. Korea and Afghanistan₂₈.

Global Peace Index (2012)30
Pos.		Lower is better30
1	Iceland	1.11
2	New Zealand	1.24
3	Denmark	1.24
	...
7	Ireland	1.33
8	Slovenia	1.33
9	Finland	1.35
10	Switzerland	1.35
11	Belgium	1.38
12	Qatar	1.40
13	Czechia	1.40
14	Sweden	1.42
	World Avg	2.02
q=157.

"The 2012 Global Peace Index is the sixth edition of the world's leading study on global levels of peacefulness. The GPI ranks 158 nations using 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators from highly respected sources, which gauge three broad themes: the level of safety and security in society; the extent of domestic or international conflict; and the degree of militarisation. By generating new information on the state of peace at the national and global level, the Institute for Economics and Peace hopes to make a valuable contribution to better understanding how civil society, researchers, policymakers, and government can create a more peaceful society"₃₀. The most peaceable countries in the world are Iceland, New Zealand and Denmark₃₀ and the worst are Somalia, Afghanistan and Sudan₃₀.

Nominal Commitment to HR (2009)31
Pos.		Higher is better Treaties31
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.

There are many international agreements on human rights, and, many mechanisms by which countries can be brought to account for their actions. Together, these have been the biggest historical movement in the fight against oppression and inhumanity. Or, putting it another way: these are rejected mostly by those who wish to oppress inhumanely. None of them are perfect and many people object to various components and wordings, but, no-one has come up with, and enforced, better methods of controlling the occasional desires that states and peoples have of causing angst for other states and peoples in a violent, unjust or inhumane way. Points are awarded for the number of human rights agreements ratified by the country, plus the acceptance of the petition mechanisms for disputes. The maximum possible score in 2009 was 24.

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom (2014)32
Pos.		Lower is better Rank32
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.

The Human Freedom Index published by the Fraser Institute is...

“... a broad measure of human freedom, understood as the absence of coercive constraint. It uses 79 distinct indicators of personal and economic freedom in the following areas: Rule of Law, Security and Safety, Movement, Religion, Association, Assembly, and Civil Society, Expression, Relationships, Size of Government, Legal System and Property Rights, Access to Sound Money, Freedom to Trade Internationally, Regulation of Credit, Labor, and Business. [...]

The highest levels of freedom are in Western Europe, Northern Europe, and North America (Canada and the United States. The lowest levels are in the Middle East and North Africa, South Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa. [...]

Countries in the top quartile of freedom enjoy a significant higher per capita income ($37,147) [compared with] the least-free quartile [at] $8,700). The HFI finds a strong correlation between human freedom and democracy.”

"The Human Freedom Index" by The Fraser Institute (2016)₃₃

Press Freedom (2013)34
Pos.		Lower is better34
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.

The freedom to investigate, publish information, and have access to others' opinion is a fundamental part of today's information-driven world. Scores on the Press Freedom Index are calculated according to indicators including pluralism - the degree to which opinions are represented in the media, media independence of authorities, self-censorship, legislation, transparency and the infrastructure that supports news and information, and, the level of violence against journalists which includes lengths of imprisonments. The index "does not take direct account of the kind of political system but it is clear that democracies provide better protection for the freedom to produce and circulate accurate news and information than countries where human rights are flouted".

It must be noted that press freedom is not an indicator of press quality and the press itself can be abusive; the UK suffers in particular from a popular brand of nasty reporting that infuses several of its newspapers who are particularly prone to running destructive and often untrue campaigns against victims. The Press Freedom Index notes that "the index should in no way be taken as an indicator of the quality of the media in the countries concerned".

Slavery (2018)35
Pos.		Lower is better % Victims35
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.

The taking of slaves has been an unwholesome feature of Human cultures since prehistory₃₆. Private households and national endeavours have frequently been augmented with the use of slaves. The Egyptian and Roman empires both thrived on them for both purposes. Aside from labourers they are often abused sexually by their owners and their owners' friends₃₇. The era of colonialism and the beginnings of globalisation changed nothing: the imprisonment and forced movements of labour continued to destroy many lives except that new justifications were invented based on Christian doctrine and the effort to convert non-Christians. By 1786 over 12 million slaves had been extracted from Africa and sent to colonial labour camps, with a truly atrocious condition of life₃₈. But they were not the only ones to blame; in Africa internal nations such as the Asantes sold and bought tens of thousands of slaves₃₉.

The abolition of the slave trade was a long and slow process. Until a relatively modern time, even philosophers, religious leaders and those concerned with ethics justified, or ignored, the problem of slavery₄₀. The first abolitionists were always the slaves themselves. Their protests and rebellions caused the industry to become too expensive to continue. After that, it was the economic costs of maintain slave colonies that led the British to reject and then oppose the slave trade globally. Finally, the enlightenment-era thinkers of France encouraged moral and ethical thinking including the declaration of the inherent value of human life and human dignity₄₁. A long-overdue wave of compassionate and conscientious movements swept across the West, eliminating public support for slavery, until the industries and churches that supported it had no choice but to back down.

'Modern slavery' includes forced labour (often of the under-age), debt bondage (especially generational), sexual slavery, chattel slavery and other forms of abuse, some of which can be surprisingly difficult to detect, but often target those fleeing from warzones and the vulnerable.₄₂. Some industries (diamond, clothing, coal) from some countries (Burundi₃₅, Eritrea₃₅, Indonesia₄₃) are a particular concern. The Walk Free Foundation, say that in 2016, 40.3 million people were living in modern slavery₄₄.

5. Gender Equality

#christianity #gender #gender_equality #human_rights #misogyny #politics #Switzerland #women

Gender Inequality (2015)45
Pos.		Lower is better45
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.

The UN Human Development Reports include statistics on gender equality which take into account things like maternal mortality, access to political power (seats in parliament) and differences between male and female education rates. Gender inequality is not a necessary part of early human development. Although a separation of roles is almost universal due to different strengths between the genders, this does not have to mean that women are subdued, and, such patriarchialism is not universal in ancient history. Those cultures and peoples who shed, or never developed, the idea that mankind ought to dominate womankind, are better cultures and peoples than those who, even today, cling violently to those mores.

Year Women Can Vote46
Pos.		Lower is better Year46
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.

Women now have equal rights in the vast majority of countries across the world. Although academic literature oftens talks of when a country "grants women the right to vote", this enforces a backwards way of thinking. Women always had the right to vote, however, they were frequently denied that right. The opposition to women's ability to vote in equality with man was most consistently and powerfully opposed by the Catholic Church, other Christian organisations, Islamic authorities and some other religious and secular traditionalists.

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)

6. Peace Versus Instability

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

Peacekeeping and Security (2017)47
Pos.		Lower is better Rank47
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)47
Pos.		Lower is better Rank47
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.

Global Peace Index (2012)30
Pos.		Lower is better30
1	Iceland	1.11
2	New Zealand	1.24
3	Denmark	1.24
	...
7	Ireland	1.33
8	Slovenia	1.33
9	Finland	1.35
10	Switzerland	1.35
11	Belgium	1.38
12	Qatar	1.40
13	Czechia	1.40
14	Sweden	1.42
	World Avg	2.02
q=157.

"The 2012 Global Peace Index is the sixth edition of the world's leading study on global levels of peacefulness. The GPI ranks 158 nations using 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators from highly respected sources, which gauge three broad themes: the level of safety and security in society; the extent of domestic or international conflict; and the degree of militarisation. By generating new information on the state of peace at the national and global level, the Institute for Economics and Peace hopes to make a valuable contribution to better understanding how civil society, researchers, policymakers, and government can create a more peaceful society"₃₀. The most peaceable countries in the world are Iceland, New Zealand and Denmark₃₀ and the worst are Somalia, Afghanistan and Sudan₃₀.

Impact of Terrorism (2019)48
Pos.		Lower is better Score48
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.

7. Religion and Beliefs

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

Religiosity (2009)49
Pos.		Lower is better %49
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)50
Pos.		Higher is better %50
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 below₅₁:

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)₅₂.

Switzerland has a long history of religious tolerance₅₃. But things still need improving in several areas. The International Humanist and Ethical Union produced a report in 2012 entitled "Freedom of Thought" (2012)₅₄, 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)₅₅

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems
• Secularisation Theory: Will Modern Society Reject Religion? What is Secularism?

8. The Internet

#internet #it_security #Switzerland #the_internet

Internet Users (2016)56
Pos.		Higher is better56
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.

IPv6 Uptake (2017)57
Pos.		Higher is better Ratio57
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.

IT Security (2013)58
Pos.		Lower is better58
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.

Internet access has become an essential research tool. It facilitates an endless list of life improvements, from the ability to network and socialize without constraint, to access to a seemingly infinite repository of technical and procedural information on pretty much any task. The universal availability of data has sped up industrial development and personal learning at the national and personal level. Individuals can read any topic they wish regardless of the locality of expert teachers, and, entire nations can develop their technology and understanding of the world simply because they are now exposed to advanced societies and moral discourses online. Like every communications medium, the Internet has issues and causes a small range of problems, but these are insignificant compared to the advantages of having an online populace.

9. Public Health Issues

#alcohol #genetics #health #mental_health #obesity #organ_donation #public_health #smoking #sociology #suicide #Switzerland #UK

Switzerland does relatively well in encouraging good health, compared to many other countries. Switzerland comes in the best 20 when it comes to its adolescent birth rate₄₅ (the lowest in Europe) and in its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₄₇. It does better than average for number of organ donors₅₉, its immunizations take-up₆₀ and in the prevalence of overweight adults₆₁. Switzerland does not succeed in everything, however. It does worse than average in terms of its smoking rate₆₂ and in its alcohol consumption rate₆₃. And finally, it falls into the worst-performing 20 in its suicide rate₆₄. The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% during the last 40 years.

Alcohol Consumption (2016)63
Pos.		Lower is better Per Capita63
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.

There is nothing wrong with drinking modest and sensible amounts of alcohol but fitness, physical health, mental health and long-term health all suffer as a result of medium- or heavy- drinking₆₅ and the health risks to the baby when pregnant mothers drink₆₆ are well-known. Aside from the effects on the individual, alcohol misuse impacts on entire economies₆₇ via increased health service costs, policing costs and lost days' work. Worldwide, alcohol misuse is "among the top five risk factors for disease, disability and death" and is a "cause of more than 200 disease and injury conditions in individuals, most notably alcohol dependence, liver cirrhosis, cancers and injuries"₆₈. "In 2012... 5.9% of all global deaths, were attributable to alcohol consumption"₆₉. Deaths from chronic alcohol misuse have been rising for decades, and so has violence, abuse, vandalism and crime all associated with alcohol over-use. The aggression and crime associated with alcohol in some Western countries infringes on the human rights of those who want nothing to do with such behaviour. Many of the social effects of alcohol are psychological and cultural; i.e., people don't have to behave criminally or destructively whilst drunk - it is a culturally learned behaviour. Experiments have shown that behaviour can be controlled: Those who do not wish to behave badly whilst drunk, will not do so.

Organ Donors (At Death) (2017)59
Pos.		Higher is better pmp59
1	Spain	46.9070
2	Portugal	34.0170
3	Belgium	33.6270
	...
19	Uruguay	20.43
20	Sweden	19.00
21	Iceland	17.30
22	Switzerland	17.20
23	Brazil	16.6071
24	Denmark	16.48
25	Hungary	16.21
26	Luxembourg	15.87
	World Avg	13.03
q=70.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance (2017)47
Pos.		Lower is better Rank47
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)61
Pos.		Lower is better %61
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.

About one third of the global population is overweight or obese₇₂. Most Western countries are facing an obesity epidemic. Our cultures are having to change to compensate for widespread ill-health. It is costing our health systems a massive amount of money, and is having negative effects on national economies. The situation has persisted for a suitable length of time for our very perceptions to change; opinions on "normal weights" for people and "average sizes" for clothes has shot up₇₃. Over 2 in 3 adults in the UK are overweight₇₃ and this costs the NHS £5.1 billion per year₇₄ and "costs Britain's economy £47bn a year; more than war, terrorism or armed violence"₇₅. We are forgetting how to be healthy.

The causes are not genetic. Most people who say obesity "runs in their family" are wrong. The rate of increase in obesity is many, many times too fast to be accounted for by a change in inherited genes₇₆. Our culture and lifestyle choices are to blame. The causes of the modern obesity epidemic are processed foods, low levels of physical exercise, over-indulgence, poor choices in food products, poor knowledge of nutrition. Most of this is made much worse by well-funded advertising campaigns by food manufacturers selling cheaper mass-produced food. Even some so-called "health foods" contain well over recommended limits of fat, salt and sugar₇₇.

Smoking Rates (2014)62
Pos.		Lower is better62
1	Guinea	15
2	Solomon Islands	26
3	Kiribati	28
	...
155	Slovakia	1 618
156	Romania	1 620
157	Tunisia	1 628
158	Switzerland	1 634
159	Serbia	1 644
160	Cyprus	1 688
161	Croatia	1 709
162	Japan	1 713
	World Avg	819
q=182.

Suicide Rate (2013)64
Pos.		Lower is better Per 100k64
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.

10. Children's Health

#health #parenting #population #Switzerland #vaccines

Adolescent Birth Rate (2015)45
Pos.		Lower is better Per 100045
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)60
Pos.		Higher is better Avg %60
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.

11. More Charts and Comparisons to Other Countries