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 |
“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.”
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.
#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. |
#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:
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:
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. |
#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:
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. |
#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. |
#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. |
#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. |
#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. |
#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. |
#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.
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