The chocolate supply chain exemplifies the social and environmental challenges within global food systems. Growing awareness of environmental impact and ethical production practices is increasingly shaping consumer choices and influencing food policy. This highlights the need for an integrated...

Switzerland features strong socio-economic segregation and no formal school choice, making residential relocation the only channel through which parents can access preferred schools. Identifying how parents value school attributes is therefore essential but challenging, given that choices bundle...

Using k-means clustering, we analyse two years of hourly electricity consumption data from approximately 4,000 households, based on specific consumption features. We identify three distinct clusters with clearly differentiated consumption levels and daily load profiles. A multinomial logit model...

We examine the impact of monetary and non-monetary incentives, individually and combined, on residential electricity consumption. A field experiment in Switzerland provided all participants with access to a custom-developed app offering feedback on electricity use and energy-saving tips. In...

Switzerland features strong socio-economic segregation and no formal school choice, making residential relocation the only channel through which parents can access preferred schools. Identifying how parents value school attributes is therefore essential but challenging, given that choices bundle...

Gender equality and economic growth have historically tended to move together yet identifying causal effects has been difficult. This paper uses data on the support for female suffrage in Switzerland in order to explore the impact of technology adoption on gender norms. We argue that the early...

We estimate daily wage rates for skilled and unskilled construction workers and agricultural laborers in Switzerland from 1750 to 1860, a period of profound political and economic transformations. Our analysis is based on 17,700 newly collected wage quotes from primary sources and 23,300 price...

This paper assesses the impact of the Swiss CO2 levy on residential heating energy demand and the associated CO2 emissions. Using the synthetic control method, the results show that the levy led to an average annual reduction in CO2 emissions of 6.5% during the post-treatment period (2008-2021),...

Context: In Switzerland, about two-thirds of young people start dual vocational education and training (VET) at around 15 years of age. Research shows that they are challenged in many ways during this phase of their lives and are therefore particularly vulnerable. Thus, supporting the transition...

Switzerland features strong socio-economic segregation and no formal school choice, making residential relocation the only channel through which parents can access preferred schools. Identifying how parents value school attributes is therefore essential but challenging, given that choices bundle...

Global employee work engagement remains critically low, with only 21% of employees engaged worldwide in 2024 and Switzerland ranking near the bottom in Europe at 8%. Existing theories and models that explain employee engagement (Reinforcement Theory, Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory, Equity Theory,...

We estimate daily wage rates for skilled and unskilled construction workers and agricultural laborers in Switzerland from 1750 to 1860, a period of profound political and economic transformations. Our analysis is based on 17,700 newly collected wage quotes from primary sources and 23,300 price...

This paper serves as a comprehensive reference for users of the Swiss Household Energy Demand Survey (SHEDS). SHEDS was conducted annually from 2016 to 2021, followed by two waves in 2023 and 2025; two further waves are scheduled in 2027 and 2029. So far, it provides a panel dataset of eight waves...

Our econometric (cointegration) analysis of the Swiss franc US dollar exchange rates over the period 1974 - 2025 provides strong evidence for a negative bias of the forward rate as predictor of the spot rate for the years up to 2007, which disappears with data from 2008 onwards. This implies...

Die Diskussion über die Wiederbelebung der Vermögensteuer in Deutschland hat in den vergangenen Monaten Fahrt aufgenommen. Mit Verweis auf Ungleichheit bei der Verteilung von Vermögen und den steigenden staatlichen Finanzierungsbedarf fordern Parteien und NGOs eine stärkere Besteuerung...

This whitepaper examines how leading Swiss and European insurers approach sustainability reporting, drawing on a systematic analysis of sustainability reports published by 24 insurers between 2021 and 2024 and structured interviews with 12 industry executives. The study traces the consolidation...

Objective: This study aims to investigate whether specific treatments or combinations of treatments are significantly associated with the profitability of Swiss acute-care hospitals under the current diagnosis-related group (S-DRG) reimbursement system, while accounting for differences between...

Country‐specific variations in food standards often reflect national regulatory traditions, but they also disrupt trade by increasing associated costs and limiting market access. Aligning such standards between countries should reduce or eliminate the additional market access costs and enhance...

The objective of this research synthesis is to collect and summarize the research literature on Ukrainian refugees in Switzerland. This is done through a systematic review, mostly in the form of a narrative review and with statistical indicators that are synthesized. A graphical summary...

This article offers a new way of classifying and measuring state support for reproductive equity across countries, focusing on medically assisted reproduction (MAR) and abortion. Drawing on the notion of stratified reproduction and comparative welfare state research, we propose a...

As a country highly dependent on imports, Switzerland has many free trade agreements (FTAs) that liberalise trade barriers. We assess how these agreements affect Swiss agricultural imports at different margins of trade adjustment. We estimate reduced‐form gravity models using agricultural...

The transition to decarbonized energy systems requires addressing diverse stakeholder interests. Yet current stakeholder analysis limits itself to mostly policymakers and experts. This study examines priorities and coalitions among Swiss stakeholders in energy and climate policies, by applying...

In diesem Bericht untersuchen wir die frühen Auswirkungen von KISprachmodellen (Large Language Models, LLMs) auf den Schweizer Arbeitsmarkt. Wir analysieren, ob Berufe mit hoher KI-Betroffenheit vor und nach der Einführung von ChatGPT und anderen LLMs im Herbst 2022 andere Trends bei...

This paper studies the transmission of monetary policy to household consumption through wealth effects in a small open economy. As a natural experiment, we exploit the 2015 Swiss franc shock, triggered by the Swiss National Bank's unexpected removal of the euro exchange rate floor. Using...

Gemäss BFS stiegen die gesamten nominalen Gesundheitsausgaben im Jahr 2023 gegenüber dem Vorjahr um 2.4%. Das KOF berechnet für das Jahr 2024 ein deutlich höheres Wachstum von 4.8%, welches sich in den darauffolgenden Jahren mit 3.7% (2025), 3.6% (2026), und 3.5% (2027) langsam auf hohem...

Switzerland has adopted several regulations and strategies to address antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and antimicrobial consumption (AMC) in humans, animals and the environment over the last two decades. Most recently, the Swiss Strategy on Antibiotic Resistance was adopted in response to the...

This document presents Eurostat's assessment of the quality of the national and regional accounts data submitted by Member States, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland in 2024, according to the ESS quality standards and the ESA 2010 Regulation. It also includes information on the quality of key...

Estate recovery is a policy whereby the state recovers public long-term care (LTC) benefits from the estates of deceased beneficiaries. Using data from a Swiss survey, this study examines which individuals are most responsive to estate recovery in their decisions to purchase LTC insurance and...

Background: Hospital capacity planning can help to balance quality, cost-effectiveness, and accessibility of inpatient services. Achieving all three objectives equally is complex and requires a balanced and targeted approach. Moreover, the implementation of a national reform in this field in...