Cost-of-living crisis: only a minority of Swiss say they feel the pinch

Around one-third of Swiss residents and the Swiss Abroad say their financial situation is a strain, while four out of five believe the wealth gap in Switzerland is too wide, a survey by the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC), SWI swissinfo.ch’s parent company, reveals. The rising cost of living is being discussed at a “Purchasing Power” summit in Bern today. Energy prices were the first to skyrocket, followed by food, rents and health insurance premiums. Steadily shrinking purchasing power has been a hot topic in Switzerland for months. Some observers claim it is the biggest factor behind recent vote setbacks for the centre-right majority in parliament and the business community, especially last spring when Swiss voters accepted a left-wing initiative granting an additional 13th monthly pension payment. On Thursday Switzerland’s “price watchdog” Stefan Meierhans has invited officials from business and consumer protection organisations to a “purchasing power” summit - the first ...