Editions

In August, KOF and the Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ) newspaper surveyed economists at Swiss universities on the country’s pension system and the vote on the 'AHV 21' reforms. A majority of the 133 respondents would be in favour of the minimum conversion rate in the second pillar and the statutory retirement age following a rule-based automatic mechanism instead of the two parameters only being able to be adjusted by law.  

At present, the Swiss National Bank (SNB) is having to contend with above-average inflation, the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, and the considerable uncertainty arising from the war in Ukraine. In March, therefore, KOF and the Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ) newspaper surveyed economists on their assessments of inflation and monetary policy in Switzerland.

In August, KOF and Switzerland’s Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ) newspaper surveyed economists at Swiss universities on the subject of income and wealth inequalities and the associated ‘99 per cent Initiative’. 70 per cent of the 142 survey respondents were of the view that inequality of disposable incomes in Switzerland has increased as a result of the coronavirus crisis. More than half of them fear that income inequality will become worse in the long term.

In April of this year, KOF and Switzerland’s Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ) newspaper surveyed economists on the subjects of state aid during the coronavirus crisis and the future of public finances. There are hardly any economists who think that the debt brake should be applied very rigorously. There is also agreement among the 167 survey respondents that cuts in education, research and social security should be avoided. The level of government support is generally not considered to be too high.

Since 2015 the Swiss National Bank’s base rate has been in negative territory. Do the benefits of negative interest rates outweigh the drawbacks, or vice versa? How is the base rate expected to change over the next few years? And how are the current policies of the SNB, the ECB and the Fed to be assessed? A survey of Swiss economists carried out in December 2019 attempted to cast light on these issues.