New plagues: ticks, cocaine and drones

© KEYSTONE / Gian Ehrenzeller

Almost every article published by swissinfo.ch contains a percentage, an age, an amount of money or some other figure. Here’s a round-up of the most interesting statistics to appear in the past week’s stories.

Monday

150

Some 150 people in Switzerland have been infected with tick-borne encephalitis since the start of the year – a significant increase compared with previous years. 

Tuesday

18

According to a survey by the expat network, Internations, 18% of Swiss who move abroad are classified as “optimisers”. Read what defines “optimisers” and how they differ from “explorers”, “go-getters” and “romantics”.  

Wednesday

15

The organisers of Switzerland’s most prestigious film festival, Locarno, presented this year’s line-up, announcing 15 films will compete for a Golden Leopard award this year. A few star directors will be present, notably Spike Lee. 

Thursday

5

That’s the number of tons of cocaine that circulate in Switzerland every year. Researchers estimate that about 2.5% of the population are consumers, either regular (20%) or occasional users. 

Friday

85

There were 85 drones seen by pilots or air traffic control last year, nearly double the 2016 figure. The news came shortly after a near miss between a drone and plane over Bern.