Women in Switzerland more likely to hold university degree

The University of St Gallen, in northeastern Switzerland. Keystone / Gaetan Bally

Young women in Switzerland are now more likely than their male counterparts to have a third-level degree, according to the Federal Statistical Office (FSO).

For the 25-34-year-old age group, the proportion of women (53%) with a third-level qualification is now higher than that of men (50%), the FSO said on Tuesday.

While the overall level of education has risen considerably since 2000, the increase has been greater for women than for men, the FSO said in a publication focussing on various aspects of gender equality.

+ Read more: do women and men enjoy equal rights in Switzerland?

Meanwhile, for almost half of couples with children under the age of four, the ideal model is that of two parents working part-time, writes the FSO. However, in reality, only 13% of couples share paid work according to this model.

And when it comes to digital skills, men are more advanced than women, according to the data. For example, 51% of men are capable of modifying the settings of an application, software or device, compared with 40% of women. Men also use Internet slightly more often (93% daily compared to 90%).

Adapted from French by DeepL/dos

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