Life & Aging

We examine trends shaping Swiss society’s lifestyle and aging, comparing them globally and offering insights on shared questions and issues.

Our editor’s picks

After the first ‘Sarco pod’ death, will Switzerland introduce stricter rules for assisted suicide?

This content was published on Feb 6, 2025 The first death to come about using the Sarco capsule has reignited debate on whether assisted dying should be more tightly regulated in Switzerland.

"It is impossible to fully go back, neither physically nor as a person," says Chris/Nadia Brönimann.

Switzerland’s most renowned trans person no longer wants to be a woman

This content was published on Jan 12, 2025 Chris Brönimann became Nadia just before the turn of the millennium. Now Switzerland’s most famous transgender figure is publicly grappling with regret over that choice.

Growing old in Switzerland

The living conditions and infrastructure for older people in Switzerland are good, including the social and pension system. However, the latter is coming under increasing pressure: while life expectancy has risen significantly in recent decades, there have only been minor changes in the retirement age.

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Most detached houses have a maximum of two people living in them

Majority of Swiss homes have no more than two inhabitants

This content was published on Sep 22, 2025 Only one or two people live in more than half of single-family homes in Switzerland.

Patrouille Suisse: future secured by propeller planes instead of jets

Swiss Air Force to retire flagship aerobatics team to cut costs and emissions

This content was published on Sep 21, 2025 The Swiss Air Force’s renowned Patrouille Suisse team, will stop flying F5 “Tiger” jets by 2027, following the decision by parliament to decommission these aircraft.

Thousands of anti-abortion activists march through Zurich-Oerlikon

Thousands of anti-abortion activists march through Zurich suburb

This content was published on Sep 21, 2025 With crosses, Christian songs and an oversized pram, around two thousand anti-abortion protesters marched through Zurich-Oerlikon on Saturday afternoon. The city police were present with a large contingent.

The housing market remains tight in Switzerland

Housing shortage in Switzerland to persist in midterm, say authorities

This content was published on Sep 18, 2025 The housing shortage in Switzerland worsened in the first half of 2025, despite the slowdown in immigration over the past year, says the federal housing office.

Swissmint: hot air balloons end up on a silver coin

Swissmint puts hot air balloons on silver coin

This content was published on Sep 15, 2025 Swissmint releases a limited silver coin featuring hot air balloons and Swiss aviation pioneers.

New attempt to regulate euthanasia fails

New attempt to regulate assisted suicide in Switzerland fails

This content was published on Sep 11, 2025 Assisted suicide will not be regulated in Switzerland. On Thursday, the Senate rejected a motion from its Legal Affairs Committee.

Topic focus: Assisted suicide in Switzerland

Why assisted suicide is ‘normal’ in Switzerland

In Switzerland, assisted suicide is considered a legitimate way to end your life.

Yoshi travels from Japan to Switzerland to die

This content was published on Sep 13, 2021 A Japanese man came all the way to Switzerland to die. SWI swissinfo.ch accompanied him on the final part of his journey. This is his story.

To what extent do you think assisted suicide should be a legally available option to those who want to end their lives?

Switzerland legalised assisted suicide in the 1940s. More than 1,000 seriously ill or disabled people end their lives with the help of suicide assistants in Switzerland each year.

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Dec 2, 2021

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A Swiss hospice where people can die with dignity

This content was published on Dec 12, 2023 Many people want to spend their last days at home. “La Maison de Tara” in Geneva offers an alternative to hospitalisation.

Sarco, the 3D-printed suicide pod, was presented in Switzerland for the first time on July 17 in Zurich.

Why liberal Switzerland is opposed to the Sarco suicide capsule

This content was published on Jul 27, 2024 The media hype is huge. Swiss outlets have been reporting on the Sarco suicide capsule for almost all of July. However, cantonal authorities are putting up resistance.

A nurse holding the hand of an elderly woman in a nursing home.

Assisted suicide: death with dignity or ethical dilemma?

This content was published on Jul 29, 2024 Assisted suicide is considered a controversial and personal topic. Does it mean death with dignity, or does it inevitably lead to an ethical dilemma?

Actor Tilda Swinton in a scene from The Room Next Door.

How film and literature have influenced the acceptance of assisted suicide

This content was published on Jan 6, 2025 Powerful stories of assisted dying are etched in our collective memory. Now, a research project from Switzerland is gathering artistic works on the subject.

After the first ‘Sarco pod’ death, will Switzerland introduce stricter rules for assisted suicide?

This content was published on Feb 6, 2025 The first death to come about using the Sarco capsule has reignited debate on whether assisted dying should be more tightly regulated in Switzerland.

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Zurich and Berne criticise directive on research system

Swiss cantons refuse to abandon mention of skin colour in police alerts

This content was published on Sep 11, 2025 The Zurich and Bern cantonal police forces will continue to mention the skin colour of wanted persons in the Ripol system.

Hildegard Rosenthal working on her photo enlarger, next to a tray of coffee, in 1942

The Swiss woman who fled the Nazis and changed Brazilian photojournalism

This content was published on Sep 9, 2025 A pioneer of photojournalism, Hildegard Rosenthal’s work reveals a São Paulo in transformation – and a legacy that continues to inspire.

Duck toilet cleaner gets its own Swiss stamp

This content was published on Sep 4, 2025 Swiss Post has launched a stamp featuring an image of the Duck toilet cleaning dispenser, as part of a series honouring Swiss inventiveness.

Funicular railway accident: 17 dead and 21 injured, including one Swiss national

One Swiss national among the injured in Lisbon funicular crash

This content was published on Sep 4, 2025 The death toll from the derailment of a funicular railway in Lisbon was raised to 17 on Thursday morning after two people died from their injuries overnight, authorities said.

Footballer Breel Embolo sentenced in second instance for threatening behaviour

Swiss footballer Embolo sentenced for threatening behaviour

This content was published on Sep 4, 2025 National footballer Breel Embolo has been sentenced to a conditional fine for making multiple threats during an argument, the Basel Court of Appeal confirmed.

What expats are looking for on the Swiss housing market

This content was published on Sep 4, 2025 Where do economic migrants move to in Switzerland and what demands do they have on their homes?

Archaeologists find the remains of a Roman bridge near Aegerten BE

Archaeologists uncover remains of Roman bridge in Switzerland

This content was published on Sep 3, 2025 Archaeologists discover a 400-year-old Roman bridge and artifacts in Switzerland.

Positive assessment of the training centre for refugees in Bellelay (BE)

Positive first appraisal of Swiss integration centre for refugees

This content was published on Sep 2, 2025 The Swiss justice minister Beat Jans visited the Swiss Red Cross training centre for refugees in canton Bern to meet those in a special training programme.

President of the Swiss Confederation propagates values at the ESAF

Swiss president calls for solidarity at Wrestling Festival

This content was published on Aug 31, 2025 Swiss president lauds unity at Wrestling Festival, urging national solidarity in challenging times.

Personal belongings of the accident victims are retrieved during rescue work on the destroyed hut camp of the Mattmark reservoir building site in the Canton of Valais, Switzerland

Was the worst Swiss disaster an ‘unforeseeable event’?

This content was published on Aug 29, 2025 Sixty years after the Mattmark tragedy, the survivors’ memories persist. So do the shadows of a trial in which all of the accused were acquitted, amid political and economic pressure.

Report identifies gaps in measures against racism

Report identifies gaps in Swiss anti-racism and anti-Semitism measures

This content was published on Aug 26, 2025 Among other things, there are gaps in criminal and civil law protection against racism on the internet, a report published on Tuesday suggests.