The northen canton came ahead of Liechtenstein (also included among the cantons) and Appenzell Outer Rhodes in the Avenir Suisse Freedom Index 2024External link. The annual ranking compiled by Avenir Suisse – a liberal-leaning think tank – is based on 29 economic and social indicators. The least free were Jura (25th), Uri (26th) and Valais (27th).
The various indicators can be used to determine whether, and to what extent, government directives restrict freedom of choice and individual organisation, and therefore the personal responsibility. Freedom, however, remains a subjective concept, the think tank acknowledges. Each individual may evaluate differently whether or not a law, for example, is perceived as an unnecessary obstacle interfering with his or her options for action. This is why the index is designed interactively: in the Excel sheet made available, it is therefore possible to select or deselect each individual indicator, so as to compose an index of freedoms in accordance with one’s preferences.
Adapted from Italian by DeepL/ac
This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate it into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles.
If you want to know more about how we work, have a look here, if you want to learn more about how we use technology, click here, and if you have feedback on this news story please write to english@swissinfo.ch.
What factors should be taken into account when inheriting Swiss citizenship abroad?
Should there be a limit to the passing on of Swiss citizenship? Or is the current practice too strict and it should still be possible to register after the age of 25?
Is your place of origin, your Heimatort, important to you?
Every Swiss citizen has a Heimatort, a place of origin, but many have never visited theirs. What’s your relationship with your Heimatort? What does it mean to you?
This content was published on
The new regulation targets plants developed through new breeding technologies that don’t include transgenic genetic material.
WHO faces $1.8 billion budget shortfall amid US withdrawal
This content was published on
The 2026-2027 budget for the Geneva-based organisation has been reduced to $4.2 billion, on top of this year’s $600 million shortfall.
Swiss government proposes lifting nuclear power ban
This content was published on
While the centre-right and the energy sector are welcoming the Swiss government’s counter-proposal, the Greens are threatening to call a referendum.
Switzerland provisionally signs agreement on EU programmes
This content was published on
The agreement on EU programmes covers Switzerland’s involvement in initiatives like Horizon Europe, Euratom, ITER, Digital Europe, Erasmus+, and EU4Health.
Record-breaking winter for Swiss tourism driven by foreign visitors
This content was published on
A survey by Switzerland Tourism suggests this winter has outdone last season's record, largely thanks to foreign visitors and favourable weather conditions.
Swiss study predicts rise in global antibiotic use in farming
This content was published on
Global antibiotic use in livestock farming could rise by 2040, says a study by FAO and the University of Zurich. Switzerland expects minimal change.
Initiative calls for 36-week parental leave in Switzerland
This content was published on
The initiative proposes 18 weeks of non-transferable leave per parent to be taken alternately within ten years of implementation.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.