Empty homes, aid experts and university ranking

Around 30 demonstrators floated down the bright green river in central Zurich between the Münster and Rathaus bridges on Tuesday. Keystone / Unbekannt

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 some of the most interesting statistics to appear in the past week’s stories.

Monday

75,323

The number of empty homes in Switzerland on June 1, representing 1.66% of the total housing stock. The number of empty dwellings continues to grow, but at a slower rate than previously. 

Tuesday

30

Around 30 climate activists floated down the bright-green Limmat River in central Zurich to protest “the impending collapse of our ecosystem”. They had poured a harmless dye into the river to colour it green.

Wednesday

13

The Federal Institute of Technology ETH Zurich was ranked 13^th in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2020. It dropped two places compared to last year. Switzerland was the only nation outside Britain and North America to make it into the top 20.

Thursday

113,000

The number of signatures handed into the Federal Chancellery in Bern (a minimum of 100,000 needed) for a people’s initiative to try to force a nationwide ballot to ban tobacco advertising targeting young people in Switzerland.

Friday

5

Switzerland has sent five humanitarian aid specialists, as well as relief supplies, to the Bahamas to help cope with the aftermath of Cyclone Dorian.