Noise looms as problem for one in five Swiss
Almost one fifth of the Swiss population are bothered in their homes by noise from neighbours or the street, according to a report released on Monday.
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The finding comes from a survey of residents of Switzerland in 2012, which found one-third reporting problems either with noise, violence and vandalism around their homes and problems with pollution and garbage.
With 18.7 percent of the population reporting noise problems, this puts the Swiss close to France (17 percent) and Italy (17.7 percent) as far as this quality of life issue is concerned, the federal statistics office said.
However, it remains less of an issue in Switzerland than in Germany, where 26.1 percent of the population report unhappiness with noise problems, the office said, citing Eurostat figures.
Among other findings, the office found that almost one in five residents (18.6 percent) report serious problems with their housing, with almost 13 percent complaining of moisture concerns.
Leaking roofs, humidity in the walls, floors and foundations and rotting window frames are among the most common complaints.
The level of perceived moisture problems is similar to that recorded by the populations of France and Germany but well below that of Italy (21.4 percent).
The statistics office noted that renters in Switzerland are more likely to report moisture problems (17.7 percent) than home owners (6.9 percent).
The office said that 7.7 percent of the Swiss population believe they live in a home that is too dark.
While 80 percent of the overall population declare that they are very happy with their lodgings, property owners tend to be more satisfied, according to the survey findings.
Just over one in five renters said they felt at risk of facing poverty compared to 9.5 percent of property owners, while the average housing cost was higher for renters than for property owners, the survey found.
The median annual amount of disposable income (after taxes and deductions) was the equivalent of 56,600 francs for property owners and 42,200 francs for renters.
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The finding comes from a survey of residents of Switzerland in 2012, which found one-third reporting problems either with noise, violence and vandalism around their homes and problems with pollution and garbage.
With 18.7 percent of the population reporting noise problems, this puts the Swiss close to France (17 percent) and Italy (17.7 percent) as far as this quality of life issue is concerned, the federal statistics office said.
However, it remains less of an issue in Switzerland than in Germany, where 26.1 percent of the population report unhappiness with noise problems, the office said, citing Eurostat figures.
Among other findings, the office found that almost one in five residents (18.6 percent) report serious problems with their housing, with almost 13 percent complaining of moisture concerns.
Leaking roofs, humidity in the walls, floors and foundations and rotting window frames are among the most common complaints.
The level of perceived moisture problems is similar to that recorded by the populations of France and Germany but well below that of Italy (21.4 percent).
The statistics office noted that renters in Switzerland are more likely to report moisture problems (17.7 percent) than home owners (6.9 percent).
The office said that 7.7 percent of the Swiss population believe they live in a home that is too dark.
While 80 percent of the overall population declare that they are very happy with their lodgings, property owners tend to be more satisfied, according to the survey findings.
Just over one in five renters said they felt at risk of facing poverty compared to 9.5 percent of property owners, while the average housing cost was higher for renters than for property owners, the survey found.
The median annual amount of disposable income (after taxes and deductions) was the equivalent of 56,600 francs for property owners and 42,200 francs for renters.
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