Being the second most expensive still puts them way ahead of the USA. Also, Switzerland is a very rich country, they do get better results for the money they put into it (as measured by life expectancies).
By any metric you care to look at Switzerland is a pretty great country. Life expectancy, crime, education, people wanting to immigrate, indices of economic freedom and ease of business, you name it Switzerland looks good. And it is by far the most democratic country on Earth, the closest to a direct democracy. The EU talks a good game on subsidiarity, delegating decisions and authority to the lowest sensible level, but Switzerland actually does it.
Switzerland has much more of a sense of unity than the US, which is perpetually at war with itself.
It's also surprisingly egalitarian, or at least against conspicuous inequality; you can accumulate a fortune in a Swiss bank, but you can't build a mansion that annoys your neighbors.
Switzerland is the closest to paradise a state can get. Much more libertarian on the business side than its European neighbours, much more welfare than USA and most other countries that are business friendly. All that with having the most democratic system in the world. Did you know that the 4 major political parties are all in the government together - by mutual agreement? Do you know that all three months they vote on whatever they think is important? That is why that country is so stable. All that with a clean superb environment, beautiful countryside and diversity baked into every citizen (4 official languages in one country...). Switzerland never seizes to amaze me. Hope to move there next year (and yes, the salaries are enormous... while rents are high in absolute money, they are low relative to the salaries paid).
Switzerland is very special for multiple reasons. They have a direct democracy, federal system with very small cantons (equivalent of states) and until very recently every mail had an assault rifle at home. They're also very law-abiding citizens in general with >80% of crimes being commited by immigrants. I like swiss model a lot, but it's not 100% clear it can be scaled to a bigger country or if you need centuries of public awarness (they never had a king for example). The differences are so big, it's really really hard to compare with any other country.
Switzerland is great, but should we be using it as an example for other countries to follow? Most other countries can't expect a substantial portion of their tax base to come from banks holding trillions of dollars of dictators' assets, physical commodity trading, and multinational pharma conglomerates (not to mention the impact on the local economy of the spending of the very well-paid employees of said institutions).
I'm not trying to hate on Switzerland by saying this....my grandfather emigrated from there, I have many cousins still there, it's an amazing place, virtually everyone is super healthy and multilingual, they have forward-thinking socially liberal laws, etc.....but let's call a spade a spade when it comes to how they are able to afford everything.
Likewise, I find understanding why Switzerland is so successful very interesting – especially as it differs dramatically in approach from the other countries in Europe held up as successful and happy societies (the more northerly Nordic countries).
I can’t give a full explanation, but there are a couple of unique aspects of Switzerland that I believe may influence the situation heavily:
1. A strong aspect of Swiss culture is to expect responsibility and interest in the affairs of Switzerland from its citizens. This is reflected, for example, in the very strict rules and tests implemented for foreigners wishing to assume Swiss citizenship, which include a wide variety of questions on the history and current affairs.
2. Allied to this, they have implemented probably the most direct form of democracy I’m aware of in the world. The country is divided into a number of cantons (roughly equivalent to American states) which are largely self governing and self determining, including (for example) setting dramatically different rates of taxation. Further, many issues are decided by way of referendum: votes take place relatively frequently. Lastly, in theory any citizen can generate a new law: a series of votes would be taken on a new suggestion, first at a local level, then at a cantonal level, and then potentially at the national level.
Economically though one aspect I don’t understand is how Switzerland can support such high salaries and high costs of living, in contrast to other countries. (What came first: the high cost of living, or the high salaries?) And therefore with it being an acknowledged expensive place for businesses to operate (in terms of salary costs) why do multinational businesses choose to open or continue operations there, in contrast to other more affordable locations? (Also noting that there is significant skilled inward migration, to support the needs of some of those large businesses.)
One of the reasons I immigrated to Switzerland is direct democracy and stability. Since two hundred something years Switzerland is politically neutral. It is ranked the most stable economy in the world and the most competitive nation (https://www.quora.com/Why-is-Switzerland-the-most-competitiv...). The Swiss Franc is the sixth most-traded currency in the world. If you get your salary in Swiss Francs, you maximize the chances that the salary you earn will actually be worth something in the future and is not just paper.
If you look for a tech-job in Switzerland, I work as a tech-recruiter in Zurich. Check out my story "8 reasons why I moved to Switzerland to work in IT" on https://medium.com/@iwaninzurich/eight-reasons-why-i-moved-t... and / or send me a mail to the address in my HN-profile.
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