The Data Decoded

🇨🇭 Die Nettozuwanderung in die Schweiz hat sich in den letzten 55 Jahren stark verändert. 1975: −57’847, als die Rezession nach der Ölkrise zu massiven Arbeitsplatzverlusten und zur Abwanderung vieler ausländischer Arbeitskräfte führte. 2008: +98’167, begünstigt durch eine starke Nachfrage nach Arbeitskräften und die Aufhebung der Kontingente für viele EU-/EFTA-Staatsangehörige im Jahr 2007. 2023: Rekordwert von +139’118, teilweise bedingt durch Geflüchtete aus der Ukraine, die bereits 2022 eingereist waren, aber erst ein Jahr später in die Statistik der ständigen Wohnbevölkerung aufgenommen wurden. 2025: +70’432, fast eine Halbierung gegenüber dem Höchststand von 2023. Die Grafik zeigt die gesamte Entwicklung von 1971 bis 2025, basierend auf Daten des Bundesamts für Statistik (BFS). Quellen und Methodik: mtsinganis.github.io/the-dat…

🇨🇭Switzerland's net migration has changed dramatically over the past 55 years. 1975: −57,847, as the oil-crisis recession led to widespread job losses and departures of foreign workers. 2008: +98,167, amid strong labour demand and the lifting of quotas for many EU/EFTA workers in 2007. 2023: A record +139,118, partly reflecting Ukrainian refugees who arrived in 2022 but entered permanent-resident statistics a year later. 2025: +70,432, nearly half the 2023 peak. Here's the full picture from 1971 to 2025, based on Swiss Federal Statistical Office data. Sources & Methodology: mtsinganis.github.io/the-dat…

But China wasn't alone. Vietnam climbed from 119th to 44th, and the Philippines from 69th to 38th. Both also overtook Australia. Their rise reflects growing participation in electronics and manufacturing supply chains, part of a broader shift in the composition of Asian exports. Economic complexity measures the diversity and sophistication of goods exports, not national wealth. It should also be noted that a country's ranking reflects its performance relative to other countries, not just changes in its own economic complexity. Source: Harvard Growth Lab, 1995–2024.

One of the more interesting consequences of China's industrialization was what it meant for Australia's economy. Since 1995, China climbed from 42nd to 10th in economic complexity, while Australia fell from 33rd to 73rd. These two developments were connected. As China's manufacturing expanded, so did its demand for Australian iron ore and coal. This helped fuel Australia's mining boom, reinforcing its specialization in natural resources. China moved into increasingly sophisticated manufacturing, while Australia's goods exports became more commodity-intensive. In other words, the same industrial transformation that helped propel China up the rankings also contributed to the forces behind Australia's relative decline.

🇩🇪 Germany’s youth unemployment since 2000, compared with the EU-27 rate. The blue line shows Germany; the dashed line shows the EU rate. Grey lines show the other EU countries. Germany has consistently recorded one of the EU’s lowest youth unemployment rates in recent years. The OECD credits its apprenticeship system, combining classroom learning with paid workplace training, with helping keep the rate low. Source: Eurostat

🇫🇷 France’s youth unemployment since 2000, compared with the EU-27 rate. The blue line shows France; the dashed line shows the EU rate. Grey lines show the other EU countries. France has expanded support for apprenticeships since 2018 to help young people move from education into work. Yet youth unemployment remains above the EU-27 rate, showing that the challenge extends beyond access to training. Source: Eurostat

🇫🇮 Finland’s youth unemployment since 2000, compared with the EU-27 rate. The blue line shows Finland; the dashed line shows the EU rate. Grey lines show the other EU countries. Youth unemployment has climbed sharply in recent years, against a backdrop of economic weakness and a prolonged construction downturn. Source: Eurostat

🇪🇪 Estonia’s youth unemployment since 2000, compared with the EU-27 rate. The blue line shows Estonia; the dashed line shows the EU rate. Other EU countries appear in grey. The financial crisis hit young Estonians particularly hard: youth unemployment reached roughly one in three in 2010, before falling substantially during the recovery. Source: Eurostat

🇩🇰 Denmark’s youth unemployment since 2000, compared with the EU-27 rate. The blue line shows Denmark; the dashed line shows the EU rate. Other EU countries appear in grey. Source: Eurostat