Internet and mobile telephony
Towards the end of the 20th century, the upsurge in mobile telephony preceded that of the internet, before the shift to mobile internet took place. This shift is reflected in the number of mobile phone contracts with internet access, which rose from 3.4 million (2010) to 8.6 million (2019), as well as in the volume of data transmitted by mobile networks, which was multiplied by 135 between 2010 and 2019. The number of regular internet users (those who use the internet several times a week) aged 14 years and over was 0.7 million in 1998; this figure had risen to 6 million at the start of 2020. Online shopping continues to grow. The number of people who made at least one online purchase over a 12-month period was 5.3 million in 2019, 50% more than in 2010.
Monuments, museums and libraries
In 2016, around 75 000 monuments across Switzerland were protected, 4% of which were of national importance. One in ten protected monument was a sacred structure. In 2019, the Federal Statistical Office counted 1129 museums in Switzerland with 75.2 million objects and 14.2 million admissions. The ten largest Swiss libraries in 2019 held some 55.8 million items.
Radio usagein minutes per day and per inhabitant
| 2009 | 2014 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| German-speaking Switzerland | 119 | 105 | 96 |
| French-speaking Switzerland | 106 | 86 | 78 |
| Italian-speaking Switzerland | 108 | 102 | 94 |
Source: Mediapulse AG Radiocontrol (based on population over 15 years of age, mean p.d. Monday – Sunday)
Film and cinema
In 2019, there were 269 cinemas with 605 screens in Switzerland, generating 12.5 million admissions. At the start of the 2000s, approximately 1300 films were shown every year in Switzerland. Today this number is about 2000. The proportion of Swiss films in this number has risen from around 10% to 15%. Since 2000, the box office market share of Swiss films has been approximately 5%.
Cultural behaviour
In 2019, most popular among the Swiss population were visits to monuments and historic sites (74%), concerts (72%), museums and exhibitions (71%) and cinemas (67%). The largest increase in the past five years was seen in the attendance of festivals (47% compared with 38% in 2014). 65% of the population are engaged in cultural activities as amateurs. Lack of time (50%), financial resources (32%) or interest (29%) are the most commonly mentioned barriers to (more) cultural activity.
Cultural funding by the public sector
In 2018, more than a quarter of total public spending on culture by the Confederation, cantons and communes went to the sector ‘Music and Theatre’ (CHF 831 million). CHF 579 million was spent on the ‘Museums and Fine Arts’ sector. This was followed by the sectors ‘Libraries and Literature’, ‘Preservation of Monuments and National Heritage’, ‘Mass Media’ and ‘Film and Cinema’ with CHF 371, CHF 271, CHF 134 and CHF 80 million. The cantons are the biggest subsidy providers with more than CHF 700 million, followed by the communes (CHF 600 million) and the Confederation (CHF 200 million).
Spending on culture and media by private households
In 2018, private households spent just under CHF 15.8 billion on culture (incl. media). This is CHF 347 per household per month or 6.5% of total consumer expenditure. At just under 85% (CHF 13.3 billion), spending on media - including television and internet subscriptions - accounted for the bulk of all cultural expenditure. After media, most was spent on theatre and concerts (CHF 698 million).
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