These cantons work most efficiently

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A study by the University of Lausanne (Unil) examines efficiency in the cantons. The research, carried out in collaboration with the consultancy firm PWC, shows a significant savings potential of almost 13 billion per year. It is intended to help the cantons to work on their efficiency in the long term and to learn from each other.

The study analyzed five major policy areas: public order and safety, education, culture, social affairs and roads. In these areas, the efficiency of the services provided by the individual cantons has been examined. Blick shows which cantons use our tax money most efficiently in the individual areas.

5.4 billion a year for culture

This area is the smallest in the study. In other words, the cantons spend the least money on culture in percentage terms: only 5.4 billion a year. In concrete terms, this concerns the number of protected monuments, the number and entrance fees of museums and the number of participants in youth and sports courses. The average efficiency of all cantons is 71 percent.

Solothurn is number one in this field. Closely followed by Aargau and Thurgau. It is striking that the cantons at the top of the scale are very close together. The further you go down, the greater the cantonal differences.

Rural cantons have more efficient social systems

In the field of social affairs, all emergency services are screened. It is calculated how many people live on social assistance benefits, how many receive social assistance benefits and how many social assistance files can be closed as a result of successful reintegration into the labor market. The yield is calculated from this, depending on the population size of the relevant canton.

The canton of Ticino has the highest efficiency level in this area (93 percent). Valais follows in second place, followed by the canton of Uri. It is exciting that the top half consists almost exclusively of rural cantons. “The urban character of a canton is quite detrimental to its efficiency in social affairs,” the study’s editors state.

Huge slope in the road network

When it comes to roads, traffic accidents are the deciding factor. The return is calculated based on the registered vehicles and the length of municipal and cantonal roads. The fewer accidents due to bad road conditions (snow clearing and poor maintenance), the higher the efficiency of a canton. The median is 69 percent.

The most efficient canton in this area is Lucerne, which achieves an efficiency of 86 percent. Closely followed by Geneva, Aargau and Zug. It is striking that the five most inefficient cantons are massively lagging behind. The rear light achieves an efficiency of less than 30 percent.

But the authors of the study do not want to reveal which cantons are furthest away. “We don’t want to promote canton bashing. That’s why we don’t publish the inefficient cantons. This information can of course be seen by the cantons themselves,” explains PWC author Philipp Roth, explaining the lack of transparency.

36.3 billion for education

Cantons and municipalities spend the most money on education. No less than 36.3 billion in 2020. Here the return is calculated on the basis of diplomas obtained. These include apprenticeship degrees, diplomas from technical and commercial schools, as well as vocational and high school diplomas. The average efficiency here is 80 percent.

The most efficient canton in terms of education is Graubünden with 89 percent. The cantons of Schaffhausen and Glarus follow closely behind. In this area, the cantons are relatively close to each other. The last canton in the ranking still achieves an efficiency of more than 60 percent.

Public order and safety

To calculate public safety efficiency, the total number of recorded crimes is compared to the number of convictions. The detainees are also counted. The median value is 73 percent in all cantons.

The two cantons of Basel came out on top, followed by Ticino in third place. They reach values ​​above 80 percent. The three worst cantons drop quickly in the ranking. The canton in last place does not even reach 50 percent.

Source:Blick