The Swiss Social Report 2008 documents the current social situation and social change in Switzerland based on systematically collected data and indicators. What kinds of inequality shape Swiss society - for example, with regard to the educational system? How has the cultural landscape of Switzerland changed - for example, with regard to multilingualism? Is there social solidarity in Switzerland - for instance, in the form of voluntary work? To what extent has political life in Switzerland become polarised and politicised? What about the relation between environment and society - how has awareness of the environment and environmentally friendly behaviour changed in the Swiss population over the past few years? Seventyfive indicators describe and analyse Switzerland's economic, social, cultural, political and ecological situation in both the past and the present and compare Switzerland with other selected countries, namely, France, Germany, Great Britain, Spain, Sweden and the USA. The Swiss Social Report 2008 is being published in English for the first time, but it is, in fact, the third in a series, the previous editions having been issued in 2000 and 2004 in German and French. In the current edition, the data and the diagrams have been completely revised and brought up-to-date and further indicators have been added. All data are presented graphically and are available in electronic form on the CD-ROM. The Swiss Social Report 2008 is being published in German under the title Sozialbericht 2008 and in French as the Rapport social 2008. For details and up-to-date information on the Social Report, please see: www.social-report.ch.