41 percent of people in Switzerland have migration background, new figures show

The proportion of people in Switzerland who have a migration background has risen slightly, according to new figures from the Federal Statistical Office. 

More than 2,4 million people in Switzerland were born abroad

Switzerland remains a hugely multicultural country: according to new Federal Statistical Office figures released this week, in 2024, 41 percent of Switzerland’s permanent population aged 15 and over has a migration background - the equivalent of 3,086 million people. This is a small increase of 1,1 percent compared to the previous year.

According to the data, around 80 percent of this population with a migration background, or 2,456 million people, were born abroad and are therefore considered first-generation migrants. The remaining 20 percent (630.000 people) were born in Switzerland and therefore considered second-generation migrants. 

The most commonly represented countries among migrants in Switzerland have Italian (9 percent) or German (9 percent) nationality. The next most common nationalities are Portuguese, French, Kosovon, Spanish, Turkish, North Macedonian and Serbian. 

Most come to Switzerland for family or work

According to the Federal Statistical Office, 40 percent of Switzerland’s foreign-born residents say they came to the country for family, while 38 percent cited professional reasons. 

Of those who came to Switzerland for work, more than two-thirds already had found a job before making the move. Asylum (7 percent) and education (5 percent) were the third and fourth most cited reasons.