Fewer expats arriving, more leaving: Swiss net immigration drops 12,5% in 2026

Switzerland’s expat population is changing: fewer people are moving here, and more people are leaving. This trend has continued in the first half of 2026, according to the Federal Council. 

Net immigration to Switzerland drops in first half of 2026

So far this year, net immigration (i.e. the number of people migrating minus the number of people emigrating) sits at 29.884 people, 12,5 percent fewer than in the first half of 2025.

At the end of June 2026, a total of 2.424.444 internationals permanently lived in Switzerland, around 27 percent of the total Swiss population.

The total number of people who moved to Switzerland between January and June 2026 was 74.112, 2.220 fewer people (or 2,9 percent) year-on-year. Expats continued to mostly be from EU and EFTA countries, making up 55.761 of the people who moved, followed by 18.351 people from a third country (outside the EU/EFTA).

While immigration is slowly decreasing, the number of people leaving the country is increasing. So far in 2026, 39.251 internationals have left Switzerland permanently, 1.608 more than in the same period in 2025. 

Employment remains main driver for EU/EFTA workers

Job prospects and a strong labour market continue to be the main reasons people move to Switzerland, the government press release explained. The number of EU/EFTA nationals who move to Switzerland for short-term or long-term employment “remains consistently high”, making up 80,5 percent of all immigration from EU/EFTA countries.

Cross-border commuting also experienced a slight dip, with 33.219 cross-border work permits issued since January, around three thousand fewer than in 2025.