Migranto

Swiss Diaspora

512.5K Swiss live abroad — the #106 largest diaspora in the world

#106 worldwide#25 in Europe

Where emigrants go

The top 3 countries receive 66% of all emigrants

Largest destination
Italy

181.6K

35.4% of all emigrants

2France96.1K18.7%
3Spain59.3K11.6%
4Portugal20.9K4.1%
5Canada17.6K3.4%
6Turkey17.2K3.4%
7Austria16.6K3.2%
8Liechtenstein15.4K3.0%
CountryEmigrants
Italy181622
France96066
Spain59271
Portugal20886
Canada17551
Turkey17204
Austria16633
Liechtenstein15441
Australia13265
South Africa6305
Belgium5711
Israel4679
Hungary4355
Poland4171
Greece4004
Serbia3881
Denmark3323
New Zealand3291
Brazil3047
Norway2699
Croatia2696
Luxembourg1588
Mexico1520
Finland1351
Chile1342
Japan1323
Argentina1260
Dominican Republic1174
Slovakia1136
Czech Republic1135
Slovenia1109
Libya1050
Costa Rica971
Colombia852
Bulgaria825
Bolivia818
Hong Kong783
China749
Panama670
Venezuela593
Peru561
Malta537
Namibia473
Cyprus396
Haiti383
Ecuador358
Bahamas346
Iceland341
Sri Lanka293
Egypt224
Montenegro209
Guadeloupe202
Ghana189
Guatemala181
Central African Republic163
Estonia139
Maldives137
French Polynesia120
Mauritius105
Lithuania105
Cayman Islands97
Andorra90
Latvia89
Nicaragua89
Honduras62
El Salvador60
Bermuda55
Tajikistan50
Belarus27
Bhutan25
Mongolia22
Liberia21
Guinea15
Cape Verde13
Georgia13
Saint Lucia7

By destination region

Europe is the leading destination region at 84%

Europe83.8%

429.4K

Middle East4.3%

22.3K

North America3.4%

17.6K

Oceania3.3%

16.7K

Latin America2.8%

14.6K

Africa1.7%

8.6K

Asia0.7%

3.4K

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Interesting facts

Notable statistics about emigration from Switzerland.

Italy is the primary destination for emigrants

Italy attracts 35% of all emigrants from Switzerland, while the second-largest destination receives just 19%.

Emigration destinations have diversified since 1990

The top destination's share fell from 48% to 35%, indicating a broader spread of emigration patterns.

Top emigration destinations have shifted significantly since 1990

3 new countries have entered the top 20 destinations: Hungary, Poland, Norway — Hungary rose from outside the top 20 to rank #13.

A significant share of the population lives abroad

1 in 18 residents of Switzerland has emigrated — 512.5K out of 9M, representing 5.7% of the population.

How emigration changed over time

Total emigrant population by year

YearEmigrants
1990396651
1995420665
2000440639
2005467978
2010491884
2015499929
2020507043
2024512547

Top destinations over time

Emigration to the 5 largest destination countries

Italy France Spain Portugal Canada
YearItalyFranceSpainPortugalCanada
19901884896892239789376616059
19951947117324145330812817756
200019399977962516311282119693
200519343685038596661477519960
201019333491311635451427620651
201518964396510593281618321785
202018864395249578591856618722
202418162296066592712088617551

Fastest-changing destinations

How emigration to each country has changed since the selected year

Malta537+74%
Poland4.2K+61%
Panama670+53%
Iceland341+51%
Bulgaria825+38%
Japan1.3K-36%
Egypt224-29%
Ecuador358-22%

Switzerland as an emigration source

Share of immigrants in each country who originate from Switzerland

Liechtenstein56%15.4K
Italy3%181.6K
Portugal2%20.9K
France1%96.1K
Spain1%59.3K
Austria1%16.6K

Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)

Frequently asked questions

Where do Swiss move to?

Most Swiss have moved to Italy, France and Spain — these three countries account for about 66% of all Swiss living abroad.

How many Swiss live abroad?

Around 512.5K Swiss live abroad, making it the #106-largest emigrant population in the world.

What share of the population of Switzerland lives abroad?

About 6% of the population of Switzerland lives abroad — that's 512.5K out of a total population of 9M.

How has emigration from Switzerland changed over the past decade?

Over the past decade, the emigrant population from Switzerland has changed from 499.9K to 512.5K people, a change of about 3%.

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