MigrantoSwiss Diaspora
512.5K Swiss live abroad — 6% of the population of Switzerland
Swiss diaspora by country
The top 3 countries are home to 66% of the diaspora
| Country | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| Italy | 181622 |
| France | 96066 |
| Spain | 59271 |
| Portugal | 20886 |
| Canada | 17551 |
| Turkey | 17204 |
| Austria | 16633 |
| Liechtenstein | 15441 |
| Australia | 13265 |
| South Africa | 6305 |
| Belgium | 5711 |
| Israel | 4679 |
| Hungary | 4355 |
| Poland | 4171 |
| Greece | 4004 |
| Serbia | 3881 |
| Denmark | 3323 |
| New Zealand | 3291 |
| Brazil | 3047 |
| Norway | 2699 |
| Croatia | 2696 |
| Luxembourg | 1588 |
| Mexico | 1520 |
| Finland | 1351 |
| Chile | 1342 |
| Japan | 1323 |
| Argentina | 1260 |
| Dominican Republic | 1174 |
| Slovakia | 1136 |
| Czech Republic | 1135 |
| Slovenia | 1109 |
| Libya | 1050 |
| Costa Rica | 971 |
| Colombia | 852 |
| Bulgaria | 825 |
| Bolivia | 818 |
| Hong Kong | 783 |
| China | 749 |
| Panama | 670 |
| Venezuela | 593 |
| Peru | 561 |
| Malta | 537 |
| Namibia | 473 |
| Cyprus | 396 |
| Haiti | 383 |
| Ecuador | 358 |
| Bahamas | 346 |
| Iceland | 341 |
| Sri Lanka | 293 |
| Egypt | 224 |
| Montenegro | 209 |
| Guadeloupe | 202 |
| Ghana | 189 |
| Guatemala | 181 |
| Central African Republic | 163 |
| Estonia | 139 |
| Maldives | 137 |
| French Polynesia | 120 |
| Mauritius | 105 |
| Lithuania | 105 |
| Cayman Islands | 97 |
| Andorra | 90 |
| Latvia | 89 |
| Nicaragua | 89 |
| Honduras | 62 |
| El Salvador | 60 |
| Bermuda | 55 |
| Tajikistan | 50 |
| Belarus | 27 |
| Bhutan | 25 |
| Mongolia | 22 |
| Liberia | 21 |
| Guinea | 15 |
| Cape Verde | 13 |
| Georgia | 13 |
| Saint Lucia | 7 |
By region
84% of the diaspora lives in Europe
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Key facts
The Swiss diaspora in numbers
Most Swiss abroad live in Italy
35% of the diaspora lives in Italy, while the next country accounts for just 19%.
The diaspora is spread more widely than in 1990
The largest country's share fell from 48% to 35%.
The map of the diaspora has changed since 1990
3 countries have entered the top 20 since 1990: Hungary, Poland, Norway. Hungary climbed from outside the top 20 to #13.
1 in 18 people born in Switzerland lives abroad
512.5K people born in Switzerland now live in other countries — 5.7% of a population of 9M.
Swiss diaspora population over time
People living abroad, by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 396651 |
| 1995 | 420665 |
| 2000 | 440639 |
| 2005 | 467978 |
| 2010 | 491884 |
| 2015 | 499929 |
| 2020 | 507043 |
| 2024 | 512547 |
Largest communities over time
Swiss living in the 5 largest countries, by year
| Year | Italy | France | Spain | Portugal | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 188489 | 68922 | 39789 | 3766 | 16059 |
| 1995 | 194711 | 73241 | 45330 | 8128 | 17756 |
| 2000 | 193999 | 77962 | 51631 | 12821 | 19693 |
| 2005 | 193436 | 85038 | 59666 | 14775 | 19960 |
| 2010 | 193334 | 91311 | 63545 | 14276 | 20651 |
| 2015 | 189643 | 96510 | 59328 | 16183 | 21785 |
| 2020 | 188643 | 95249 | 57859 | 18566 | 18722 |
| 2024 | 181622 | 96066 | 59271 | 20886 | 17551 |
Fastest-changing communities
How the number of Swiss in each country has changed since the selected year
Swiss among immigrants in other countries
Where Swiss make up the largest share of a country's immigrants
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
How many Swiss live outside Switzerland?
Around 512.5K Swiss live abroad, the world's #106 largest diaspora.
Where do most Swiss abroad live?
Most Swiss live in Italy, France and Spain — these three countries account for about 66% of all Swiss living abroad.
Which country has the largest Swiss population outside Switzerland?
Italy is home to the largest Swiss community abroad — 181.6K people, about 35% of all Swiss living abroad.
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.
Is the Swiss diaspora growing?
Barely — over the past decade, the number of Swiss living abroad has changed from 499.9K to 512.5K, about 3%.
Where does the data on the Swiss diaspora come from?
The source is International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division). It counts people born in Switzerland who now live in other countries. Descendants of emigrants born abroad are not included.
Where to live?
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Living in Switzerland
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