The various migration movements contribute to the population’s composition but it can be affected as well by the possibility of settling in the host country.
International migrationT10
| 1981 | 1990 | 2000 | 2010 | 2018 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Immigration 1 | 121 420 | 154 244 | 110 302 | 161 778 | 170 085 |
| Swiss | 28 483 | 31 465 | 26 102 | 22 283 | 23 902 |
| Foreigners | 92 937 | 122 779 | 84 200 | 139 495 | 146 183 |
| Emigration | 97 743 | 97 601 | 90 078 | 96 839 | 130 225 |
| Swiss | 27 796 | 31 888 | 30 776 | 26 311 | 31 794 |
| Foreigners | 69 947 | 65 713 | 59 302 | 70 528 | 98 431 |
| Net migration 1 | 23 677 | 56 643 | 20 224 | 64 939 | 39 860 |
| Swiss | 687 | – 423 | – 4 674 | – 4 028 | – 7 892 |
| Foreigners | 22 990 | 57 066 | 24 898 | 68 967 | 47 752 |
1 Until 2010 incl. change of status and transfers from the asylum process, from 2011
incl. conversions from non permanent residence status.
Sources: FSO – ESPOP, STATPOP
© FSO 2019
Overall, a surplus of departures can be observed among Swiss citizens and a surplus of arrivals by foreign nationals.
Since 1981, a reversal can be seen in the migration flows of Swiss nationals. Up to that time, the number of Swiss nationals immigrating was greater than that of those emigrating, which is no longer the case today. Among foreign nationals, despite fluctuating migration flows, the overall trends have not changed.
In 2018 nearly one in seven new arrivals and one in four emigrants was a Swiss national. More than half of the permanent resident population who immigrated or emigrated came from Europe, the majority of them from Germany, Italy, France or Portugal.
Internal migration
Internal migration is a key factor in population trends in Switzerland. In 2018, the number of internal migration flows (517 244 departures and arrivals) was considerably greater than that of international migration flows (170 085 arrivals and 130 225 departures), births (87 851) and deaths (67 088). Three-quarters of internal migrations are from one commune to another within the same canton.
Acquisition of Swiss citizenship
An acquisition of Swiss citizenship occurs is when a foreign national obtains a Swiss passport. This person is henceforth included in the population statistics of Swiss nationals. In 2018, 42 493 people acquired Swiss citizenship, compared with 28 700 in 2000 and 8658 in 1990. 42% of these were under the age of 30 and most of them came from European countries (33 619).
Acquisition of Swiss citizenshipT11
| 1990 | 2000 | 2010 | 2018 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 8 658 | 28 700 | 39 314 | 42 493 |
| Men | 3 228 | 13 314 | 18 553 | 20 249 |
| Women | 5 430 | 15 386 | 20 761 | 22 244 |
| 0 – 14 years | 1 424 | 6 012 | 9 173 | 8 666 |
| 15 – 19 years | 1 633 | 3 955 | 4 832 | 4 702 |
| 20 – 29 years | 2 835 | 4 909 | 4 945 | 4 406 |
| 30 – 39 years | 1 169 | 6 675 | 7 828 | 8 037 |
| 40 – 49 years | 921 | 4 228 | 7 691 | 9 293 |
| 50 years and older | 676 | 2 921 | 4 845 | 7 389 |
| Previous nationality | ||||
| Europe | 6 970 | 21 975 | 30 458 | 33 619 |
| EU-28/EFTA | 6 198 | 13 386 | 15 673 | 19 007 |
| Africa | 273 | 1 824 | 2 499 | 2 693 |
| America | 600 | 1 875 | 2 015 | 2 478 |
| Asia | 796 | 2 981 | 4 261 | 3 540 |
| Oceania / stateless / no indication | 19 | 45 | 81 | 163 |
Sources: FSO – PETRA, STATPOP
© FSO 2019