A quarter of Lucerne’s population was born abroad
Keystone-SDA
By the end of 2025, around a quarter of permanent residents in canton Lucerne were born abroad. The share of foreign nationals stood at 21.9%, below the Swiss average of 27.7%, according to Lucerne Statistics (Lustat) on Wednesday.
At the end of 2025, 96,796 foreign nationals were permanent residents of canton Lucerne. Since 2000, their share of the population has risen from 14.8% to 21.9%. Foreign residents came from 167 countries in total.
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At what point does someone belong in Switzerland?
According to Lustat, 6,273 people moved to canton Lucerne from abroad in 2025. Germans made up the largest group (19.6%), followed by Swiss nationals (11%) and Italians (7.8%). At the same time, 5,126 people left the canton to live abroad, with just under one in five holding a Swiss passport.
Majority of foreign residents held EU passports
German nationals accounted for Lucerne’s largest net migration gain, with 602 more people moving into the canton than leaving it. The biggest net migration losses were among Swiss nationals (318 people), followed by Ukrainian and Portuguese nationals, the report said.
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‘Anyone moving to Switzerland just for the money often ends up disappointed’
Some 57.6% of foreign residents held a passport from an EU member state. Germans were the largest foreign nationality group, with 16,534 residents, accounting for 17.1% of the foreign population. According to the latest available figures, around a third of Lucerne’s residents aged 15 and over had a migrant background in 2024.
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Translated from German, reviewed by an English Department journalist.
