The number of foreign residents who leave Switzerland to return home is well above the EU average for emigration and there are specific reasons for that trend.
While immigration is a frequent subject in Swiss political circles, much less attention is given to those foreign residents who return to their home countries after living in Switzerland.
About 26 percent of Switzerland’s population is composed of foreign nationals — one of the highest proportions in Europe.
But the number of foreigners who leave the country after having lived here for a period of time is also quite high in comparison with other European nations, according to Eurostat migration statistics.
What do the numbers show?
Between 2013 and 2022, for instance, an average of 155,000 people immigrated to Switzerland each year. During the same period, about 90,000 foreign nationals left the country.
More recently, in 2023, the so-called ‘return migration’ from Switzerland has declined, due mostly to the high proportion of Ukrainian refugees who are unable to return to their country.
In 2023, this rate was 40 departures per 100 immigrants, but it rose again to 50 per 100 in 2024.
How does this rate compare with other European countries?
Out of 20 states in the Eurostat database, Switzerland is in the 6th place, with 54 departures for every 100 arrivals (emigration vs. immigration rate).
It is well above the EU average, with the rate of 34 / 100.
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What else does the data reveal?
A look at the long-term data provided by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) shows that the departure rate of immigrants is highest in the first few years after their arrival.
In fact, most departures occurred in the first two years of their residency.
Why is that?
Change in the employment status is one of the reasons for early departures.
“People tend to forget that people who immigrate don’t necessarily settle down,” said sociologist Liliana Azevedo from the Swiss Research Center for Migration at the University of Neuchâtel.
“Work is what binds people to Switzerland. Unemployment, insecure or unskilled jobs, are all obstacles to remaining in the country for more than a few years,” she said.
Many people also come to Switzerland to study or undergo training, and leave the country once that is finished.
And there is also attachment to one’s country of origin.
This is particularly evident within the Portuguese community.
According to Azevedo, a study carried out by the University of Neuchâtel compared the return rate among citizens of various nations.
It showed that the Portuguese are the “most strongly connected” to their country of origin.
More information about foreigners returning to their home states can be found here:
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