“If the permanent and non-permanent resident population are added together, Switzerland is likely to exceed the threshold of nine million inhabitants this year,” the newspaper wrote on SundayExternal link.
Since the introduction of the free movement of people with the European Union (EU), the Swiss population has grown twice as fast as that of France or the United Kingdom – and 20 times faster than that of Germany, due to high levels of immigration. The reasons behind this: Switzerland’s high quality of life and flourishing economy, the paper said.
There will be consequences for the environment, infrastructure and living conditions, the newspaper warned. Green areas will be built over, traffic will keep increasing and the country’s CO2 reduction targets will become even harder to reach. The SonntagsZeitung said it expected immigration to be a key topic in Switzerland in election year 2023.
“Switzerland certainly benefits from immigration, but it is also associated with disadvantages and costs,” he said. Fears over increased unemployment and salaries decreasing due to the free movement of people have not come to pass, Straumann pointed out.
But overall immigration was a zero-sum game for the country. “We may have full employment, a stable economy and growth, but per capita prosperity is only increasing slowly and is by no means benefiting everyone,” he said.
According to the latest official figures, Switzerland’s permanent resident population reached 8,738,800 at the end of 2021, which is 0.8% more than in 2020.
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Those 65 and older will see their ranks swell, while the working-age population will grow more slowly, according to the Federal Statistical Office.
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