Foreigners who gain Swiss citizenship generally increase their annual earnings by CHF5,000 over the following 15 years compared to those who don’t get naturalised, a new study shows.
This content was published on
2 minutes
ETH Zurich/sb
Español
es
La naturalización y su relación con los ingresos personales
A team of researchers from Zurich’s Federal Institute of Technology (ETHZ) and Stanford University studied the economic benefits of gaining citizenship and long-term integration.
Focusing on 46 municipalities in German-speaking Switzerland, they analyzed individuals’ social security records and pension data to compare the income of applicants before and after receiving a positive or negative naturalisation decision. For their study they concentrated on municipalities that used a secret ballot process to decide individual citizenship applications until 2003. They then focused on ballots with close results.
Their conclusions showed that gaining Swiss citizenship boosts new citizens’ annual earnings by an average of CHF 5,000 over the subsequent 15 years.
“The positive income effects are greatest for people with the lowest wages and more marginalized immigrants, particularly those from Turkey and the former Yugoslavia,” explained Dominik Hangartner, Professor of Public Policy at ETH Zurich, in a statementExternal link.
Hangartner said the study showed that naturalization has a “positive long-term effect on economic integration” and that “the earlier a person receives citizenship, the sooner they can become better integrated in Switzerland and the higher the effects of naturalization on lifetime income”.
This content was published on
Swiss citizenship is highly sought after – and correspondingly hard to get. swissinfo.ch looks at how to get the naturalisation ball rolling.
Should Switzerland take measures to support its struggling industries?
Industrial policies are back in fashion, not only in the United States but also in the EU. Should Switzerland, where various industries are struggling, draw inspiration from such policies?
This content was published on
Economics Minister Guy Parmelin and Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis have welcomed Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang to Bern
Michelle Hunziker to co-present Eurovision Song Contest
This content was published on
Swiss-Italian television moderator Michelle Hunziker will be one of the presenters of the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest (ESC), scheduled for May 13-17 in Basel.
Business travellers face highest public transport costs in Switzerland
This content was published on
Public transport ticket prices for adults in Switzerland are around the European average, according to a study. Swiss senior citizens and business travellers tend to pay more.
This content was published on
The amount of unproductive land in Switzerland has hardly changed in recent decades. Nationwide, it shrank by around 2% between 1985 and 2018.
Rescue teams had hands full at Lauberhorn ski race
This content was published on
From broken bones to heart attacks, the rescue teams had a busy weekend at the Ski World Cup in Wengen, which attracted a record 80,000 fans.
Swiss solar company Meyer Burger secures additional financing
This content was published on
The bridge financing concluded to stabilise the Swiss company has been extended and increased. The company has also launched a takeover process.
Centre Party president rules out run for Swiss government post
This content was published on
Outgoing Centre Party president Gerhard Pfister will not join the race to replace defence minister Viola Amherd in the Swiss government, the politician announced on Saturday.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Becoming Swiss: ‘Where do I sign?’
This content was published on
Swiss citizenship is highly sought after – and correspondingly hard to get. swissinfo.ch looks at how to get the naturalisation ball rolling.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.