The Swiss Abroad in five charts

Around 30,000 Swiss people emigrate every year, according to the Federal Statistical Office. Keystone / Urs Flueeler

The number of Swiss people living abroad continues to increase, and many have more than one passport. Five charts explain their characteristics and geographic distribution.

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In the last decade, roughly 30,000 Swiss have emigrated each year on average. By the end of 2023, over 813,400 citizens – equivalent to nearly 11% of all Swiss nationals worldwide – were living abroad. This total represents 81,000 more expatriates than ten years ago, and 309,000 more than in 1993.

Between 2022 and 2023 alone, the Swiss diaspora grew by almost 13,400 individuals, increasing on all continents except Africa, where it remained stable.

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The rising trend is only partly due to expatriations; naturalisations and the birth of Swiss babies abroad have also contributed to this figure.

Almost two-thirds of Swiss Abroad live in Europe

About 64% of expatriates live in Europe, primarily in neighbouring countries. France, with 209,300 Swiss residents, is home to the largest community, followed by Germany and Italy.

Outside Europe, the largest community of Swiss Abroad (83,700) lives in the United States. In Latin America, Argentina claims the greatest number of Swiss (15,100), followed by Brazil and Chile. In total, nearly a quarter of the diaspora lives in the Americas.

On the Asian continent, Israel has the greatest number of Swiss Abroad (23,700), ahead of Thailand. In Oceania, the Swiss live primarily in Australia (26,400). In Africa, they concentrate in South Africa (7,700).

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More women than men

Swiss women have emigrated in greater numbers than men (54% women versus 46% men), and this pattern holds true in every country with a significant number of Swiss Abroad.

In the Vatican, however, where the papal Swiss Guard is an entirely male military corps, virtually all of the 137 Swiss expatriates are men.

Extremes of the age pyramid

The majority of Swiss Abroad (56%) are of working age. Roughly one expatriate in five is less than 18 years old, and almost one in four is 65 or older. Pensioners make up the cohort that has grown the most in recent years (+4% between 2022 and 2023).

Thailand, Portugal, Spain, and South Africa are notable for the high proportion of retirees in their large communities of Swiss Abroad. In Thailand, the average age of Swiss expatriates is 55, whereas the global average is 43.

On the other end of the spectrum, Israel has by far the youngest community of Swiss Abroad: nearly half of the Swiss in Israel are minors, and the average age is 27. Israel also boasts the greatest recent growth of Swiss Abroad: between 2022 and 2023, the number increased by 3.6%, or 833. The Swiss Federal Statistical Office attributes this rise mainly to the birth of babies with Swiss citizenship.

Three-quarters of Swiss Abroad have more than one passport

Three-quarters of Swiss expatriates are also citizens of at least one other country. But the prevalence of dual (or multiple) citizenship varies widely among the host countries. Thailand has the highest percentage of Swiss with no other nationality. In contrast, virtually the entire Swiss diaspora in Argentina has more than one passport.

Adapted from French by K. Bidwell/gw