Around one in seven Swiss expats is an 'explorer', who finds it easy to settle down in their new country of residence. Sunsets like this, in Hawaii, probably help.
Keystone
Was it for love, career or adventure? Or something else? The first comprehensive expat typology has broken down Swiss people who live and work in another country into seven types, covering 86% of expats.
This content was published on
3 minutes
Born in London, Thomas was a journalist at The Independent before moving to Bern in 2005. He speaks all three official Swiss languages and enjoys travelling the country and practising them, above all in pubs, restaurants and gelaterias.
The surveyExternal link, published on Tuesday by expat network InterNations, includes types such as Go-Getters, who move abroad to boost their career, Optimisers, who are searching for a better life abroad, and Romantics, who move abroad for love.
“Although every expat journey is unique, there are similarities when it comes to the motivation for moving and the lifestyle abroad,” InterNations said.
“While some types find it easy to make new friends and can imagine staying abroad forever, others struggle with settling in and believe that they will never feel at home abroad. The same applies to their careers, as some types face poor career prospects, while others are more than satisfied with their work and benefit from a high yearly household income.”
External Content
With close to one in five Swiss expats (18%) being categorised as Optimisers who move abroad for a better quality of life, this type makes up the largest share out of all Swiss expats.
On a global scale, however, Go-Getters are the most common expat type (21%), compared with just 13% of the Swiss. They move abroad for work-related reasons and dedicate a lot of their time to their jobs.
On the other hand, Swiss expats are more likely to be Foreign Assignees sent abroad by their employer than the global average (16% vs. 10%). Despite their great career options, this type of expat often plans to return home at some point and finds it hard to make new friends.
This is not the case for Explorers, who find it easy to settle in abroad, and Romantics, who are very likely to be mainly friends with local residents. The former relocates abroad looking for an adventure or challenge, while the latter makes the move for love.
Out of all Swiss expats, 13% are categorised as Explorers (vs. 12% globally) and 14% as Romantics (vs. 12% globally).
According to the survey, a quarter of Swiss expats are single, 51% are male and their average age is 50.9.
Travelling Spouses also move abroad to be with their partner, but they often struggle to feel at home abroad and face poor career prospects.
Lastly, Students are highly educated and move abroad for school or university. They are also the most likely to speak the local language very well. These two types make up the smallest share among both the most common Swiss expat types and the world’s most common expat types.
“The Seven Most Common Expat Types among Swiss Abroad and across the World” was based on the insights of more than 18,000 expats living in 187 countries and territories in InterNation’s annual Expat Insider survey.
More
More
Where do the Swiss go, when they live abroad?
This content was published on
More than one in ten Swiss lives abroad. This graphic illustrates that the Swiss don’t like to stray too far from home.
Should raw milk sales be banned or should consumers decide?
Swiss food regulations do not allow raw milk to be sold for direct consumption. However, a loophole allows 400 raw milk vending machines to do just that.
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
Swiss Black Friday revenues failed to live up to retail expectations. But sales throughout the week proved more successful.
This content was published on
The Swiss army will have CH 530 million more than expected for armaments investments after a parliamentary chamber approved the increase.
This content was published on
Swiss citizens could have access to an e-ID from 2026 as parliament has agreed to the idea in principle despite still having to iron out some minor issues.
Switzerland mulls S status restrictions for Ukrainian refugees
This content was published on
Switzerland’s parliament wants in future to restrict the issuance of Ukrainian S permits to refugees fleeing parts of the war-torn country.
Solar energy covers 11% of Switzerland’s electricity needs
This content was published on
Solar power covers eleven percent of the electricity demand in Switzerland. The industry's turnover for the current year is around CHF 3.7 billion, as shown by the first ever publication of the Swiss Solar Monitor.
Expats in Switzerland like the safety but not the locals
This content was published on
In expat heaven, safety levels are Swiss, leisure options are South African, teachers are Finnish and neighbours are Mexican. And expat hell?
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.