Some 40,000 foreign residents leave Switzerland as departures rise

Some 40,000 people in Switzerland’s permanent foreign resident population have left the country since the start of the year, 4.3 percent more than during the same period in 2025, SRF reported. The State Secretariat for Migration says the increase continues a trend that began in 2023.

About three quarters of those who left came from an EU or EFTA country. Relative to population size, people holding Indian or Chinese citizenship left Switzerland at above-average rates during the first half of the year.

The permanent foreign resident population includes people with a settlement permit, a residence permit, a short-term permit valid for more than 12 months and recognised refugees. People with short-term permits valid for less than a year are classified as part of the non-permanent foreign resident population.

Migration researcher Gianni D’Amato of the University of Neuchâtel said some groups are particularly mobile. Highly qualified workers from countries including the United States, China, Japan and Canada often leave Switzerland again. According to D’Amato, about 70 to 80 percent of people from OECD countries outside the EU and EFTA leave within three to five years.

Many are sent to Switzerland by a company for a fixed-term project and know from the outset that their stay will have an end date.

Economic conditions are the most important factor in determining how long people remain in Switzerland, D’Amato said. Many come because of a job, so their professional situation also influences whether they stay or move on. People with good career prospects are more likely to remain, while the likelihood of leaving increases when economic conditions worsen or better opportunities arise elsewhere.

Social ties also play a role. People with family and friends abroad are more likely to consider leaving, while those living in Switzerland with a partner or children are more likely to stay.

Retirement is another point at which many immigrants leave Switzerland, D’Amato said. A Swiss pension can provide less purchasing power in Switzerland than in countries with lower living costs. This is particularly evident among Portuguese people who immigrated in the 1980s. Many return to their home country at retirement because their Swiss pension has greater purchasing power there.

In the first half of the year, 5,221 Germans left Switzerland, more than any other nationality.

D’Amato said many people were unaware of how mobile migration actually is. Among those who arrived in Switzerland in 2011, about 20 percent had left after two years, 35 percent after five years and almost half after 10 years.

“The common idea that people come to Switzerland and then settle down is not accurate,” D’Amato said. “Many come for a specific period and leave again once they have completed their projects.”