The Paradoxical Question
It is a question that initially makes no sense: why would anyone want to leave Switzerland? The country has the highest per capita income in Europe, one of the lowest unemployment rates in the world, political stability, clean air, fast trains, and mountains that draw visitors from across the globe. And yet Swiss people emigrate.
According to the Federal Statistical Office (BFS), around 100,000 Swiss nationals and people of Swiss origin left the country in 2022. A considerable proportion returned, but over 700,000 Swiss people live permanently abroad, out of a population of around 8.7 million. That is a share of more than eight percent, one of the highest among wealthy Western nations.
What Drives the Swiss Abroad
The reasons are not a lack of love for home, but the specific downsides of a very successful country. First and foremost: the cost of living. Switzerland is the most expensive country in the world. A weekend shop for two can easily come to 200 francs. A one-bedroom flat in Zurich or Geneva costs 2,000 to 3,500 francs a month. Those who earn well can afford it. Those in the lower middle class or just starting out find themselves under increasing pressure.
Second: taxes and health insurance premiums. Swiss health insurance operates without a solidarity principle — everyone pays a base amount regardless of income. These premiums have risen massively over the past twenty years and swallow a significant share of income for many households.
Third: the desire for something different. Switzerland is tidy, safe, and reliable. For many, that is wonderful. For others, that very quality can feel constraining. Those seeking adventure, a more southern way of life, linguistic variety, or simply something new must look outward.
Where Do the Swiss Go?
Germany tops the list, which is hardly surprising historically or linguistically. Berlin alone is home to an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 Swiss residents. Berlin's creative flair, its more affordable rents compared to Zurich, and its vibrant cultural scene attract especially younger Swiss. Munich, Frankfurt, and Hamburg are also popular destinations.
France is the second large group, particularly for French-speaking Swiss (Romands) who grew up in the Romandie and see moving to a Francophone country as a natural step. Border regions such as Alsace, Rhône-Alpes, and Burgundy attract many.
Portugal, Spain, and Southeast Asia are also growing as destinations, especially among freelancers and early retirees. The digital age has made it possible for Swiss entrepreneurs and the self-employed to spend a Swiss salary while living in a more affordable country.
The Fifth Switzerland Phenomenon
Switzerland has created its own institution for its community abroad: the Council of the Swiss Abroad, the parliament of the so-called 'Fifth Switzerland'. Swiss citizens living overseas may vote in Swiss referenda, participate in national elections, and remain politically part of the nation.
This reflects a deep Swiss characteristic: you can leave, but you remain Swiss nonetheless. The connection to home rarely breaks entirely. Many Swiss abroad return in old age. Switzerland is a country you can leave without ever truly leaving it.
What Switzerland Could Learn From This
The emigration shows that even wealth and stability cannot meet all human needs. People seek opportunity, warmth, adventure, and sometimes simply affordable living outside a luxury bubble. Those who leave Switzerland do not stop thinking like Swiss people: precise, reliable, quality-conscious. They carry that with them everywhere in the world. And at some point they may return and tell of what they saw outside.
Swiss in Berlin: When Europe's Most Affordable Metropolis Becomes the Counterpoint to the Most Expensive Country
Berlin and Zurich: few European cities could be more different. Zurich: immaculately clean, precise, expensive, orderly. Berlin: raw, creative, affordable, loud, full of contradictions. For many Swiss, especially young creatives and artists, this contrast is exactly what they are looking for.
In Berlin, a Swiss person can live remarkably well and for a remarkably long time on capital saved in Switzerland. Studios, music facilities, galleries, and theatres exist in a density that Zurich cannot come close to matching. Berlin's club culture is world-class. Its theatre scene is publicly subsidised and affordable for everyone.
An estimated 15,000 to 20,000 Swiss people live permanently in Berlin. They have founded cafés (Zurich's quality coffee culture meets Berlin's nonchalance), built agencies, and realised cultural projects. The 'Swiss person in Berlin' has become its own small cultural phenomenon.
What Berliners say about the Swiss: they are punctual, reliable, a little reserved at first, but then very steadfast friends. What the Swiss say about Berlin: it is the freedom they were looking for. Not anarchy, but permission to be different without having to explain why.
Return to the Homeland: What Swiss Abroad Bring Home
Many Swiss abroad eventually return. Some after five years, some after thirty. What they bring back is more than luggage and souvenirs. It is a perspective shaped by life abroad, one that cannot be acquired within Switzerland itself.
Those who have lived in Berlin bring Berliner openness and creativity. Those who were in Singapore bring Asian efficiency and global thinking. Those who were in New York bring American pragmatism and ambition. These qualities enrich Swiss society, even if they sometimes encounter resistance.
Switzerland has become more open in recent years. International schools, English-language workplaces, and a growing international community in cities such as Zurich, Geneva, and Basel have made the country more permeable. Returning Swiss fit in better than they would have twenty years ago.
What remains is the best of both worlds: the precision and reliability of Switzerland combined with the worldliness gained from life abroad. That is not a contradiction. It is the most complete picture of the modern Swiss person.
