The Swiss voice in the world since 1935

Number of EU nationals in Switzerland fell in 2025

The number of EU nationals in Switzerland fell in 2025
The number of EU nationals in Switzerland fell in 2025 Keystone-SDA

Switzerland's net migration figure for the European Union and European Free Trade Association stood at 50,900 people, according to the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). This figure is down on the previous three years.

However, the number of cross-border workers increased.

The decline in EU nationals still remains above the historical average. This is according to a presentation by SECO of the 22nd report by the Observatory on the Free Movement of Persons between Switzerland and the EU.

The report states that keeping immigration as closely aligned as possible with labour market needs is essential in view of Switzerland’s declining population. Foreign workers have contributed to an average annual increase in the volume of work of around 0.8% over the last 15 years.

+ Swiss voters reject proposal to cap population at ten million

The report was published around ten days after the “No to 10 million” initiative – which had focused heavily on immigration – was rejected at the ballot box. It called for the termination of the agreement on the free movement of persons if Switzerland’s population became too large.

Translated from German, sub-edited by jdp

External Content

Related Stories

Popular Stories

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative

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.

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR