Which parts of Switzerland have more foreign residents than Swiss?

Over 80,000 foreigners settled in Switzerland in 2022 alone, and numbers for 2023 — once published — will likely be even higher.

But where do most of these new arrivals live?

Neue Zurcher Zeitung (NZZ)  set out to find out how Switzerland’s population structure has changed since 2002 — the year when the Free Movement of Persons Agreement between Switzerland and the EU went into effect — and in which municipalities most foreigners live. 

“Looking across Switzerland as a whole, it is clear that there are hardly any municipalities in which the proportion of foreigners has declined over the past 20 years. In other words: immigration has made itself felt almost everywhere in Switzerland,” the newspaper reported.

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Its analysis has revealed some interesting — and surprising — information.

There are communities where foreign residents actually outnumber the Swiss

But that is not the only surprising fact.

What is also astonishing is that those are often small communities you’d never think of as ‘hotspots’ for foreigners.

Take, Täsch, for instance.

The proportion of foreigners in this tiny Valais village has grown by more than 30 percent in the last two decades; in 2022, 60.5 percent of the population there were non-Swiss.

Why is that?

Many foreigners, mainly Portuguese, work in neighbouring Zermatt, the posh resort that is too expensive for many of them to live in.

In the second place is the Vaud village of Leysin, where 57.7 percent of residents are foreign nationals.

It is followed by the Geneva commune of Pregny-Chambésy (54 percent), and the Lausanne suburb of Renens (just over 51 percent).

Which cities and cantons have experienced the biggest influx of foreigners?

NZZ’s research shows that French-speaking Switzerland is particularly attractive for immigrants — as demonstrated by all the municipalities mentioned above, except for German-speaking Täsch.

Not surprisingly, Geneva is one of the cities with the highest rate of foreigners in all of Switzerland: in 2022, almost every second person there (49.5 percent) was non-Swiss.

But the proportion of immigrants is also quite in other parts of French-speaking regions.

Proportionally, the canton of Fribourg as seen the greatest population growth in Switzerland.

For instance, in the town of Bulle in Fribourg’s Gruyère region, the proportion of foreigners has risen from 26 to 42 percent since 2002.

It may seem like an unlikely place for foreigners to settle, as that particular area lacks multi-national companies where many foreigners work.

However, Bulle is a ‘commuter’ town.

As NZZ explained, it has good public transport connections toward the Lausanne area, where many international residents work. “At the same time, rents and property prices are more affordable in Bulle than the Lake Geneva region.”

A similar phenomenon can be observed in the canton of Vaud.

For example, in the small community of Corcelles-près-Payerne, the proportion of foreigners has increased by 19 percent ince 2002; currently, 31.3 percent of residents are not Swiss.

But the town is conveniently located only 48 km away from Lausanne and, like in Bulle, the cost of living there is quite a bit lower as well, so it is a good option for commuters.

Also, “the rural area between Lake Neuchâtel and Lake Geneva has experienced strong immigration,” NZZ found.

What about Zurich?

Due to high rents and persisting housing shortage, many foreigners avoid the city, opting for surrounding areas instead.

As a result, “the proportion of foreigners has increased significantly to the left and right of Lake Zurich, but the foreign community is also growing in the neighbouring canton of Aargau.”

The nearby Zug, with its low taxes and many international companies, is also a hotspot for foreigners.

In the city of Zug, the proportion of foreigners has increased from 24 to 36 percent since 2002.

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