A new study by Our World in Data has revealed that 28,8 percent of Switzerland’s residents were born abroad. Globally, this means Switzerland has the 16th highest proportion of expats and internationals in its population, and the fourth-highest in Europe.

28,8 percent of Swiss population expats or internationals

The study found that 2,49 million people in Switzerland either hold a residence permit or gained Swiss citizenship later in life, out of a population of 8,7 million. 28,8 percent of the population of the country were born overseas, with most internationals living around Geneva and Zurich.

Globally, the United Arab Emirates had the highest proportion of foreign nationals, with 88,1 percent of the population being non-Emirati. This was followed by the Gulf states of Qatar and Kuwait, where over 70 percent of the population is born overseas.

Switzerland seen share of expats increase over 22 years

In Europe, the microstates of Liechtenstein, Monaco, Andorra and Luxembourg had the highest proportion of foreign nationals, with between 47,9 and 72,8 percent of residents being born overseas. Watson noted that if the ranking was only of nations with over 1 million inhabitants, Switzerland would be top of the list in Europe, followed by Sweden.

The proportion of expats to locals in Switzerland has increased by 8 percent since 2000, along with a population rise of 1,453 million. On the flip side, Cuba and China were found to have the lowest proportion of foreign nationals living within their borders, with 0,03 and 0,07 percent respectively.