Migration and integration – Data, indicatorsPopulation with an immigration background

In Switzerland the population with an immigration background includes not only foreign citizens who immigrated to Switzerland and their direct descendants who were born in the host country, but also Swiss citizens who acquired Swiss citizenship by birth or by naturalisation and who either immigrated to Switzerland or who have at least one parent born abroad.

The "Mobility and Migration" module of the Swiss Labour Force Survey (SLFS) makes it possible to identify the population with an immigration background and to disaggregate it. An individual's immigration status is determined on the basis of a combination of the following individual variables: "country of birth", "citizenship upon birth" and "current citizenship", as well as each parent's "country of birth".

In 2008, 30.6% of the Swiss permanent resident population aged 15 or over, i.e. 1,965,000 persons, had an immigration background. A third of this population (651,000) have Swiss citizenship. Four fifths of persons with an immigration background are themselves immigrants (first generation of foreigners as well as native-born and naturalised Swiss citizens), whereas one fifth were born in Switzerland (second-generation foreigners as well as native-born and naturalised Swiss citizens).

The "Mobility and Migration" modules of the 2001 and 2003 Swiss Labour Force Survey (SLFS) have been previously analysed by the FSO. The results of the modules can be found in this publication (2003) and this press release (2001).