The place of birth allows to distinguish between migrants, i.e. the first generation, and the subsequent - Swiss-born - generations. This variable and the duration of stay in Switzerland are also important for measuring the rootedness of permanent foreign residents.
Almost a third of the permanent resident population is born abroad. Nearly a quarter of all foreign-born residents have been living in Switzerland for at least 20 years. A similarly high proportion has immigrated in the past 4 years.