Non-national languages most represented

This indicator enables measurement of the regular use of the non-national languages most used in Switzerland. It can be considered as a proxy for the level of language skills, by taking a wide range of contexts into account, for both spoken and written language. Good language skills improve interaction between the different population groups and facilitate integration strategies. Furthermore, the socio-demographic profile of people that frequently use non-national languages reveals potentials and needs, particularly with regard to the economy and healthcare services, including nursing homes. This indicator is recommended by the EU.

In Switzerland, 40.8% of the permanent resident population aged 15 and over uses English at least once a week, 5.4% Spanish, 4.8% Portuguese and 2.8% Bosnian, Croatian, Montenegrin or Serbian. These are the non-national languages most represented in Switzerland.

In Switzerland, 40.8% of the population use English regularly - at least once a week. While the population without a migration background and the first generation population with a migration background use English to the same extent, the population with a migration background from the second and subsequent generations stand out with a higher rate at 49%.

While the population without a migration background in the German-speaking region uses English more often and regularly than in the French-speaking region, there is no difference between these two language regions in the first and second generations of the population with a migration background. In the Italian-speaking region, the proportion is lower than in the German-speaking region for all migration statuses. There are no statistically significant differences between the French and Italian-speaking regions in the population without a migration background. In contrast, in the French-speaking region, the population with a migration background uses English much more often than in the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland (41% compared with 29%).

In Switzerland, 5.4% of the population uses Spanish regularly. In the population without a migration background, 3% of people use Spanish at least once a week. Within the population with a migration background, the rate is three times higher (9%). In the second and subsequent generations, this rate is 12%.

In Switzerland, 4.8% of the population use Portuguese at least once a week. In the first generation population with a migration background, 13% of people use Portuguese regularly. In the second or subsequent generations, this rate is 6%. Among the population without a migration background, the rate is 1%.

After Spanish and Portuguese, the languages of the Balkan countries, i.e. Bosnian, Croatian, Montenegrin and Serbian together represent the group of foreign languages most used in Switzerland. They are spoken by 2.8% of the permanent resident population. In the population with a migration background, it is used by roughly 7% of people and there are no significant differences between the first and second generations.

This group of languages is spoken most in the German and Italian-speaking regions: at least 3% of the population in these regions use them frequently, compared with 1.5% in the French-speaking region. In the German-speaking region, the rate is 10% for the population with a migration background from the first generation and 8% for the second or subsequent generations. In the Italian-speaking region, the rate for the population with a migration background is 7%.