Many people choose to move to Switzerland from other countries. About 26 percent of the Swiss population of 8.7 million consists of immigrants. Switzerland has the third-largest percentage of foreign-born residents in Europe, the majority having come from other European nations and Canada. An estimated 30,000 Americans live in Switzerland.
Why are people moving to Switzerland? Is it the beautiful natural scenery, high standard of living, low crime rate, good employment prospects, or a combination of all of these? Switzerland is an exceptionally clean country and boasts one of the highest life expectancies in the world. Many celebrities like Phil Collins, Tina Turner, and Shania Twain have chosen to make Switzerland their home.
This post will list some reasons why people are moving to Switzerland and why it might be a good choice for you. If you’re considering moving abroad to another country, you might find the information in this post to be useful.
Why Are People Moving to Switzerland?
Natural Environment
The Swiss countryside is world-famous for spectacular scenery. From the dramatic, snow-covered Alps to pristine, shimmering lakes, many people come just to enjoy the view. Of course, there’s plenty of outdoor recreation in all seasons. In the winter, you can indulge in downhill skiing in the mountains and snow-sledging along the Albula line of the Rhaetian Railway. In the springtime, there’s hiking through the Swiss countryside like the Jungfrau region that features gorgeous mountainous vistas with green hillsides, blue lakes, and fields covered with flowers. And in summer, there’s whitewater rafting through the Interlaken valley and jetboating on Lake Brienz. Fall offers camping in the village of Arolla and mountain biking around the town of Zermatt.
The temperatures in Switzerland vary with the regions. Generally, it’s warmer in the south and cooler in the north. Switzerland has a Mediterranean climate. In the plateau, summers range from around 70 degrees in July to 33 degrees in January; in the mountains the temperatures are 24 degrees in January and 55 degrees in July.
The Swiss are also very concerned with cleanliness, almost to the point of obsession. A review by the World Economic Forum ranked Switzerland the third cleanest country in the world, behind Denmark and Luxembourg. A clean and hygienic environment contributes to overall health and quality of life.
Food and Entertainment
Switzerland offers many entertainment options. If you get tired of exploring the outdoors, you can try some indoor entertainment. The Olympic Museum Lausanne, Kunstmuseum Base, Swiss Science Centre Technorama, and Omega Museum are some good options. For local travel, there’s sightseeing on the GoldenPass Line and taking a train trip to Jungfraujoch.
Also, you can attend one of the country’s festivals. There’s the International Balloon Festival, the International Street Performers’ Festival, and the Montreux Jazz Festival, which is the largest of its kind in Europe.
Swiss food is as diverse as the population, and there are many specialties from each region of the country. Along with the renowned Swiss chocolate, there’s rösti (grated potato cakes), amaretti (small Italian macaroons), and many dishes made from cheese, like fried cheese and cheese fondue.
Excellent Healthcare
Switzerland’s healthcare system is among the best in the world. CEOWorld Magazine ranked Switzerland No. 18 in the world for healthcare quality. Paid health insurance is required for all residents within three months of arriving, but the healthcare system provides short wait times and high standards of care. There is an extensive network of physicians and numerous well-equipped medical centers. This keeps wait times short. Emergency rooms are rarely crowded. The basic health insurance also provides access to mental health care and alternative therapies like homeopathy and acupuncture. The excellent healthcare system contributes to the long life expectancy of Swiss residents: 79 years for men and 84 years for women.
Diversity
As we mentioned, Switzerland is a very ethnically diverse country with a large foreign-born population. This means you will not feel out of place as an immigrant. There are four official languages: German, French, Italian, and English. English is commonly spoken and there are many employment opportunities for English-speaking workers. The presence of many social and ethnic groups is a basic feature of life in Switzerland and is enriching for the society.
Good Employment Prospects
Speaking of employment, Switzerland offers a robust job market. The unemployment rate in Switzerland is one of the lowest in the world and there is high demand for skilled workers, particularly in chemicals, pharmaceuticals, construction, and banking. Additionally, some of the world’s largest multinational companies are based in Switzerland, like Nestle, Roche, Adecco, and Zurich Insurance. Many of these companies seek English-speaking employees. While the cost of living is high in Switzerland, salaries are correspondingly high as well. Salaries can be double or triple those in other European countries for corresponding job roles; workers in Geneva and Zurich have among the highest incomes in the world, especially in finance, banking, and insurance. Switzerland was fairly unaffected by the recent worldwide economic downturn.
Excellent Education
If you’re looking to further your education or moving with kids, you’ll want to know that Switzerland has one of the best educational systems in the world. The country offers a wide selection of public, international, and English-speaking schools for your children. Local, government-funded schools are excellent and there are free language lessons for expat kids. Private schools are outstanding and many have international reputations. But some of the best-known schools have long waiting lists.
There are also 12 universities and seven high education institutions of applied sciences. Two of them, ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) and Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, rank among the world’s top 15 universities. Tuitions are mostly low because of government subsidies.
Safety and Stability
Swiss life is stable and the country is considered one of the safest in Europe in which to live and raise a family. Although there is petty property crime like pickpocketing in the tourist areas, violent crime is rare. Switzerland in recent history has a reputation for neutrality and is one of the most stable democracies in the world.
In a recent survey, Zurich ranked second in the world for quality of life behind Vienna. Switzerland overall ranked number one among happiest countries in the world.
Many people are choosing to move to Switzerland because of its good job prospects, safety and stability, and clean, natural environment. If you’re thinking of making a move, contact the moving experts at All Around Moving for all of your moving needs.
We hope you found this post, Why Are People Moving to Switzerland? useful. Be sure to check out our post, Things You Must Know When Moving Abroad for more great information.
Have Experience in the Moving Industry? Want an Additional Income Stream? Work With All Around Moving!
All Around Moving’s program, Work With Us, gives the experienced moving consultants with a unique option to run their own Relocation Consultant business from any city they can operate by.
A nominal one-time start-up fee of $275.00, gives you the “key” to have your business up and running at no time. There is $125.00 monthly recurring expense, and the cost of purchasing your own type of leads you want to work on, such local long distance, international, etc.. We share profits 50-50 with you from all the jobs you book with us. Click here to learn more.
