It shows that more than a quarter of people living in Switzerland are foreign nationals. Most of them are European nationals and hold a settlement permit (permit C).

As of early 2026, Italian nationals remain the largest group of foreigners living in Switzerland, a trend that has held steady for decades due to the shared border and the linguistic ties in the Ticino region. There are approximately 345,000 Italians residing in the country. They are followed very closely by Germans, with about 330,000 residents, many of whom are highly skilled professionals working in the Zurich and Basel areas. The third-largest group is Portuguese nationals (around 255,000), who traditionally moved to Switzerland for the construction and hospitality sectors. The fourth-largest group is French nationals (roughly 175,000), predominantly living in the "Suisse Romande" or French-speaking cantons like Geneva. In 2026, these four nationalities account for nearly 50% of the total foreign population in Switzerland. Interestingly, while the European Union provides the majority of the workforce, the fastest-growing immigrant communities in 2026 are coming from outside the EU, including refugees and skilled workers from countries like Eritrea, Afghanistan, and India, though they still represent a small percentage of the total compared to the "Big Four" European neighbors.