Immigrants make up 61% of Geneva’s population

Tribune de Genève.

42% of Geneva’s residents are not Swiss citizens, the highest level of any Swiss canton. When naturalised foreigners are added this percentage it rises to 61%. This compares to an average of 36% across Switzerland.

Of the 61% over 15 years old with foreign roots, 40% have Swiss citizenship while the other 60% don’t.

Those Swiss by birth, where at least one parent is Swiss, number 140,000, 38% of the population.

Those who are Swiss by naturalisation, sometimes referred to as paper Swiss, number 88,000, 25% of the resident population. These former foreigners were either born abroad (55,000), born in Switzerland with one foreign parent (22,000), or born in Switzerland with two foreign parents (11,000).

The number of residents over 15 born abroad is 120,000, 33% of the population. This group is also known as first generation foreigners.

The number of residents born in Switzerland with one or more foreign parents is 12,000, 3% of the population. This group is also known as second generation foreigners.

Overall 38% are Swiss by birth, 25% Swiss by naturalisation, and 36% foreign, of which 3% were born in Switzerland to one or more foreign parents.

The largest groups of foreigners are Portuguese, French, Italian and Spanish. Together these groups make up half of the foreign population.

The level of education varies considerably. 50% of immigrants have a university education, behind Swiss by birth (56%). At the other end of the educational spectrum the gap widens significantly. 31% of immigrants have not completed obligatory school compared to only 7% of those born Swiss. Tribune de Genève thinks the contrast shows the history of immigration. Before 2000, immigrants were more likely to be low-skilled workers. Since 2000, the region has drawn highly qualified workers.

Note: the numbers exclude those under 15 and international representatives, working at United Nations for example.

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