Where are the world's immigrants

Five charts to start your day

So I’m an immigrant. I moved to Switzerland eleven years ago with my family for work, and I’ve been here ever since. I’m originally British, so the topic of immigration is not new to me. But what’s unique is being the subject of this debate here.

Switzerland, where nearly a third of the population was born abroad, has vocal calls to cut immigration. Yet when I listen to UK media treating immigration as a crisis, with boats crossing the Channel dominating headlines, it seems bizarrely reactive from my Alpine vantage point.

Switzerland’s wealth is built on immigration. With only eight million people, it simply lacks the workforce to dominate banking, pharmaceuticals, and precision engineering without importing talent. Yes, they educate and train people well internally, but they need us outsiders to maintain their competitive edge. Some locals see immigrants as diluting their culture, an invasion of their pristine valleys. But without us, Switzerland wouldn’t have the economic punch that makes it one of the world’s wealthiest nations per capita.

This is the lesson Britain keeps missing. The problem isn’t immigration but attracting the right kind. Not all immigrants are equal: some drain resources whilst others create jobs and generate wealth that exceeds many native inhabitants’ contributions. We’re stuck in this paradox where countries need high-skilled immigration to thrive, especially with ageing populations and falling birth rates, yet xenophobic reflexes prevent us from welcoming the very talent that keeps nations prosperous. Immigration isn’t the enemy; our inability to have an honest conversation about it is.

CHART 1 • Where are the world’s immigrants

Migration is now a structural force shaping economies. The UN counts 304 million people living outside their birth country in 2024, roughly 3.7 per cent of the global population.

Europe hosts around 94 million, just ahead of Asia with 92 million. North America has 61 million, including more than 52 million in the United States alone. Most people still move within their region, but Europe and North America remain the biggest magnets.

The pace has quickened. Since 2020, nearly 30 million more people have joined the migrant population. Europe absorbed the largest share, driven by war and labour shortages. Asia plays both roles, sending workers abroad and drawing them in. Within Africa, freer movement is quietly redrawing migration patterns.

This is not a temporary spike. Migration is becoming the pressure valve for ageing economies and geopolitical shocks alike, some of which we have yet to experience.

Source: Vizualytiks

I guess the position I’m in gives me a unique perspective on this topic. But I have to say that overall my experience here in Switzerland has been quite good. People have generally accepted me and my family, and they do value the contributions I make to the country’s economy.

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