Life in Switzerland: Emigrants from Germany report

Berlin Around 1.1 million Germans live in other European countries, according to statistics from the European Union. Most of them, more than 300,000, live in Switzerland. While the number of Germans residing in Spain, Italy and France has shrunk over the past decade, it has grown steadily in Switzerland – by more than 55,000 within ten years.

German emigrants often cite a much higher salary as the reason for starting over in the neighboring country – despite the much higher cost of living. An international country comparison of purchasing power by the World Bank also shows that the image of the “rich Swiss” is not a myth.

The decisive factor in the comparison is the gross domestic product per capita, adjusted for purchasing power. This benchmark takes into account the fact that the prices for goods and services, such as going to a restaurant or rent, vary greatly in different countries, as does average income.