Living And Working In Switzerland

Prepare for your life in Switzerland with essential information on public transport, social security, education, and daily tips to make your life easier

Quality of life in Switzerland

Switzerland lives up to its reputation of being safe, efficient, and liberal. Economically, the country ranks among the most productive and stable economies in the world. Located in the heart of Europe, Switzerland has an excellent transportation infrastructure. Thanks to good connections to major cities, it is easy to get anywhere. Nature lovers and sports enthusiasts can explore a huge selection of lakes and mountains and are spoilt for choice at all times of the year. In general, with its diversity of lifestyles, Switzerland is an attractive destination for people from different backgrounds and interests and is also one of the most popular countries in the world for expats.

However, the main reason for many people considering living in Switzerland (at least temporarily) is, of course, the career or economic advantages the country offers over many other places in the world. Compared to neighboring countries, average wages in Switzerland are much higher in all industries. Taxes, on the other hand, are lower. Although the cost of living is also on a different level, there is still usually more in one’s pocket than in Germany, France, or Italy, for example.

Consistently high satisfaction with current life

Satisfaction among the population is also above average in Switzerland. In the first half of 2020, 40.4% of the population aged 16 and over were very satisfied with their current lives. This figure places Switzerland among the top 5 in Europe. In the last European survey in 2018, this proportion was only similarly high in Ireland, Denmark, Austria, and Norway. According to initial studies, the Corona pandemic has also not contributed significantly to a deterioration in the situation – unlike in many other countries.

Below we have listed a few more reasons why you simply must love Switzerland:

Internationality

In fact, 25.1% of the total population of Switzerland is foreign, and if you look at the population of larger cities such as Basel, Geneva, and Zurich, you will find that between 30 and 40% of the local population are not native Swiss.

This contributes to the fact that an international and open atmosphere prevails in many companies and those expats usually find their way quickly and have integrated themselves after only a short time.

Excellent educational opportunities

Switzerland has an excellent education system that consistently ranks among the top in the world in studies.

The country also boasts numerous world-renowned universities, including ETH Zurich, which usually ranks among the top 10 in the world in university rankings.

Switzerland also has a very good selection of international schools that cater to the large number of different nationalities. Especially for expats moving to Switzerland with their family, this should be an argument.

Nature

Switzerland is known for its beautiful mountain ranges and glaciers, including the world-famous Matterhorn.

There are also several beautiful waterfalls here, including the Rhine Falls, which is the largest waterfall in Europe.

In addition, there are numerous lakes such as Lake Geneva, Lake Lucerne, and Lake Zurich that are just steps away from some of the country’s largest cities and provide easy access to world-class water sports activities as well as countless scenic hiking and biking trails.

Security

The last argument in favor of living in Switzerland is security.

In general, you don’t have to worry much about crime when you live in Switzerland, as the country is usually listed as one of the 10 safest countries in the world in various security rankings.

However, living in Switzerland is not only relatively safe in terms of crime, but also from a health perspective: Switzerland has the third highest life expectancy in the world.