In 2021, slightly more than 10% of the Swiss population moved. Young adults were the most likely to change housing. On average, the distance between the two addresses was 13 km. These are some of the results published by the Federal Statistical Office. You can find more statistics about moving in Switzerland in 2021 from the data of the Federal Statistical Office in this article.
Moving rate in 2021
In 2021, 10.1% of the Swiss population moved. The moving rate decreased between 2020 and 2021 while it had been increasing between 2013 and 2020. The moving rate was indeed 9.6% in 2013 and had increased to 10.3% in 2018 and maintained this rate three years in a row.
Evolution of the moving rate in Switzerland between 2013 and 2021
The relocation rate was highest in the cantons of Basel-Stadt (12.8%), Neuchâtel (11.6%) and Vaud (11.2%). It was lowest in the cantons of Uri (7.7%), Appenzell Innerrhoden (7.9%) and Obwalden (8.2%).
The moving rate in urban municipalities (11%) is higher than in rural municipalities (8.1%). St. Gallen is the Swiss city with the highest relocation rate with 14.9%, followed by Zurich with 13.8%.
Moving rate by age in 2021
Young adults showed the highest willingness to move in 2021. In fact, 21.2% of 26-35 year olds and 19% of 18-25 year olds moved in 2021, while only 6.9% of 46-55 year olds moved in the same period.
Moving rate by age in Switzerland in 2021
Moving in Switzerland and abroad
Of the people who moved in 2021, about 73.5% moved within the same canton, 15.4% moved to another canton, and 11.1% moved abroad.
In 2021, the percentage of people who moved to another canton was particularly high in Basel (26.4%), St. Gallen (18.5%) and Schaffhausen (17.3%).
The average rate of moving abroad was 11.1%. This varied greatly between the individual cities. The cities with the highest relocation rate abroad in 2021 are Geneva with 21.5%, followed by Lugano with 17.2%, and finally Basel with 15.6%.
Rate of moving abroad by city in Switzerland in 2021
A majority of short-distance moves
In 2021, Swiss residents moved within the country over an average distance of 13 km.
In 39.8% of cases, they moved within a radius of less than 2 km. Only 11.1% of people moved to a new home located more than 30 km from their previous place of residence.
Percentage of people who moved by moving distance in 2021 in Switzerland
