Marriage Prevails as the Most Frequent Living Arrangement

Among the population surveyed, the most prevalent living arrangement is marriage, with 64.5% of respondents identifying as married, while 24.1% are single. Overall, the marriage rates of the surveyed are higher than those of the broader Swiss population of the same age.

However, disparities emerge based on the respondents’ origins. For example, 79.9% of the foreign population from Asia (including Oceania) report being married, contrasting with 50% of the neighbouring countries. More than 40% of Germans, French, and Austrians have never been married, whereas this proportion does not exceed 15% among Latin Americans, Africans, and Asians. These differences can be explained by the regulations concerning residence permits, for people from so-called third countries, family reunification is the most common reason for immigration, as well as by cultural perspectives that give marriage a different meaning depending on one’s origin.

Source: Migration-Mobility Survey 2024. Weighted data. The category “formerly married” includes individuals who are divorced, widowed, legally separated, or whose partnership has been dissolved.