Switzerland remains the most popular European destination for German citizens seeking to reside abroad, according to data released by the Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis). As of the beginning of 2024, approximately 323,600 German nationals were registered as having their primary residence in Switzerland, representing a 2.4 percent increase or 7,600 individuals compared to the previous year. This marks a decade of consistent growth, with the number of Germans residing in Switzerland rising by 10.7 percent or 31,300 over the past ten years.
Austria secured the second position as a favored destination, hosting some 232,700 German citizens at the start of 2024. The increase compared to the previous year reached 3.4 percent, amounting to roughly 7,700 individuals – a higher rate of growth than that observed in Switzerland. Over a ten-year period, the German population in Austria grew by a significant 41.2 percent, an increase of nearly 68,000 people. The geographical proximity and often limited language barriers between Germany and both Switzerland and Austria contribute to the ease of relocation for German citizens.
Spain holds the third spot as the most popular European destination outside of the German-speaking region. At the beginning of 2024, approximately 128,000 German nationals resided in Spain. This reflected a 1.8 percent increase, or about 2,300 individuals, year-on-year. Despite a continuous decline in the German population in Spain between 2014 and 2021, a reversal of this trend has been observed since 2022. However, the number of Germans residing in Spain remains 9.8 percent, or roughly 13,900 individuals, lower than the number recorded at the start of 2014.
