ImmigrationDBVerified immigration data
On this page

Living in Genève

Genève is a city in Switzerland. Its population was 209,061 at the end of 2024. The resident counts list 104,142 Swiss permanent residents and 2,661 non-permanent residents at the end of 2024.

Higher unemployment than 87% of Swiss cities that publish it and dirtier air than 88% of Swiss cities that publish it.

Which Switzerland-wide rules apply when you move to Genève?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in SwitzerlandNational rates and thresholds that apply in Genève.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

No city-level rent or cost figure is published for Genève yet. Switzerland has country-level context; it is not substituted for this city.

Work and income

What is the unemployment rate in Genève?

The unemployment rate is 4 % (2022). Source: Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS/FSO), source data SECO1

Unemployment across cities in SwitzerlandUnemployment in Genève is 4.0%. Of 175 cities with data, 52 have unemployment of 2 to under 3%.
unemployment rate, % · measured cities in Switzerland per band12 cities: 0% to under 1%120–151 cities: 1% to under 2%511–252 cities: 2% to under 3%522–338 cities: 3% to under 4%383–415 cities: 4% to under 5%154–5Genève 4.0%2 cities: 5% to under 6%25–62 cities: 6% to under 7%26–71 city: 8% to under 9%18–91 city: 9% to under 10%19–101 city: 11% to under 12%111–12

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Median gross salary (regional)4,328 EUR/month31 Dec 2024www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch14Official
Unemployment rate4 %country median 2.3%31 Dec 2022Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS/FSO), source data SECO1Official

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Genève. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

arbeit.swiss — Public employment service

State Secretariat for Economic Affairs / public employment service

Job SearchCareer Counselling
Register
Open the Switzerland service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Genève. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Language courses and integration in Genève

0 exact private or nonprofit provider records are linked to this city as supplemental evidence. Check the linked source for dates, availability and enrolment.

Verified locally

French courses for non-French-speaking parents in Genève — Municipal language course

Etat de Genève / Ecole de parents

For parents of children in Geneva public schools, non-French-speaking parents.

FrenchCEFR A1In Person
Open official information
Check courses in GenèveHow the country programme works
Exact city-linked records checked 2026-08-10. Provider-supplied records are supplemental and are not presented as official accreditation.

Climate and air quality

Is the air quality good in Genève?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 10.5 µg/m³ (2021) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: cdn.who.int2

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C
Genève average monthly daytime high and night-time low temperature, °C-10°0°10°20°30°JFMAMJJASOND27°-1°Daytime highNight-time low
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
Genève average monthly precipitation, mm0255075100735662677983798191978990JFMAMJJASONDmm
Sunshine through the yearAverage monthly sunshine, hours
Genève average monthly sunshine, hours07014021028061961611872122462692421841166548JFMAMJJASONDhours
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits
Genève annual air pollutant levels against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limitsCity valueWHO guidelineEU limit52510.5PM2.5µg/m³

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in SwitzerlandAnnual PM2.5 in Genève is 10.5 µg/m³. Of 42 cities with data, 11 have annual PM2.5 of 8 to under 9 µg/m³.
annual PM2.5, µg/m³ · measured cities in Switzerland per band1 city: 2 µg/m³ to under 3 µg/m³12–33 cities: 6 µg/m³ to under 7 µg/m³36–78 cities: 7 µg/m³ to under 8 µg/m³87–811 cities: 8 µg/m³ to under 9 µg/m³118–99 cities: 9 µg/m³ to under 10 µg/m³99–108 cities: 10 µg/m³ to under 11 µg/m³810–11Genève 10.51 city: 16 µg/m³ to under 17 µg/m³116–171 city: 17 µg/m³ to under 18 µg/m³117–18

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
PM2.5 — annual mean10.5 µg/m³country median 8.831 Dec 2021cdn.who.int2Official
Average daytime high by monthJan 5.1 · Feb 7 · Mar 11.8 · Apr 15.9 · May 20.1 · Jun 24.2 · Jul 26.7 · Aug 26.2 · Sep 21.1 · Oct 15.5 · Nov 9.3 · Dec 5.6 °C31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO4Official · nearest-station reading
Average night-time low by monthJan -1.1 · Feb -1.1 · Mar 1.7 · Apr 5 · May 9.1 · Jun 12.7 · Jul 14.6 · Aug 14.2 · Sep 10.7 · Oct 7.2 · Nov 2.6 · Dec -0.2 °C31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO5Official · nearest-station reading
Average temperature by monthJan 2.1 · Feb 2.9 · Mar 6.7 · Apr 10.5 · May 14.5 · Jun 18.4 · Jul 20.6 · Aug 20 · Sep 15.7 · Oct 11.3 · Nov 6 · Dec 2.8 °C31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO6Official · nearest-station reading
Average precipitation by monthJan 72.8 · Feb 55.9 · Mar 62.1 · Apr 67.1 · May 78.5 · Jun 83.2 · Jul 79.2 · Aug 81.2 · Sep 90.7 · Oct 96.5 · Nov 88.6 · Dec 89.9 mm31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO7Official · nearest-station reading
Average sunshine by monthJan 60.9 · Feb 95.9 · Mar 161.2 · Apr 186.6 · May 212 · Jun 245.8 · Jul 269.2 · Aug 241.6 · Sep 184 · Oct 116.3 · Nov 65.4 · Dec 48 hours31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO8Official · nearest-station reading

Cities of a similar size in Switzerland

Closest published populations, for a like-for-like comparison.

All Switzerland cities
Basel177,571 residentsLausanne144,873 residentsBern137,995 residentsWinterthur120,376 residentsZürich436,551 residentsLuzern86,234 residents

Population and city profile

How many people live in Genève?

The published population was 209,061 people in 2024. Source: Switzerland official denominator source13

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population
Genève residents by nationalityBy nationalityNational passport49.8%Foreign residents50.2%

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Cars per 1,000 residents320.7 cars/1000 residents31 Dec 2024Swiss Federal Statistical Office/OFS/BFS12Official
City area15.96 km²2020Exact BFS Arealstatistik municipality area: sum of exhaustive NOAS top-level categories 1-4, PERIOD=A5 (2020-2025), FJ=2020, municipality REGION state 2025-01-01; hectares converted to km².3Official
Foreign Nonpermanent Resident Population Total2,661 people31 Dec 2024Permanent and non permanent resident population by municipality, resident type and citizenship, 20249Official
Foreign residents104,919 people31 Dec 2024Ständige Wohnbevölkerung, Staatsangehörigkeit = Ausland, Gemeinde grain, 31.12.2024.10Official
Nonpermanent Resident Population Total2,661 people31 Dec 2024Permanent and non permanent resident population by municipality, resident type and citizenship, 20249Official
Population density13,099 people/km²31 Dec 2024Reproducible density from BFS STATPOP permanent population at 31.12.2024 divided by the exact official BFS municipality area denominator (2020-2025; FJ=2020; area observed_at=2020).3Official
Population209,061 people31 Dec 2024Switzerland official denominator source13Official
Swiss Nonpermanent Resident Population Total0 people31 Dec 2024Permanent and non permanent resident population by municipality, resident type and citizenship, 20249Official
Swiss Permanent Resident Population Total104,142 people31 Dec 2024Permanent and non permanent resident population by municipality, resident type and citizenship, 20249Official

International community in Genève

Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.

Country of birth

Permanent resident population, total sex, all ages · 2025-12-31

Published groupPeopleShare
Place of birth - total211,152100.0%
Abroad128,65260.9%
In Switzerland82,50039.1%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source11

Country of birth

Non-permanent resident population, total sex, all ages · 2025-12-31

Published groupPeopleShare
Place of birth - total2,450100.0%
Abroad2,42999.1%
In Switzerland210.9%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source11

Citizenship

Permanent resident population, total sex, all ages · 2025-12-31

Published groupPeopleShare
Citizenship - total211,152100.0%
Switzerland104,38949.4%
France20,7999.9%
Portugal11,3955.4%
Italy10,2914.9%
Spain8,7994.2%
United Kingdom2,7961.3%
Brazil2,5341.2%
Kosovo2,3481.1%
United States2,2811.1%
Show 183 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
Ukraine2,2121.0%
Germany2,1971.0%
India1,5890.8%
Russia1,5590.7%
Philippines1,5180.7%
China1,4730.7%
Türkiye1,3410.6%
Romania1,1490.5%
Belgium1,1190.5%
Greece1,0640.5%
Afghanistan1,0280.5%
Bolivia1,0110.5%
Morocco9730.5%
Canada9230.4%
Eritrea9030.4%
Colombia8790.4%
Japan8090.4%
Tunisia8000.4%
Netherlands7480.4%
Poland6940.3%
Syria6000.3%
Sri Lanka5790.3%
Congo (Kinshasa)5380.3%
Peru5250.2%
Algeria5000.2%
Sweden4890.2%
Ireland4710.2%
Serbia4650.2%
Cameroon4600.2%
Ethiopia4350.2%
Australia4100.2%
Mexico4060.2%
Lebanon3920.2%
Egypt3910.2%
Bosnia and Herzegovina3890.2%
Senegal3850.2%
North Macedonia3710.2%
Hungary3610.2%
Austria3560.2%
Ecuador3480.2%
Bulgaria3400.2%
Iran3330.2%
Thailand3280.2%
Iraq3190.2%
Mongolia3180.2%
Chile3140.1%
Nigeria3070.1%
Somalia3060.1%
Pakistan2860.1%
Dominican Republic2680.1%
South Korea2600.1%
Kenya2570.1%
Côte d'Ivoire2420.1%
Denmark2370.1%
Albania2190.1%
Finland2190.1%
Argentina2130.1%
Indonesia2070.1%
Bangladesh1910.1%
Croatia1830.1%
Guinea1830.1%
Czechia1820.1%
Vietnam1820.1%
Kazakhstan1810.1%
Norway1770.1%
Georgia1740.1%
Azerbaijan1710.1%
Angola1680.1%
Honduras1610.1%
Lithuania1580.1%
Togo1560.1%
Ghana1550.1%
Nicaragua1460.1%
Singapore1320.1%
Sudan1300.1%
Israel1300.1%
Paraguay1250.1%
El Salvador1240.1%
Slovakia1230.1%
Gambia1220.1%
Malaysia1200.1%
Latvia1180.1%
Nepal1180.1%
South Africa1140.1%
Armenia1130.1%
Venezuela1080.1%
Haiti1060.1%
Madagascar1000.0%
Uganda1000.0%
Saudi Arabia1000.0%
Slovenia980.0%
Burundi970.0%
Cuba960.0%
New Zealand960.0%
Burkina Faso940.0%
Jordan870.0%
Moldova850.0%
Taiwan (Chinese Taipei)850.0%
Mauritius820.0%
Luxembourg810.0%
Cyprus800.0%
Zimbabwe760.0%
Estonia750.0%
Uruguay740.0%
Libya690.0%
Mali680.0%
Tanzania680.0%
Uzbekistan660.0%
Tajikistan640.0%
Belarus630.0%
Kyrgyzstan620.0%
Rwanda570.0%
Palestine570.0%
Benin540.0%
Myanmar540.0%
Zambia470.0%
Guatemala470.0%
Costa Rica460.0%
Cabo Verde450.0%
Cambodia450.0%
Malta430.0%
Panama430.0%
Stateless420.0%
Congo (Brazzaville)420.0%
Yemen410.0%
Mozambique390.0%
Niger380.0%
No indication340.0%
Sierra Leone330.0%
Qatar300.0%
Guinea-Bissau280.0%
Jamaica280.0%
Brunei270.0%
Montenegro250.0%
Trinidad and Tobago250.0%
North Korea240.0%
Chad230.0%
Bhutan230.0%
Iceland220.0%
Gabon220.0%
Namibia200.0%
Oman190.0%
Malawi180.0%
Central African Republic180.0%
Equatorial Guinea170.0%
Botswana170.0%
Lesotho170.0%
South Sudan170.0%
Bahrain150.0%
Liechtenstein140.0%
Mauritania140.0%
Liberia130.0%
United Arab Emirates130.0%
Barbados120.0%
Maldives120.0%
Turkmenistan120.0%
Bahamas110.0%
Djibouti100.0%
Dominica100.0%
Saint Kitts and Nevis100.0%
Laos90.0%
Kuwait80.0%
Andorra70.0%
Timor-Leste70.0%
Guyana60.0%
Papua New Guinea60.0%
Samoa60.0%
Monaco40.0%
San Marino40.0%
Seychelles40.0%
Saint Lucia40.0%
Fiji40.0%
Nauru40.0%
Marshall Islands40.0%
Eswatini30.0%
Suriname30.0%
Vanuatu30.0%
Comoros20.0%
São Tomé and Príncipe20.0%
Belize20.0%
Antigua and Barbuda20.0%
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines20.0%
Kiribati10.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source11

Is Genève a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile
Remote worker61%strong on work, weak on safety · range 51–71%
Skilled employee64%strong on work, weak on safety · range 54–74%
Student61%strong on cost, weak on safety · range 49–73%
Family59%strong on family, weak on safety · range 47–71%
Retirement52%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 40–64%
Foreign residents104,919 people31 Dec 2024Official source · Ständige Wohnbevölkerung, Staatsangehörigkeit = Ausland, Gemeinde grain, 31.12.2024.
Population209,061 people31 Dec 2024Official source · Switzerland official denominator source
Median gross salary (regional)4,328 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Official source · www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch
Unemployment rate4 %31 Dec 2022Official source · Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS/FSO), source data SECO
PM2.5 — annual mean10.5 µg/m³31 Dec 2021Official source · cdn.who.int
Cars per 1,000 residents320.7 cars/1000 residents31 Dec 2024Official source · Swiss Federal Statistical Office/OFS/BFS
Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-08-27

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Genève under the national coverage rules.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in Genève?

The published population was 209,061 people in 2024. Source: Switzerland official denominator source.

Is the air quality good in Genève?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 10.5 µg/m³ (2021) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: cdn.who.int.

What is the unemployment rate in Genève?

The unemployment rate is 4 % (2022). Source: Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS/FSO), source data SECO.

What is the typical salary around Genève?

The median gross salary is 4,328 EUR/month. Source: www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch.

How many foreign residents live in Genève?

104,919 people residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Ständige Wohnbevölkerung, Staatsangehörigkeit = Ausland, Gemeinde grain, 31.12.2024..

Is Genève a good place to live?

Genève may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

How many people born in Place of birth - total live in Genève?

The official country of birth distribution records 211,152 people (100.0%) in the source-defined population for 2025-12-31. This is a country of birth measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, September 12). Genève, Switzerland: salary, jobs, climate [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ch/geneve/ Retrieved 2026-09-12. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_geneve-switzerland-salary-jobs-climate_f26c2c4c9d3c,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Genève, Switzerland: salary, jobs, climate},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-12},
  version = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  snapshot = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ch/geneve/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-12. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Genève, Switzerland: salary, jobs, climate](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ch/geneve/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; retrieved 2026-09-12; built 2026-09-12.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown
  1. Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS/FSO), source data SECO dam-api.bfs.admin.ch · checked 2026-08-04
  2. cdn.who.int cdn.who.int · checked 2026-08-26
  3. Exact BFS Arealstatistik municipality area: sum of exhaustive NOAS top-level categories 1-4, PERIOD=A5 (2020-2025), FJ=2020, municipality REGION state 2025-01-01; hectares converted to km². disseminate.stats.swiss · checked 2026-07-15
  4. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-06
  5. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-06
  6. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-06
  7. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-06
  8. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-06
  9. Permanent and non permanent resident population by municipality, resident type and citizenship, 2024 pxweb.bfs.admin.ch · checked 2026-07-18
  10. Ständige Wohnbevölkerung, Staatsangehörigkeit = Ausland, Gemeinde grain, 31.12.2024. pxweb.bfs.admin.ch · checked 2024-12-31
Show 4 more sources
  1. Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO) pxweb.bfs.admin.ch · checked 2026-08-30
  2. Swiss Federal Statistical Office/OFS/BFS pxweb.bfs.admin.ch · checked 2026-08-08
  3. Switzerland official denominator source pxweb.bfs.admin.ch · checked 2026-07-14
  4. www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch pxweb.bfs.admin.ch · checked 2026-08-27

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.