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Living in Lugano

The resident counts list 37,986 Swiss permanent residents and 843 non-permanent residents at the end of 2024. The population of Lugano, in Switzerland, was 63,629 at the end of 2024.

Higher unemployment than 98% of Swiss cities that publish it and dirtier air than 62% of Swiss cities that publish it.

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

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 Lugano.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

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

Work and income

What is the unemployment rate in Lugano?

The unemployment rate is about 8.3 % (2021).

  • Unemployment rate: 8.34 % · Eurostat2
Unemployment across cities in SwitzerlandUnemployment in Lugano is 8.3%. 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%154–52 cities: 5% to under 6%25–62 cities: 6% to under 7%26–71 city: 8% to under 9%18–9Lugano 8.3%1 city: 9% to under 10%19–101 city: 11% to under 12%111–12

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Median gross salary (regional)3,530 EUR/month31 Dec 2024www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch14Official
Unemployment rate8.34 %country median 2.3%31 Dec 2021Eurostat2Official

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Lugano. 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 Lugano. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Mobility and administration

MetricValuePeriodSource
Destinations from nearest airport2 count3 Aug 2026OpenFlights6Official
Nearest airportLUG3 Aug 2026OurAirports7Official
Distance to nearest airport4 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports7Official
Public transport monthly pass81 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Eurostat3Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Lugano. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.

Country-level information

Cantonal integration programmes — Newcomer Adaptation

SEM and cantons

For migrants, refugees.

German, French, ItalianIn Person
Open official information

fide language promotion system — State Language Course

State Secretariat for Migration (SEM)

For adult migrants.

German, French, ItalianIn Person, Online
Open official information
Open the full Switzerland section
National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Lugano.

Climate and air quality

Is the air quality good in Lugano?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 9.3 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN/BAFU) and Empa NABEL10

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
Lugano average monthly daytime high and night-time low temperature, °C0°10°20°30°JFMAMJJASOND27°1°Daytime highNight-time low
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
Lugano average monthly precipitation, mm0459013518066617613817817215815816515016780JFMAMJJASONDmm
Sunshine through the yearAverage monthly sunshine, hours
Lugano average monthly sunshine, hours070140210280124142192182200229260245192141105107JFMAMJJASONDhours
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits
Lugano annual air pollutant levels against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limitsCity valueWHO guidelineEU limit5259.3PM2.5µg/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 Lugano is 9.3 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/m³99–10Lugano 9.38 cities: 10 µg/m³ to under 11 µg/m³810–111 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 mean9.3 µg/m³country median 8.831 Dec 2024Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN/BAFU) and Empa NABEL10Official
Average daytime high by monthJan 7.1 · Feb 9 · Mar 13.5 · Apr 16.7 · May 20.8 · Jun 24.9 · Jul 27.3 · Aug 26.8 · Sep 22.1 · Oct 16.9 · Nov 11.6 · Dec 7.7 °C31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI13Official
Average night-time low by monthJan 1.2 · Feb 1.9 · Mar 5.2 · Apr 8.5 · May 12.4 · Jun 16.1 · Jul 18 · Aug 17.8 · Sep 14.2 · Oct 10.2 · Nov 5.7 · Dec 2 °C31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI13Official
Average temperature by monthJan 3.8 · Feb 5 · Mar 8.9 · Apr 12.3 · May 16.3 · Jun 20.4 · Jul 22.6 · Aug 22.1 · Sep 17.9 · Oct 13.2 · Nov 8.4 · Dec 4.6 °C31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI13Official
Average precipitation by monthJan 65.5 · Feb 61.3 · Mar 75.5 · Apr 138 · May 177.6 · Jun 171.5 · Jul 157.9 · Aug 158.2 · Sep 164.9 · Oct 149.7 · Nov 166.6 · Dec 79.9 mm31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI13Official
Average sunshine by monthJan 123.8 · Feb 142.3 · Mar 191.8 · Apr 182.2 · May 199.9 · Jun 228.8 · Jul 260.3 · Aug 244.5 · Sep 192.1 · Oct 141.3 · Nov 105.4 · Dec 107.3 hours31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI13Official

Cities of a similar size in Switzerland

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

All Switzerland cities
Biel/Bienne56,896 residentsSt. Gallen78,863 residentsLuzern86,234 residentsNeuchâtel45,309 residentsBellinzona45,305 residentsThun44,125 residents

Population and city profile

The city covered 75.9 km² in 2018.

How many people live in Lugano?

The published population was 63,629 people in 2024. Source: Switzerland official denominator source12

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population
Lugano residents by nationalityBy nationalityNational passport59.7%Foreign residents40.3%

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

MetricValuePeriodSource
Cars per 1,000 residents593.1 cars per 1000 people31 Dec 2024Eurostat3Official
City area75.89 km²2018Exact BFS Arealstatistik municipality area: sum of exhaustive NOAS top-level categories 1-4, PERIOD=A4 (2013-2018), FJ=2018, municipality REGION state 2025-01-01; hectares converted to km².5Official
Foreign Nonpermanent Resident Population Total843 people31 Dec 2024Permanent and non permanent resident population by municipality, resident type and citizenship, 20248Official
Foreign-resident share39.6 %31 Dec 2025Eurostat4Official
Foreign residents25,643 people31 Dec 2024Ständige Wohnbevölkerung, Staatsangehörigkeit = Ausland, Gemeinde grain, 31.12.2024.9Official
Nonpermanent Resident Population Total843 people31 Dec 2024Permanent and non permanent resident population by municipality, resident type and citizenship, 20248Official
Population density838.4 people/km²31 Dec 2024Reproducible density from BFS STATPOP permanent population at 31.12.2024 divided by the exact official BFS municipality area denominator (2013-2018; FJ=2018; area observed_at=2018).5Official
Population63,629 people31 Dec 2024Switzerland official denominator source12Official
Swiss Nonpermanent Resident Population Total0 people31 Dec 2024Permanent and non permanent resident population by municipality, resident type and citizenship, 20248Official
Swiss Permanent Resident Population Total37,986 people31 Dec 2024Permanent and non permanent resident population by municipality, resident type and citizenship, 20248Official
Foreign residents over time10 published observations, 2016–2025
Foreign residents in Lugano by year, residents24,80728,84932,89236,9342016201820202022202536,098residents

Foreign residents rose 9.5% between 2016 and 2025, from 32,955 to 36,098.

International community in Lugano

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

Country of birth

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

Published groupPeopleShare
Place of birth - total918100.0%
Abroad89497.4%
In Switzerland242.6%

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

Country of birth

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

Published groupPeopleShare
Place of birth - total63,691100.0%
Abroad32,36650.8%
In Switzerland31,32549.2%

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 - total63,691100.0%
Switzerland37,65159.1%
Italy16,10125.3%
Portugal9961.6%
Ukraine6811.1%
Serbia6040.9%
Germany5710.9%
Kosovo4600.7%
Spain4210.7%
Romania3940.6%
Show 132 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
France3910.6%
Türkiye3690.6%
Bosnia and Herzegovina2990.5%
Russia2600.4%
Brazil2440.4%
Eritrea2390.4%
Croatia2350.4%
Poland2310.4%
United Kingdom2200.3%
Afghanistan2010.3%
United States1710.3%
China1460.2%
Syria1460.2%
Sri Lanka1270.2%
Dominican Republic1130.2%
Netherlands1030.2%
Greece1010.2%
Iraq980.2%
Bulgaria860.1%
Sweden830.1%
Iran810.1%
Hungary800.1%
India800.1%
Austria780.1%
North Macedonia770.1%
Belgium640.1%
Colombia640.1%
Latvia590.1%
Canada550.1%
Lithuania530.1%
Albania520.1%
Philippines440.1%
Ireland430.1%
Japan430.1%
Finland420.1%
Tunisia390.1%
Chile370.1%
Cyprus360.1%
Slovenia360.1%
Czechia350.1%
Morocco350.1%
Argentina320.1%
Mexico320.1%
Denmark310.0%
Slovakia310.0%
Peru310.0%
Belarus290.0%
Ethiopia290.0%
Somalia290.0%
Norway250.0%
Pakistan250.0%
Venezuela210.0%
Kazakhstan200.0%
Estonia190.0%
Cuba190.0%
Thailand190.0%
Luxembourg180.0%
Angola180.0%
Egypt180.0%
Nigeria170.0%
Australia170.0%
Lebanon140.0%
South Korea130.0%
Malta120.0%
Vietnam120.0%
Montenegro110.0%
Congo (Kinshasa)110.0%
New Zealand110.0%
Georgia100.0%
Moldova90.0%
Costa Rica90.0%
Ecuador90.0%
Israel90.0%
No indication80.0%
Algeria80.0%
Cameroon80.0%
Kenya80.0%
Sudan80.0%
Guinea70.0%
Mongolia70.0%
Burundi60.0%
Taiwan (Chinese Taipei)60.0%
Armenia60.0%
Azerbaijan60.0%
Ghana50.0%
Rwanda50.0%
Senegal50.0%
Uruguay50.0%
Indonesia50.0%
Bangladesh50.0%
Palestine50.0%
Uzbekistan50.0%
Côte d'Ivoire40.0%
Togo40.0%
Nicaragua40.0%
Cambodia40.0%
Benin30.0%
Gambia30.0%
Congo (Brazzaville)30.0%
Madagascar30.0%
Sierra Leone30.0%
South Africa30.0%
Tanzania30.0%
Paraguay30.0%
Jordan30.0%
Singapore30.0%
Stateless20.0%
Iceland20.0%
Liechtenstein20.0%
San Marino20.0%
Libya20.0%
Burkina Faso20.0%
Seychelles20.0%
Uganda20.0%
Guatemala20.0%
Haiti20.0%
Honduras20.0%
Panama20.0%
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines20.0%
Saint Kitts and Nevis20.0%
Yemen20.0%
Malaysia20.0%
Andorra10.0%
Monaco10.0%
Mali10.0%
Mozambique10.0%
South Sudan10.0%
Bolivia10.0%
Jamaica10.0%
Myanmar10.0%
Nepal10.0%
Saudi Arabia10.0%

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

Is Lugano 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 worker56%strong on work, weak on safety · range 46–66%
Skilled employee60%strong on work, weak on safety · range 50–70%
Student61%strong on cost, weak on safety · range 49–73%
Family49%strong on family, weak on safety · range 37–61%
Retirement55%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 43–67%
Foreign residents25,643 people31 Dec 2024Official source · Ständige Wohnbevölkerung, Staatsangehörigkeit = Ausland, Gemeinde grain, 31.12.2024.
Population63,629 people31 Dec 2024Official source · Switzerland official denominator source
Median gross salary (regional)3,530 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Official source · www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch
Unemployment rate8.34 %31 Dec 2021Official source · Eurostat
PM2.5 — annual mean9.3 µg/m³31 Dec 2024Official source · Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN/BAFU) and Empa NABEL
Cars per 1,000 residents593.1 cars per 1000 people31 Dec 2024Official source · Eurostat
Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-08-27

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
Median age43.5 years31 Dec 2024BFS — STATPOP 2024 Medialter (Median Alter)1Official · kanton

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Lugano 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 Lugano?

The published population was 63,629 people in 2024. Source: Switzerland official denominator source.

Is the air quality good in Lugano?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 9.3 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN/BAFU) and Empa NABEL.

What is the unemployment rate in Lugano?

The unemployment rate is about 8.3 % (2021). Source: Eurostat.

What is the typical salary around Lugano?

The median gross salary is 3,530 EUR/month. Source: www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch.

How many foreign residents live in Lugano?

25,643 people residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Ständige Wohnbevölkerung, Staatsangehörigkeit = Ausland, Gemeinde grain, 31.12.2024..

Is Lugano a good place to live?

Lugano 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 Lugano?

The official country of birth distribution records 918 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). Lugano, Switzerland: salary, jobs, climate [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ch/lugano/ Retrieved 2026-09-12. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_lugano-switzerland-salary-jobs-climate_ac12d67648fa,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Lugano, 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/lugano/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-12. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Lugano, Switzerland: salary, jobs, climate](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ch/lugano/) — 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. BFS — STATPOP 2024 Medialter (Median Alter) BFS · bfs.admin.ch · checked 2026-06-29
  2. Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-02
  3. Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-03
  4. Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-02
  5. Exact BFS Arealstatistik municipality area: sum of exhaustive NOAS top-level categories 1-4, PERIOD=A4 (2013-2018), FJ=2018, municipality REGION state 2025-01-01; hectares converted to km². disseminate.stats.swiss · checked 2026-07-15
  6. OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
  7. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  8. Permanent and non permanent resident population by municipality, resident type and citizenship, 2024 pxweb.bfs.admin.ch · checked 2026-07-18
  9. Ständige Wohnbevölkerung, Staatsangehörigkeit = Ausland, Gemeinde grain, 31.12.2024. pxweb.bfs.admin.ch · checked 2024-12-31
  10. Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN/BAFU) and Empa NABEL bafu.admin.ch · checked 2026-08-04
Show 4 more sources
  1. Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO) pxweb.bfs.admin.ch · checked 2026-08-30
  2. Switzerland official denominator source pxweb.bfs.admin.ch · checked 2026-07-14
  3. World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-02
  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.