Top 3 Destinations for Italy Expats (2023 Data via 2025 OECD Report)
The report estimates that 152,000 Italian citizens left for other OECD countries in 2023, roughly flat from the year before. That's the second largest total in Europe after Romania.
| Country of Origin | Destination Country | # of Migrants |
|---|---|---|
| Italy | Spain | ~48,640 (32% of overall Italian outflow) |
| Italy | Germany | ~22,800 (15% of overall Italian outflow) |
| Italy | Switzerland | ~19,760 (13% of overall Italian outflow) |
Spain takes nearly a third of all Italian emigrants. Germany and Switzerland round it out. All three are continental European neighbors, and Switzerland shares an Italian speaking border region.
So if Italians are headed to Spain, Germany, and Switzerland, where are those countries sending their people?
Emigration of Spanish citizens (to OECD countries) was 80,000 in 2023. ~18% went to Germany, 13% to the Netherlands, and 12% to France.
Emigration of German citizens (to OECD countries) was 145,000 in 2023. ~18% went to Switzerland, 14% to Austria, and 13% to Poland.
Emigration of Swiss citizens (to OECD countries) was 9,700 in 2023. ~22% went to Spain, 20% to Germany, and 7% to the Netherlands.
| Country of Origin | Top Destination Country | # of Migrants |
|---|---|---|
| Spain | Germany | ~14,400 |
| Germany | Switzerland | ~26,100 |
| Switzerland | Spain | ~2,134 |