Bilateral relations are excellent and there is no contentious dispute between the two countries but, on the contrary, a constructive political dialogue and good cooperation on issues of mutual interest. Especially as a result of Spanish emigration to Switzerland of 1960s and 1970s and of a new rebound as of 2010, at the end of 2014, according to the census of nationals of the Consulates General of Spain in Switzerland 115,718 Spaniards, among which there are about 34,500 that, for personal and family reasons, they enjoy dual nationality in fact. This large community is perfectly integrated in the country and, although inferior in number to that existing in Swiss territory in the 1970s, it is among the first 7 or 8 foreign minorities resident in the Confederation. According to the official Swiss census, at the end of December 2014 there were 81,868 Spaniards in Switzerland, of which 26.5% were born in Switzerland. These figures do not include people with dual citizenship. Conversely, at the end of 2014 there were 24,474 Swiss citizens in Spain, of whom 13,670 had dual citizenship. In 2009, the political consultations held annually at the level of Minister of Foreign Affairs were institutionalized.
Economic relations
Spain and Switzerland are partners of the first magnitude:
From the Spanish point of view: Switzerland is our 10th customer and our 25th worldwide supplier.
From the Swiss perspective, Spain is its 10th worldwide customer, absorbing 2.6% of total Swiss exports. On the other hand, Spain is the 10th largest supplier of Switzerland.
Trade balance
Trade between Spain and Switzerland, as recorded in the trade balance when it is drawn from the data of customs, which is unavoidable because neither the Bank of Spain nor the Swiss National Bank publish balance-of-payments data broken down by countries, traditionally reflecting an imbalance against Spain that materializes at a coverage rate of around 60%. According to Spanish and European sources, in recent years the bilateral trade balance has evolved in a very positive way for Spain: from a deficit coverage index it has been passed to a trade balance with a surplus and in 2014 the coverage rate reached 126% Swiss sources place this rate at 100%.
