Switzerland emerges as best country for rich Indians to build multi-generational wealth

Switzerland is the worl'ds best country to build multi-generational wealth as the Alpine nation offers the best opportunities for families looking to relocate and access the highest earnings and best career prospects for themselves and their children, according to a new index by citizenship advisory firm Henley & Partners. 

The index ranks 27 countries based on a percentage score representing opportunities and indicates which are the best countries to relocate to for the purpose of finding opportunities and for building the kind of wealth that might last for more than a generation.

The United States came in second, while Singapore was third.

The index evaluates and scores the world’s leading residence and citizenship by investment programmes across six parameters including premium education and employment opportunities, earning potential, career advancement, economic mobility, and livability to provide a benchmark for investors, entrepreneurs, and wealthy families to compare and identify locations that offer the best ecosystems for future generations to advance their careers and maximize their income potential. 

Best countries in the world to build wealth and career

Henley & Partners' new research also shows how first-class education, combined with expanded global access rights, creates significant opportunity for the next generation, growing their global networks, maximizing their career prospects, earning potential, and economic mobility for greater success and prosperity across their lifetimes. The study examined education, earning potential, career advancement, livability, economic mobility and job prospects across 27 countries to establish “opportunity scores” for families looking to move and earn more.

"Using the comparative function in the Henley Opportunity Index demonstrates how an Indonesian family whose total opportunity score sits at just 25% in their home country could raise the probability of success for the next generation to 82% by accessing residence rights in the US through the US EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program. Similarly, for an Indian family on 32%, relocating to Switzerland through the Swiss Residence Program would increase their advantage to 85%, and for Nigerians with an opportunity score of just 14%, an investment in the Singapore Global Investor Program, which provides residence rights in the city state, would uplift their life chances by a remarkable 65% to 79%. Other investment migration options through the UAE’s Golden Visa and New Zealand’s new Active Investor Plus Visa would give the next generation opportunity advantages of 63%, and 59%, respectively," said the Henley & Partners report. 

Switzerland has a 2 per cent unemployment rate and is home to seven of the world’s top 250 universities, according to the research, making it a premium destination for families looking to build wealth and ensure good careers for their children.

The Henley Opportunity Index identifies America, Australia, Canada, several European countries, New Zealand, Switzerland and vibrant wealth hubs in Asia and the Middle East as prime locations for educators, entrepreneurs, and inheritors aiming to thrive in the coming decades.

The US remains the ultimate entrepreneurial destination, with unparalleled private universities, venture funding, and integrated expertise across science and technology disciplines. 

Canada offers more affordable credentials leading to Silicon Valley jobs. And the European Union’s unified digital single market confers free movement benefits across 27 member states to some of the world’s best tertiary institutions — whether securing computer science mastery or prestigious hotel management and gastronomy qualifications. The UK also provides access to London’s finance and tech hubs for launching ideas, with the UK Innovator Founder Visa available for entrepreneurs to set up businesses backed by leading accelerators and investors.

 Singapore welcomes ultra-high-net-worth global citizens through the Singapore Global Investor Program, with bespoke visa categories promoting business formation and innovation.Neighboring Australia tempts student migrants to leading Melbourne and Sydney campuses with pathways to permanent residence and vibrant alumni links into southeastern Asia’s “century market” opportunities.  The UAE offers 10-year renewable golden visas to those investing $550,000 into local property and businesses, providing a strategic base for regional HQs tapping markets across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.

"Investing in your child’s education is universally acknowledged as one of the best ways to set them up for success later in life, with multiple studies showing that those with tertiary qualifications earn around 50% more than those with secondary education. However, economic research also shows over two-thirds of income variation between individuals globally is simply attributable to which country they live and work in. So, combining world-class academics with related residence or citizenship rights to access those lucrative job markets is key," said Tess Wilkinson, Director of Henley & Partners Education.

According to the research conducted for the Henley Education Report by Dr. José Caballero, Senior Economist at the IMD World Competitiveness Center in Switzerland, the cumulative effect of investment migration arises from the fact that the programs enable parents to migrate their children through permanent settlement.

 “In doing so, parents can provide greater education and professional opportunities without the hassle of having to acquire a student and/or postgraduate visa. Those opportunities include access to premium primary and secondary education, greater opportunities for professional development, to live in an environment with a high quality of life, greater earning potential, and easier mobility across borders," said Calballero.