From large cities through agglomerations to small urban municipalities: Urban Switzerland is diverse. The Statistics of Swiss Cities 2026 from the Swiss Cities Association, in collaboration with the Federal Statistical Office, illustrates these different characteristics and developments.
For example, it shows that the average person in the city lives on 43 square meters, while people outside the cities live on just under 50 square meters per person. It also becomes apparent that small tourist towns have the highest number of overnight stays per capita and that the average city executive politician is a man and belongs to the FDP. These and many other exciting statistics can be found in the statistical yearbook 2026.
Services Shape the Working World of Cities
Almost four million people work in Swiss cities. They play a significant role in value creation and shape the country's economic centers. Awareness of the fact that value creation is also produced beyond statistically recorded employment relationships, this year's edition particularly highlights the various dimensions of the urban working world.
Per inhabitant in the cities, there are 0.84 employees, with the employment rate at nearly 80%. A large part of these employees works in the service sector, fulfilling tasks related to traditional established services, healthcare, social welfare, or trade. The job market is constantly moving, and since 2021, more people are leaving the job market through retirement than young people are entering it. And: Switzerland is a country of commuters. This is also evident in the cities: on average, the daily commute is over 31 minutes and nearly 13 kilometers long.
With a total of 180 cities, the Statistics of Swiss Cities provide comprehensive figures on urban Switzerland. The publication is a joint issue of the Swiss Cities Association and the Federal Statistical Office. It is supplemented by a compact dashboard on the agglomerations and a data portal where the complete data and analyses are available.
Additional Information
- Statistics of Swiss Cities 2026 (FSO, SSV) - Platform on Agglomerations - All data online
Press Contact:
Benjamin Fröhlich, Head of Communication
medien@staedteverband.ch / 031 356 32 44