News
What official data tells us about Switzerland’s 2’110 municipalities. Every article relies solely on public, dated, cited figures.
2’110 municipalities on 1 January 2026: five years of mergers redraw the Swiss map
Switzerland has 2’110 municipalities on 1 January 2026, down from 2’172 five years earlier, according to the official register kept by the Federal Statistical Office. Over five years, 83 municipalities were absorbed through mergers and 21 new entities were created. The same register year records a case unique to the period: Moutier and its 7’256 residents leave the canton of Bern to join the canton of Jura.
Electricity tariffs 2026: from one municipality to the next, bills vary more than fourfold
The same household pays 9.64 centimes per kilowatt-hour for its electricity in Zwischbergen (VS), but 43.61 centimes in Kestenholz (SO), according to the 2026 tariffs published by ElCom. The gap reaches a ratio of 4.5. For an annual consumption of 4’500 kWh, the bill thus rises from around CHF 430 to nearly CHF 1’960, without moving home or changing habits.
Health insurance premiums 2026: up to CHF 3’318 apart per year depending on the region
An adult pays an average of CHF 311.50 a month in Zug, against CHF 588 in Ticino’s highest premium region. The gap reaches CHF 276.50 a month, or CHF 3’318 a year, according to the official 2026 averages published by the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH). Place of residence remains one of the most visible factors in the level of the premium.
Vacant dwellings: Switzerland at 1.0 %, Thun at 0.05 %
Switzerland had 48’455 vacant dwellings on 1 June 2025, according to the survey by the Federal Statistical Office. That is 1.0 % of a stock of 4’840’096 dwellings. Behind this average, 1’154 municipalities sit below the 1 % mark. And among cities with more than 30’000 residents, Thun posts the lowest rate: 0.05 %.
Public transport: 2.67 million departures on a weekday, municipality by municipality
Swiss public transport schedules 2’671’020 departures on an ordinary Tuesday, according to the official 2026 timetable published on opentransportdata.swiss. Civiora has allocated these train, bus, tram, boat and cable-car services to the country’s 2’110 municipalities. The result: 2’066 municipalities have at least one departure, Zurich alone accounts for 223’827, and the offer shrinks by roughly a third on Sundays.
Switzerland has gained 1.18 million residents in fourteen years: where is growth concentrated?
Switzerland had 9’051’029 residents at the end of 2024, against 7’870’134 fourteen years earlier, according to the STATPOP statistics of the Federal Statistical Office. That is 1.18 million additional people, a rise of 15.0 %. The growth is not evenly spread: 1’247 municipalities with at least 1’000 residents in 2010 gained population, while 101 lost residents.
