About Saanen
Saanen is a municipality in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. It is the capital of the Obersimmental-Saanen administrative district.
- Canton
- Bern
- Area
- 120.1 km²
Population
6'924residents
Median taxable income
CHF 66'287
Vacancy
1.26%
Foreign residents
33.0%
Dwellings
7'698
Jobs (FTE)
6'818
Tax multiplier
110%
Land use across the commune
Every 100 × 100 m of Saanen, coloured by how it's used. Drawn from the BFS Arealstatistik 2025 release — the most recent nationwide snapshot.
Source BFS Arealstatistik
Loading statistics …
Jobs & economy
6'818 full-time-equivalent jobs across 917 businesses — services make up 73% of employment, industry 20% (2018).
Source BFS STATENT
6'818FTE total
Primary7.0%
Secondary20.1%
Tertiary72.9%
Land use
5% built-up, 51% agricultural, 35% forest. Measured across 12'007 hectares (2018).
Source BFS Arealstatistik
Settlement5.4%
Agriculture56.1%
Forest38.4%
Water0.0%
Election Results
SVP led the 2023 National Council election with 44.5%, ahead of FDP at 15.6%.
Source BFS
SVP44.5%−7.0 pp
FDP15.6%+3.0 pp
GLP12.4%+2.5 pp
EDU8.2%+4.6 pp
SP6.1%+1.1 pp
Mitte5.2%
Grüne3.4%−1.1 pp
Others
2.7%
2023 vs 2019
Primary / second-home mix
48.8% of dwellings are primary residences; 51.3% are second homes (2026). The Zweitwohnungsgesetz applies here — new second-home construction is restricted.
Source BFS
Primary residences48.8%
Second homes51.2%
Second-home quota > 20% — Zweitwohnungsgesetz applies
Warming trend
Mean annual temperature at Château-d'Oex has risen by +2.4°C between the first 30 observed years (1879–1922) and the most recent (1996–2025).
Source MeteoSchweiz NBCN
+2.4°C
mean 1996–2025 vs. 1879–1922
Château-d'Oex · 1028 m.a.s.l. · 1879–2025
