Population
57'462↑1.0%
About Biel/Bienne
Municipality · Bern
Biel/Bienne is a bilingual city in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. With over 55,000 residents, it is the country's tenth-largest city by population. The Biel urban area has a population of around 100,000 inhabitants. Biel/Bienne is the capital of the Biel/Bienne administrative district. The city has been an industrial and watchmaking heart of Switzerland since the 19th century. With world-famous watch brands such as Rolex, Omega and Swatch based in Biel/Bienne, the city is one of the main centres of the Swiss watch industry and is also referred to as the "world capital of watchmaking".
Population
57'462
Tax multiplier
163%
Biel/Bienne in numbers
Federal data — BFS (STATPOP, STATENT, land use), ESTV, BAKOM, ARE.163%
Below average in canton
Median taxable income
CHF 41'700↑0.7%
Below average in canton
Median net income
CHF 46'200↑0.7%
68%
Cantonal tax multiplier
298%
1.37%↓19.4%
Above average in canton
- Settlement47%
- Forest45%
- Agriculture6%
- Other1%
Foreign residents
35.2%↑0.9%
Top 10% in canton
Median rent
CHF 18/ m²
−1% vs CH
Dwellings
32'336↑0.5%
Jobs (FTE)
34'034↓0.2%
87%
Housing market in Biel/Bienne
The rental vacancy rate is 1.37%, 25% above the cantonal average (1.10 %) — a comparatively relaxed market. The municipal tax multiplier (Steuerfuss) is 163%, roughly the cantonal average (164 %) — tax-favourable. Median taxable income is CHF 53'800, 13% below the Swiss median (CHF 61'929). Biel/Bienne has 57'462 residents (2025).
Source: Swiss Federal Statistical Office (BFS).
