Population
138'562↑0.4%
About Bern
Municipality · Bern
Bern, or Berne, is the de facto capital of Switzerland, referred to as the "federal city". With a population of about 146,000, Bern is the fifth-most populous city in Switzerland, behind Zurich, Geneva, Basel and Lausanne. The Bern agglomeration, which includes 36 municipalities, had a population of 406,900 in 2014. The metropolitan area had a population of 660,000 in 2000.
Population
138'562
Tax multiplier
154%
Bern in numbers
Federal data — BFS (STATPOP, STATENT, land use), ESTV, BAKOM, ARE.154%
Bottom quartile in canton
Median taxable income
CHF 49'100↑1.0%
Top quartile in canton
Median net income
CHF 53'300↑0.6%
75%
Cantonal tax multiplier
298%
0.43%
Below average in canton
- Settlement46%
- Forest33%
- Agriculture18%
- Other2%
Foreign residents
25.9%↑0.2%
Top 10% in canton
Median rent
CHF 25/ m²
+37% vs CH
Dwellings
81'628↑0.6%
Jobs (FTE)
151'595↑0.1%
87%
Housing market in Bern
The rental vacancy rate is 0.43%, 61% below the cantonal average (1.10 %) — a tight rental market. The municipal tax multiplier (Steuerfuss) is 154%, 6% below the cantonal average (164 %) — tax-favourable. Median taxable income is CHF 59'600, 4% below the Swiss median (CHF 61'929). Bern has 138'562 residents (2025).
Source: Swiss Federal Statistical Office (BFS).
