About Basel
Basel, also known as Basle, is a city in northwestern Switzerland on the river Rhine. Basel is Switzerland's third most populous city, with 177,595 inhabitants within the city municipality limits.
- Canton
- Basel-Stadt
- Area
- 23.9 km²
Population
177'571residents
Median taxable income
CHF 64'469
Vacancy
0.95%
Foreign residents
40.0%
Dwellings
104'947
Jobs (FTE)
185'432
Tax multiplier
50%
Land use across the commune
Every 100 × 100 m of Basel, 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
185'432 full-time-equivalent jobs across 15'945 businesses — services make up 81% of employment, industry 19% (2018).
Source BFS STATENT
185'432FTE total
Primary0.0%
Secondary18.8%
Tertiary81.1%
Land use
87% built-up, 4% agricultural, 4% forest. Measured across 2'388 hectares (2018).
Source BFS Arealstatistik
Settlement92.1%
Agriculture4.0%
Forest3.9%
Water0.0%
Election Results
SP led the 2023 National Council election with 33.6%, ahead of Grüne at 18.6%.
Source BFS
SP33.6%−0.4 pp
Grüne18.6%−0.8 pp
SVP12.7%+1.4 pp
LPS
9.9%−4.6 pp
GLP9.0%+3.4 pp
FDP6.2%+0.4 pp
Mitte5.5%
Others
2.0%
2023 vs 2019
Primary / second-home mix
89.2% of dwellings are primary residences; 10.8% are second homes (2026).
Source BFS
Primary residences89.2%
Second homes10.8%
Climate data
Annual mean 10.9°C with 842 mm of rain. Warmest in July (20.2°C), coldest in January (2.2°C). Station: Basel / Binningen, 316 m.
Source MeteoSchweiz
10.9°C
Annual mean
Mean 10.9°C
Rain 842 mm
Sun ≈141 days
Basel / Binningen · 316 m.a.s.l. · 1991–2020 normals
Warming trend
Mean annual temperature at Basel / Binningen has risen by +2.4°C between the first 30 observed years (1755–1784) and the most recent (1996–2025).
Source MeteoSchweiz NBCN
+2.4°C
mean 1996–2025 vs. 1755–1784
Basel / Binningen · 316 m.a.s.l. · 1755–2025
