Basel: population and statistics
Basel has a population of 180,097 (2025) across 23.9 km², or 7,551 people per km². It ranks 3 of 2,115 municipalities by population. Its population is growing: +6.0% between 2015 and 2025.
- 180,097 residents
- 23.9 km²
- 7,551 people/km²
- 247 m
Key points
Among the 3 municipalities in Basel-Stadt, Basel ranks No. 1 by population.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 39° generates about 1,175 kWh a year here.
Basel in numbers
Where is Basel?
Population of Basel over time
Basel had 169,916 residents in 2015 and 180,097 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 173,863 |
| 2021 | 173,064 |
| 2022 | 173,552 |
| 2023 | 176,329 |
| 2024 | 177,571 |
| 2025 | 180,097 |
Did you know?
- “Dwellings”: higher than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Photovoltaic installations”: higher than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Establishments”: higher than in 99% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 3,340 football pitches.
- Its population density is 32.5 times the national average.
- The nearest municipality is Birsfelden, 2.6 km away.
- The nearest more populous municipality is Zürich (440,935 residents), 74 km away.
All indicators for Basel
Value for the municipality, then the regional average and the national median (for counts: regional and national totals). The gauge places the municipality between the lowest and highest value in the country.
Population
| Indicator | Basel | Basel-Stadt | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged 65 and over (2025) | 18.9% | 19.7% | 20.7% | ranked 1,229 of 1,811 |
Housing
| Indicator | Basel | Basel-Stadt | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwellings (2026) | 107,748 | 119,437 | 4,927,050 | ranked 3 of 2,108 | |
| Dwellings in buildings built before 1946 (2026) | 37.1% | 34.4% | 23.3% | ranked 348 of 1,806 | |
| Dwellings in buildings built since 2001 (2026) | 8.7% | 9.4% | 25.3% | ranked 1,713 of 1,806 | |
| Share of single-family houses among residential buildings (2026) | 36.4% | 40.2% | 69.5% | ranked 1,760 of 1,806 |
Energy
| Indicator | Basel | Basel-Stadt | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oil or gas heating systems (2026) | 43.6% | 43.9% | 53.5% | ranked 1,255 of 1,806 | |
| Heat pumps as main heating (2026) | 8.6% | 9.4% | 13.7% | ranked 1,359 of 1,806 | |
| Wood heating systems (2026) | 1.2% | 1.2% | 12.4% | ranked 1,763 of 1,806 | |
| District heating (2026) | 45.9% | 44.7% | 1.4% | ranked 14 of 1,806 | |
| Photovoltaic installations (2026) | 1,760 | 2,465 | 329,600 | ranked 4 of 2,108 | |
| Installed photovoltaic capacity per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 301.3 kW | 324.0 kW | 1,134 kW | ranked 1,765 of 1,806 | |
| Rooftop solar electricity potential (2026) | 545.6 GWh/year | 633.9 GWh/year | 64,783 GWh/year | ranked 3 of 2,114 | |
| Rooftop solar potential per inhabitant (2026) | 3,030 kWh/inh. | 3,105 kWh/inh. | 9,356 kWh/inh. | ranked 1,795 of 1,810 |
Economy
| Indicator | Basel | Basel-Stadt | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Establishments (2024) | 17,499 | 18,644 | 728,011 | ranked 3 of 2,112 | |
| Entities listed in the commercial register (2026) | 16,605 | 17,851 | 762,757 | ranked 4 of 2,115 | |
| Entities in the commercial register per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 92.2 | 87.4 | 64.9 | ranked 272 of 1,811 | |
| Share of limited companies (AG, GmbH) among registered entities (2026) | 72.0% | 70.8% | 65.7% | ranked 380 of 1,808 | |
| Share of sole proprietorships among registered entities (2026) | 22.2% | 23.4% | 29.0% | ranked 1,462 of 1,808 |
Employment
| Indicator | Basel | Basel-Stadt | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jobs (2024) | 196,083 | 201,823 | 5,679,518 | ranked 3 of 2,111 | |
| Jobs per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 1,089 | 988.6 | 362.9 | ranked 66 of 1,810 | |
| Share of jobs in services (2024) | 83.3% | 84.1% | 63.6% | ranked 235 of 1,804 | |
| Share of jobs in industry and construction (2024) | 16.6% | 15.8% | 24.2% | ranked 1,271 of 1,776 |
Society
| Indicator | Basel | Basel-Stadt | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of foreign nationals (2025) | 40.5% | 39.2% | 18.9% | ranked 73 of 1,811 |
Sunshine and temperatures: Basel
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Basel?
Basel has 180,097 residents (2025), ranking 3 of 2,115 municipalities.
How big is Basel?
Basel covers 23.9 km², with a density of 7,551 people per km².
Is the population of Basel growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Basel went from 169,916 to 180,097, a change of +6.0%.
Where is Basel?
Basel is in Basel-Stadt. It belongs to Kanton Basel-Stadt (district). Latitude 47.561, longitude 7.591.
Dwellings: what is the figure for Basel?
In Basel, “Dwellings” stands at 107,748 (2026), ranking 3 of 2,108 municipalities; the national median is 990.
Photovoltaic installations: what is the figure for Basel?
In Basel, “Photovoltaic installations” stands at 1,760 (2026), ranking 4 of 2,108 municipalities; the national median is 103.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Basel?
In Basel, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 39° produces about 1,175 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Basel?
The nearest to Basel are Birsfelden (2.6 km), Binningen (3.5 km), Allschwil (4.2 km), Bottmingen (4.4 km), Riehen (4.9 km).