Riehen: population and statistics
Riehen has a population of 22,774 (2025) across 10.9 km², or 2,095 people per km². It ranks 45 of 2,115 municipalities by population. Its population is growing: +9.8% between 2015 and 2025.
- 22,774 residents
- 10.9 km²
- 2,095 people/km²
- 285 m
Key points
Among the 3 municipalities in Basel-Stadt, Riehen ranks No. 2 by population.
District heating: 37.8% in Riehen, compared with an average of 44.7% in Basel-Stadt and 7.3% nationally.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 38° generates about 1,174 kWh a year here.
Riehen in numbers
Where is Riehen?
Population of Riehen over time
Riehen had 20,743 residents in 2015 and 22,774 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 21,705 |
| 2021 | 21,755 |
| 2022 | 21,946 |
| 2023 | 22,408 |
| 2024 | 22,534 |
| 2025 | 22,774 |
Did you know?
- “District heating”: higher than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Dwellings”: higher than in 97% of municipalities.
- “Share of jobs in services”: higher than in 96% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 1,522 football pitches.
- Its population density is 9.0 times the national average.
- The nearest municipality is Bettingen, 1.6 km away.
- The nearest more populous municipality is Basel (180,097 residents), 4.9 km away.
All indicators for Riehen
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 | Riehen | Basel-Stadt | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged 65 and over (2025) | 25.4% | 19.7% | 20.7% | ranked 245 of 1,811 |
Housing
| Indicator | Riehen | Basel-Stadt | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwellings (2026) | 11,122 | 119,437 | 4,927,050 | ranked 55 of 2,108 | |
| Dwellings in buildings built before 1946 (2026) | 14.1% | 34.4% | 23.3% | ranked 1,403 of 1,806 | |
| Dwellings in buildings built since 2001 (2026) | 14.4% | 9.4% | 25.3% | ranked 1,547 of 1,806 | |
| Share of single-family houses among residential buildings (2026) | 67.6% | 40.2% | 69.5% | ranked 1,009 of 1,806 |
Energy
| Indicator | Riehen | Basel-Stadt | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oil or gas heating systems (2026) | 44.8% | 43.9% | 53.5% | ranked 1,212 of 1,806 | |
| Heat pumps as main heating (2026) | 15.3% | 9.4% | 13.7% | ranked 807 of 1,806 | |
| Wood heating systems (2026) | 1.3% | 1.2% | 12.4% | ranked 1,758 of 1,806 | |
| District heating (2026) | 37.8% | 44.7% | 1.4% | ranked 21 of 1,806 | |
| Photovoltaic installations (2026) | 644 | 2,465 | 329,600 | ranked 47 of 2,108 | |
| Installed photovoltaic capacity per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 462.2 kW | 324.0 kW | 1,134 kW | ranked 1,695 of 1,806 | |
| Rooftop solar electricity potential (2026) | 81.8 GWh/year | 633.9 GWh/year | 64,783 GWh/year | ranked 135 of 2,114 | |
| Rooftop solar potential per inhabitant (2026) | 3,592 kWh/inh. | 3,105 kWh/inh. | 9,356 kWh/inh. | ranked 1,774 of 1,810 |
Economy
| Indicator | Riehen | Basel-Stadt | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Establishments (2024) | 1,085 | 18,644 | 728,011 | ranked 102 of 2,112 | |
| Entities listed in the commercial register (2026) | 1,150 | 17,851 | 762,757 | ranked 108 of 2,115 | |
| Entities in the commercial register per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 50.5 | 87.4 | 64.9 | ranked 1,498 of 1,811 | |
| Share of limited companies (AG, GmbH) among registered entities (2026) | 61.3% | 70.8% | 65.7% | ranked 1,278 of 1,808 | |
| Share of sole proprietorships among registered entities (2026) | 32.6% | 23.4% | 29.0% | ranked 603 of 1,808 |
Employment
| Indicator | Riehen | Basel-Stadt | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jobs (2024) | 5,407 | 201,823 | 5,679,518 | ranked 176 of 2,111 | |
| Jobs per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 237.4 | 988.6 | 362.9 | ranked 1,417 of 1,810 | |
| Share of jobs in services (2024) | 89.6% | 84.1% | 63.6% | ranked 82 of 1,804 | |
| Share of jobs in industry and construction (2024) | 9.8% | 15.8% | 24.2% | ranked 1,562 of 1,776 |
Society
| Indicator | Riehen | Basel-Stadt | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of foreign nationals (2025) | 29.9% | 39.2% | 18.9% | ranked 301 of 1,811 |
Sunshine and temperatures: Riehen
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Riehen?
Riehen has 22,774 residents (2025), ranking 45 of 2,115 municipalities.
How big is Riehen?
Riehen covers 10.9 km², with a density of 2,095 people per km².
Is the population of Riehen growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Riehen went from 20,743 to 22,774, a change of +9.8%.
Where is Riehen?
Riehen is in Basel-Stadt. It belongs to Kanton Basel-Stadt (district). Latitude 47.581, longitude 7.649.
District heating: what is the figure for Riehen?
In Riehen, “District heating” stands at 37.8% (2026), ranking 21 of 1,806 municipalities; the national median is 1.4%.
Dwellings: what is the figure for Riehen?
In Riehen, “Dwellings” stands at 11,122 (2026), ranking 55 of 2,108 municipalities; the national median is 990.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Riehen?
In Riehen, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 38° produces about 1,174 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Riehen?
The nearest to Riehen are Bettingen (1.6 km), Birsfelden (3.6 km), Basel (4.9 km), Muttenz (6.4 km), Münchenstein (7.3 km).