Saanen: population and statistics
Saanen has a population of 6,967 (2025) across 120.1 km², or 58.0 people per km². It ranks 281 of 2,115 municipalities by population. Its population is growing: +1.4% between 2015 and 2025.
- 6,967 residents
- 120.1 km²
- 58 people/km²
- 1,034 m
Key points
Among the 335 municipalities in Bern, Saanen ranks No. 25 by population.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 41° generates about 1,304 kWh a year here.
Saanen in numbers
Where is Saanen?
Population of Saanen over time
Saanen had 6,871 residents in 2015 and 6,967 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 6,836 |
| 2021 | 6,869 |
| 2022 | 6,929 |
| 2023 | 6,962 |
| 2024 | 6,924 |
| 2025 | 6,967 |
Did you know?
- “Rooftop solar electricity potential”: higher than in 98% of municipalities.
- “Dwellings”: higher than in 96% of municipalities.
- “Jobs per 1,000 inhabitants”: higher than in 96% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 16,815 football pitches.
- Its population density is 4.0 times lower than the national average.
- The nearest municipality is Rougemont, 4.8 km away.
- The nearest more populous municipality is Bulle (27,276 residents), 22 km away.
All indicators for Saanen
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 | Saanen | Bern | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged 65 and over (2025) | 24.2% | 22.7% | 20.7% | ranked 378 of 1,811 |
Housing
| Indicator | Saanen | Bern | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwellings (2026) | 8,346 | 599,633 | 4,927,050 | ranked 89 of 2,108 | |
| Dwellings in buildings built before 1946 (2026) | 25.6% | 29.0% | 23.3% | ranked 777 of 1,806 | |
| Dwellings in buildings built since 2001 (2026) | 21.8% | 17.2% | 25.3% | ranked 1,131 of 1,806 | |
| Share of single-family houses among residential buildings (2026) | 45.0% | 54.1% | 69.5% | ranked 1,709 of 1,806 |
Energy
| Indicator | Saanen | Bern | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oil or gas heating systems (2026) | 50.4% | 60.7% | 53.5% | ranked 1,021 of 1,806 | |
| Heat pumps as main heating (2026) | 6.6% | 14.3% | 13.7% | ranked 1,530 of 1,806 | |
| Wood heating systems (2026) | 30.5% | 14.7% | 12.4% | ranked 248 of 1,806 | |
| District heating (2026) | 6.5% | 5.7% | 1.4% | ranked 381 of 1,806 | |
| Photovoltaic installations (2026) | 337 | 40,598 | 329,600 | ranked 224 of 2,108 | |
| Installed photovoltaic capacity per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 1,406 kW | 999.1 kW | 1,134 kW | ranked 630 of 1,806 | |
| Rooftop solar electricity potential (2026) | 139.2 GWh/year | 9,185 GWh/year | 64,783 GWh/year | ranked 37 of 2,114 | |
| Rooftop solar potential per inhabitant (2026) | 19,984 kWh/inh. | 8,535 kWh/inh. | 9,356 kWh/inh. | ranked 88 of 1,810 |
Economy
| Indicator | Saanen | Bern | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Establishments (2024) | 943 | 80,971 | 728,011 | ranked 119 of 2,112 | |
| Entities listed in the commercial register (2026) | 930 | 67,347 | 762,757 | ranked 136 of 2,115 | |
| Entities in the commercial register per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 133.5 | 62.6 | 64.9 | ranked 74 of 1,811 | |
| Share of limited companies (AG, GmbH) among registered entities (2026) | 74.5% | 64.8% | 65.7% | ranked 221 of 1,808 | |
| Share of sole proprietorships among registered entities (2026) | 16.6% | 29.2% | 29.0% | ranked 1,723 of 1,808 |
Employment
| Indicator | Saanen | Bern | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jobs (2024) | 7,164 | 677,492 | 5,679,518 | ranked 126 of 2,111 | |
| Jobs per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 1,028 | 629.6 | 362.9 | ranked 77 of 1,810 | |
| Share of jobs in services (2024) | 74.1% | 70.3% | 63.6% | ranked 511 of 1,804 | |
| Share of jobs in industry and construction (2024) | 19.6% | 22.5% | 24.2% | ranked 1,121 of 1,776 |
Society
| Indicator | Saanen | Bern | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of foreign nationals (2025) | 33.4% | 18.6% | 18.9% | ranked 181 of 1,811 |
Sunshine and temperatures: Saanen
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Saanen?
Saanen has 6,967 residents (2025), ranking 281 of 2,115 municipalities.
How big is Saanen?
Saanen covers 120.1 km², with a density of 58 people per km².
Is the population of Saanen growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Saanen went from 6,871 to 6,967, a change of +1.4%.
Where is Saanen?
Saanen is in Bern. It belongs to Verwaltungskreis Obersimmental-Saanen (district). Latitude 46.483, longitude 7.266.
Rooftop solar electricity potential: what is the figure for Saanen?
In Saanen, “Rooftop solar electricity potential” stands at 139.2 GWh/year (2026), ranking 37 of 2,114 municipalities; the national median is 19.0 GWh/year.
Dwellings: what is the figure for Saanen?
In Saanen, “Dwellings” stands at 8,346 (2026), ranking 89 of 2,108 municipalities; the national median is 990.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Saanen?
In Saanen, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 41° produces about 1,304 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Saanen?
The nearest to Saanen are Rougemont (4.8 km), Lauenen (8.3 km), St. Stephan (9.1 km), Zweisimmen (11 km), Gsteig (11 km).