Safnern: population and statistics
Safnern has a population of 2,049 (2025) across 5.6 km², or 365 people per km². It ranks 960 of 2,115 municipalities by population. Its population is growing: +5.0% between 2015 and 2025.
- 2,049 residents
- 5.6 km²
- 365 people/km²
- 434 m
Key points
Among the 335 municipalities in Bern, Safnern ranks No. 126 by population.
Share of jobs in industry and construction: 46.2% in Safnern, compared with an average of 22.5% in Bern and 22.0% nationally.
Share of foreign nationals: 8.9% in Safnern, compared with an average of 18.6% in Bern and 27.7% nationally.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 37° generates about 1,218 kWh a year here.
Safnern in numbers
Where is Safnern?
Population of Safnern over time
Safnern had 1,951 residents in 2015 and 2,049 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 1,951 |
| 2021 | 1,972 |
| 2022 | 2,001 |
| 2023 | 2,020 |
| 2024 | 2,057 |
| 2025 | 2,049 |
Did you know?
- “Share of jobs in industry and construction”: higher than in 90% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 787 football pitches.
- The nearest municipality is Meienried, 1.7 km away.
- The nearest more populous municipality is Orpund (3,375 residents), 1.7 km away.
- A 4 kWp rooftop solar system here would generate about 4,872 kWh a year, roughly what an average household uses.
All indicators for Safnern
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 | Safnern | Bern | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged 65 and over (2025) | 24.4% | 22.7% | 20.7% | ranked 347 of 1,811 |
Housing
| Indicator | Safnern | Bern | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwellings (2026) | 970 | 599,633 | 4,927,050 | ranked 1,066 of 2,108 | |
| Dwellings in buildings built before 1946 (2026) | 17.8% | 29.0% | 23.3% | ranked 1,192 of 1,806 | |
| Dwellings in buildings built since 2001 (2026) | 18.6% | 17.2% | 25.3% | ranked 1,338 of 1,806 | |
| Share of single-family houses among residential buildings (2026) | 74.7% | 54.1% | 69.5% | ranked 556 of 1,806 |
Energy
| Indicator | Safnern | Bern | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oil or gas heating systems (2026) | 64.9% | 60.7% | 53.5% | ranked 518 of 1,806 | |
| Heat pumps as main heating (2026) | 20.4% | 14.3% | 13.7% | ranked 544 of 1,806 | |
| Wood heating systems (2026) | 6.0% | 14.7% | 12.4% | ranked 1,363 of 1,806 | |
| District heating (2026) | 3.8% | 5.7% | 1.4% | ranked 554 of 1,806 | |
| Photovoltaic installations (2026) | 116 | 40,598 | 329,600 | ranked 944 of 2,108 | |
| Installed photovoltaic capacity per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 1,077 kW | 999.1 kW | 1,134 kW | ranked 984 of 1,806 | |
| Rooftop solar electricity potential (2026) | 18.8 GWh/year | 9,185 GWh/year | 64,783 GWh/year | ranked 1,066 of 2,114 | |
| Rooftop solar potential per inhabitant (2026) | 9,175 kWh/inh. | 8,535 kWh/inh. | 9,356 kWh/inh. | ranked 940 of 1,810 |
Economy
| Indicator | Safnern | Bern | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Establishments (2024) | 109 | 80,971 | 728,011 | ranked 1,184 of 2,112 | |
| Entities listed in the commercial register (2026) | 126 | 67,347 | 762,757 | ranked 1,019 of 2,115 | |
| Entities in the commercial register per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 61.5 | 62.6 | 64.9 | ranked 1,042 of 1,811 | |
| Share of limited companies (AG, GmbH) among registered entities (2026) | 73.0% | 64.8% | 65.7% | ranked 307 of 1,808 | |
| Share of sole proprietorships among registered entities (2026) | 23.0% | 29.2% | 29.0% | ranked 1,418 of 1,808 |
Employment
| Indicator | Safnern | Bern | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jobs (2024) | 556 | 677,492 | 5,679,518 | ranked 1,115 of 2,111 | |
| Jobs per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 271.4 | 629.6 | 362.9 | ranked 1,286 of 1,810 | |
| Share of jobs in services (2024) | 47.7% | 70.3% | 63.6% | ranked 1,427 of 1,804 | |
| Share of jobs in industry and construction (2024) | 46.2% | 22.5% | 24.2% | ranked 179 of 1,776 |
Society
| Indicator | Safnern | Bern | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of foreign nationals (2025) | 8.9% | 18.6% | 18.9% | ranked 1,605 of 1,811 |
Sunshine and temperatures: Safnern
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Safnern?
Safnern has 2,049 residents (2025), ranking 960 of 2,115 municipalities.
How big is Safnern?
Safnern covers 5.6 km², with a density of 365 people per km².
Is the population of Safnern growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Safnern went from 1,951 to 2,049, a change of +5.0%.
Where is Safnern?
Safnern is in Bern. It belongs to Verwaltungskreis Biel/Bienne (district). Latitude 47.150, longitude 7.323.
Share of jobs in industry and construction: what is the figure for Safnern?
In Safnern, “Share of jobs in industry and construction” stands at 46.2% (2024), ranking 179 of 1,776 municipalities; the national median is 24.2%.
Share of foreign nationals: what is the figure for Safnern?
In Safnern, “Share of foreign nationals” stands at 8.9% (2025), ranking 1,605 of 1,811 municipalities; the national median is 18.9%.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Safnern?
In Safnern, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 37° produces about 1,218 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Safnern?
The nearest to Safnern are Meienried (1.7 km), Orpund (1.7 km), Scheuren (1.9 km), Meinisberg (2.2 km), Schwadernau (2.7 km).