Thun: population and statistics
Thun has a population of 44,163 (2025) across 21.6 km², or 2,045 people per km². It ranks 13 of 2,115 municipalities by population. Its population is growing: +1.5% between 2015 and 2025.
- 44,163 residents
- 21.6 km²
- 2,045 people/km²
- 562 m
Key points
Among the 335 municipalities in Bern, Thun ranks No. 3 by population.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 40° generates about 1,226 kWh a year here.
Thun in numbers
Where is Thun?
Population of Thun over time
Thun had 43,500 residents in 2015 and 44,163 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 43,476 |
| 2021 | 43,630 |
| 2022 | 43,670 |
| 2023 | 43,905 |
| 2024 | 44,125 |
| 2025 | 44,163 |
Did you know?
- Number 1 in Bern for “Photovoltaic installations”.
- “Photovoltaic installations”: higher than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Dwellings”: higher than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Establishments”: higher than in 99% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 3,025 football pitches.
- Its population density is 8.8 times the national average.
- The nearest municipality is Steffisburg, 2.7 km away.
All indicators for Thun
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 | Thun | Bern | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged 65 and over (2025) | 25.9% | 22.7% | 20.7% | ranked 201 of 1,811 |
Housing
| Indicator | Thun | Bern | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwellings (2026) | 23,988 | 599,633 | 4,927,050 | ranked 13 of 2,108 | |
| Dwellings in buildings built before 1946 (2026) | 21.7% | 29.0% | 23.3% | ranked 985 of 1,806 | |
| Dwellings in buildings built since 2001 (2026) | 14.6% | 17.2% | 25.3% | ranked 1,538 of 1,806 | |
| Share of single-family houses among residential buildings (2026) | 49.8% | 54.1% | 69.5% | ranked 1,650 of 1,806 |
Energy
| Indicator | Thun | Bern | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oil or gas heating systems (2026) | 70.7% | 60.7% | 53.5% | ranked 341 of 1,806 | |
| Heat pumps as main heating (2026) | 20.8% | 14.3% | 13.7% | ranked 532 of 1,806 | |
| Wood heating systems (2026) | 3.4% | 14.7% | 12.4% | ranked 1,584 of 1,806 | |
| District heating (2026) | 3.0% | 5.7% | 1.4% | ranked 636 of 1,806 | |
| Photovoltaic installations (2026) | 1,271 | 40,598 | 329,600 | ranked 9 of 2,108 | |
| Installed photovoltaic capacity per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 723.5 kW | 999.1 kW | 1,134 kW | ranked 1,447 of 1,806 | |
| Rooftop solar electricity potential (2026) | 260.0 GWh/year | 9,185 GWh/year | 64,783 GWh/year | ranked 11 of 2,114 | |
| Rooftop solar potential per inhabitant (2026) | 5,886 kWh/inh. | 8,535 kWh/inh. | 9,356 kWh/inh. | ranked 1,553 of 1,810 |
Economy
| Indicator | Thun | Bern | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Establishments (2024) | 3,347 | 80,971 | 728,011 | ranked 18 of 2,112 | |
| Entities listed in the commercial register (2026) | 2,904 | 67,347 | 762,757 | ranked 21 of 2,115 | |
| Entities in the commercial register per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 65.8 | 62.6 | 64.9 | ranked 869 of 1,811 | |
| Share of limited companies (AG, GmbH) among registered entities (2026) | 66.8% | 64.8% | 65.7% | ranked 809 of 1,808 | |
| Share of sole proprietorships among registered entities (2026) | 27.9% | 29.2% | 29.0% | ranked 1,002 of 1,808 |
Employment
| Indicator | Thun | Bern | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jobs (2024) | 29,665 | 677,492 | 5,679,518 | ranked 20 of 2,111 | |
| Jobs per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 671.7 | 629.6 | 362.9 | ranked 225 of 1,810 | |
| Share of jobs in services (2024) | 80.1% | 70.3% | 63.6% | ranked 326 of 1,804 | |
| Share of jobs in industry and construction (2024) | 19.6% | 22.5% | 24.2% | ranked 1,117 of 1,776 |
Society
| Indicator | Thun | Bern | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of foreign nationals (2025) | 17.1% | 18.6% | 18.9% | ranked 1,046 of 1,811 |
Sunshine and temperatures: Thun
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Thun?
Thun has 44,163 residents (2025), ranking 13 of 2,115 municipalities.
How big is Thun?
Thun covers 21.6 km², with a density of 2,045 people per km².
Is the population of Thun growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Thun went from 43,500 to 44,163, a change of +1.5%.
Where is Thun?
Thun is in Bern. It belongs to Verwaltungskreis Thun (district). Latitude 46.759, longitude 7.630.
Photovoltaic installations: what is the figure for Thun?
In Thun, “Photovoltaic installations” stands at 1,271 (2026), ranking 9 of 2,108 municipalities; the national median is 103.
Dwellings: what is the figure for Thun?
In Thun, “Dwellings” stands at 23,988 (2026), ranking 13 of 2,108 municipalities; the national median is 990.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Thun?
In Thun, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 40° produces about 1,226 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Thun?
The nearest to Thun are Steffisburg (2.7 km), Hilterfingen (2.8 km), Homberg (2.9 km), Heimberg (3.5 km), Heiligenschwendi (4.1 km).