Horw: population and statistics
Horw has a population of 15,939 (2025) across 20.4 km², or 780 people per km². It ranks 90 of 2,115 municipalities by population. Its population is growing: +15.6% between 2015 and 2025.
- 15,939 residents
- 20.4 km²
- 780 people/km²
- 445 m
Key points
Among the 79 municipalities in Lucerne, Horw ranks No. 4 by population.
Rooftop solar potential per inhabitant: 3,365 kWh/inh. in Horw, compared with an average of 7,532 kWh/inh. in Lucerne and 7,100 kWh/inh. nationally.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 36° generates about 1,104 kWh a year here.
Horw in numbers
Where is Horw?
Population of Horw over time
Horw had 13,788 residents in 2015 and 15,939 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 14,211 |
| 2021 | 14,739 |
| 2022 | 15,043 |
| 2023 | 15,475 |
| 2024 | 15,817 |
| 2025 | 15,939 |
Did you know?
- “Rooftop solar potential per inhabitant”: lower than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Dwellings”: higher than in 96% of municipalities.
- “Entities listed in the commercial register”: higher than in 95% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 2,861 football pitches.
- Its population density is 3.4 times the national average.
- The nearest more populous municipality is Kriens (30,685 residents), 3.1 km away.
- A 4 kWp rooftop solar system here would generate about 4,416 kWh a year, roughly what an average household uses.
All indicators for Horw
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 | Horw | Lucerne | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged 65 and over (2025) | 21.5% | 19.4% | 20.7% | ranked 771 of 1,811 |
Housing
| Indicator | Horw | Lucerne | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwellings (2026) | 8,067 | 219,035 | 4,927,050 | ranked 95 of 2,108 | |
| Dwellings in buildings built before 1946 (2026) | 7.9% | 16.6% | 23.3% | ranked 1,692 of 1,806 | |
| Dwellings in buildings built since 2001 (2026) | 30.1% | 29.3% | 25.3% | ranked 591 of 1,806 | |
| Share of single-family houses among residential buildings (2026) | 51.1% | 49.1% | 69.5% | ranked 1,633 of 1,806 |
Energy
| Indicator | Horw | Lucerne | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oil or gas heating systems (2026) | 51.8% | 49.7% | 53.5% | ranked 972 of 1,806 | |
| Heat pumps as main heating (2026) | 30.8% | 25.3% | 13.7% | ranked 228 of 1,806 | |
| Wood heating systems (2026) | 11.0% | 13.2% | 12.4% | ranked 995 of 1,806 | |
| District heating (2026) | 2.3% | 6.7% | 1.4% | ranked 737 of 1,806 | |
| Photovoltaic installations (2026) | 403 | 16,268 | 329,600 | ranked 147 of 2,108 | |
| Installed photovoltaic capacity per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 559.9 kW | 1,343 kW | 1,134 kW | ranked 1,617 of 1,806 | |
| Rooftop solar electricity potential (2026) | 53.6 GWh/year | 3,326 GWh/year | 64,783 GWh/year | ranked 289 of 2,114 | |
| Rooftop solar potential per inhabitant (2026) | 3,365 kWh/inh. | 7,532 kWh/inh. | 9,356 kWh/inh. | ranked 1,786 of 1,810 |
Economy
| Indicator | Horw | Lucerne | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Establishments (2024) | 926 | 34,265 | 728,011 | ranked 121 of 2,112 | |
| Entities listed in the commercial register (2026) | 1,097 | 34,626 | 762,757 | ranked 116 of 2,115 | |
| Entities in the commercial register per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 68.8 | 78.4 | 64.9 | ranked 759 of 1,811 | |
| Share of limited companies (AG, GmbH) among registered entities (2026) | 77.3% | 74.5% | 65.7% | ranked 110 of 1,808 | |
| Share of sole proprietorships among registered entities (2026) | 18.7% | 20.6% | 29.0% | ranked 1,651 of 1,808 |
Employment
| Indicator | Horw | Lucerne | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jobs (2024) | 5,384 | 273,970 | 5,679,518 | ranked 178 of 2,111 | |
| Jobs per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 337.8 | 620.6 | 362.9 | ranked 1,002 of 1,810 | |
| Share of jobs in services (2024) | 88.5% | 69.3% | 63.6% | ranked 104 of 1,804 | |
| Share of jobs in industry and construction (2024) | 9.8% | 24.2% | 24.2% | ranked 1,558 of 1,776 |
Society
| Indicator | Horw | Lucerne | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of foreign nationals (2025) | 18.8% | 21.9% | 18.9% | ranked 911 of 1,811 |
Sunshine and temperatures: Horw
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Horw?
Horw has 15,939 residents (2025), ranking 90 of 2,115 municipalities.
How big is Horw?
Horw covers 20.4 km², with a density of 780 people per km².
Is the population of Horw growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Horw went from 13,788 to 15,939, a change of +15.6%.
Where is Horw?
Horw is in Lucerne. It belongs to Wahlkreis Luzern-Land (district). Latitude 47.016, longitude 8.311.
Rooftop solar potential per inhabitant: what is the figure for Horw?
In Horw, “Rooftop solar potential per inhabitant” stands at 3,365 kWh/inh. (2026), ranking 1,786 of 1,810 municipalities; the national median is 9,356 kWh/inh..
Dwellings: what is the figure for Horw?
In Horw, “Dwellings” stands at 8,067 (2026), ranking 95 of 2,108 municipalities; the national median is 990.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Horw?
In Horw, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 36° produces about 1,104 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Horw?
The nearest to Horw are Kriens (3.1 km), Hergiswil (NW) (3.6 km), Lucerne (4.0 km), Stansstad (4.5 km), Meggen (5.8 km).