Kriens: population and statistics
Kriens has a population of 30,685 (2025) across 27.3 km², or 1,124 people per km². It ranks 26 of 2,115 municipalities by population. Its population is growing: +13.5% between 2015 and 2025.
- 30,685 residents
- 27.3 km²
- 1,124 people/km²
- 487 m
Key points
Among the 79 municipalities in Lucerne, Kriens ranks No. 3 by population.
Rooftop solar potential per inhabitant: 3,511 kWh/inh. in Kriens, compared with an average of 7,532 kWh/inh. in Lucerne and 7,100 kWh/inh. nationally.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 38° generates about 1,134 kWh a year here.
Kriens in numbers
Where is Kriens?
Population of Kriens over time
Kriens had 27,046 residents in 2015 and 30,685 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 28,245 |
| 2021 | 28,613 |
| 2022 | 28,983 |
| 2023 | 29,632 |
| 2024 | 30,008 |
| 2025 | 30,685 |
Did you know?
- “Dwellings”: higher than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Rooftop solar potential per inhabitant”: lower than in 98% of municipalities.
- “Establishments”: higher than in 98% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 3,824 football pitches.
- Its population density is 4.8 times the national average.
- The nearest more populous municipality is Lucerne (86,699 residents), 2.8 km away.
- A 4 kWp rooftop solar system here would generate about 4,536 kWh a year, roughly what an average household uses.
All indicators for Kriens
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 | Kriens | Lucerne | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged 65 and over (2025) | 21.0% | 19.4% | 20.7% | ranked 844 of 1,811 |
Housing
| Indicator | Kriens | Lucerne | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwellings (2026) | 15,744 | 219,035 | 4,927,050 | ranked 27 of 2,108 | |
| Dwellings in buildings built before 1946 (2026) | 10.7% | 16.6% | 23.3% | ranked 1,573 of 1,806 | |
| Dwellings in buildings built since 2001 (2026) | 27.0% | 29.3% | 25.3% | ranked 780 of 1,806 | |
| Share of single-family houses among residential buildings (2026) | 44.7% | 49.1% | 69.5% | ranked 1,713 of 1,806 |
Energy
| Indicator | Kriens | Lucerne | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oil or gas heating systems (2026) | 65.8% | 49.7% | 53.5% | ranked 488 of 1,806 | |
| Heat pumps as main heating (2026) | 19.7% | 25.3% | 13.7% | ranked 572 of 1,806 | |
| Wood heating systems (2026) | 7.0% | 13.2% | 12.4% | ranked 1,286 of 1,806 | |
| District heating (2026) | 4.0% | 6.7% | 1.4% | ranked 533 of 1,806 | |
| Photovoltaic installations (2026) | 553 | 16,268 | 329,600 | ranked 66 of 2,108 | |
| Installed photovoltaic capacity per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 524.4 kW | 1,343 kW | 1,134 kW | ranked 1,647 of 1,806 | |
| Rooftop solar electricity potential (2026) | 107.7 GWh/year | 3,326 GWh/year | 64,783 GWh/year | ranked 68 of 2,114 | |
| Rooftop solar potential per inhabitant (2026) | 3,511 kWh/inh. | 7,532 kWh/inh. | 9,356 kWh/inh. | ranked 1,778 of 1,810 |
Economy
| Indicator | Kriens | Lucerne | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Establishments (2024) | 1,734 | 34,265 | 728,011 | ranked 50 of 2,112 | |
| Entities listed in the commercial register (2026) | 1,728 | 34,626 | 762,757 | ranked 60 of 2,115 | |
| Entities in the commercial register per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 56.3 | 78.4 | 64.9 | ranked 1,293 of 1,811 | |
| Share of limited companies (AG, GmbH) among registered entities (2026) | 70.4% | 74.5% | 65.7% | ranked 484 of 1,808 | |
| Share of sole proprietorships among registered entities (2026) | 23.3% | 20.6% | 29.0% | ranked 1,400 of 1,808 |
Employment
| Indicator | Kriens | Lucerne | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jobs (2024) | 14,056 | 273,970 | 5,679,518 | ranked 58 of 2,111 | |
| Jobs per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 458.1 | 620.6 | 362.9 | ranked 583 of 1,810 | |
| Share of jobs in services (2024) | 84.4% | 69.3% | 63.6% | ranked 195 of 1,804 | |
| Share of jobs in industry and construction (2024) | 14.8% | 24.2% | 24.2% | ranked 1,359 of 1,776 |
Society
| Indicator | Kriens | Lucerne | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of foreign nationals (2025) | 25.4% | 21.9% | 18.9% | ranked 513 of 1,811 |
Sunshine and temperatures: Kriens
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Kriens?
Kriens has 30,685 residents (2025), ranking 26 of 2,115 municipalities.
How big is Kriens?
Kriens covers 27.3 km², with a density of 1,124 people per km².
Is the population of Kriens growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Kriens went from 27,046 to 30,685, a change of +13.5%.
Where is Kriens?
Kriens is in Lucerne. It belongs to Wahlkreis Luzern-Land (district). Latitude 47.034, longitude 8.280.
Dwellings: what is the figure for Kriens?
In Kriens, “Dwellings” stands at 15,744 (2026), ranking 27 of 2,108 municipalities; the national median is 990.
Rooftop solar potential per inhabitant: what is the figure for Kriens?
In Kriens, “Rooftop solar potential per inhabitant” stands at 3,511 kWh/inh. (2026), ranking 1,778 of 1,810 municipalities; the national median is 9,356 kWh/inh..
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Kriens?
In Kriens, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 38° produces about 1,134 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Kriens?
The nearest to Kriens are Lucerne (2.8 km), Horw (3.1 km), Emmen (5.0 km), Hergiswil (NW) (6.1 km), Rothenburg (6.6 km).