Canton
Obwalden: municipalities in numbers
Obwalden (canton) has 7 municipalities and 39,879 residents across 478 km², or 84 people per km². Population: +7.6% between 2015 and 2025.
- 39,879 residents
- 7 municipalities
- 478 km²
- 84 people/km²
Map and records: Obwalden
Population change over 10 years
All municipalities in Obwalden
Click a column heading to sort the table.
| Municipality | Population | Population change over 10 years | Population density | Area | Share of foreign nationals | Share of people aged 65 and over |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sarnen | 10,906 | +6.6% | 155.8 people/km² | 70.0 km² | 18.4% | 24.6% |
| Alpnach | 6,594 | +11.6% | 122.6 people/km² | 53.8 km² | 18.7% | 19.2% |
| Kerns | 6,557 | +8.4% | 70.8 people/km² | 92.6 km² | 12.5% | 19.7% |
| Sachseln | 5,300 | +4.6% | 98.4 people/km² | 53.9 km² | 13.3% | 22.4% |
| Engelberg | 4,377 | +6.8% | 58.5 people/km² | 74.9 km² | 30.2% | 24.8% |
| Giswil | 4,013 | +11.9% | 46.7 people/km² | 86.0 km² | 15.1% | 21.0% |
| Lungern | 2,132 | −0.5% | 45.9 people/km² | 46.5 km² | 12.1% | 23.7% |
Obwalden compared with the national figures
Population-weighted averages for rates; totals for counts.
| Indicator | Obwalden | Switzerland |
|---|---|---|
| Share of foreign nationals | 17.4% | 27.7% |
| Share of people aged 65 and over | 22.2% | 19.8% |
| Dwellings | 23,369 | 4,927,050 |
| Dwellings in buildings built before 1946 | 19.9% | 22.4% |
| Dwellings in buildings built since 2001 | 27.3% | 24.6% |
| Share of single-family houses among residential buildings | 48.5% | 56.9% |
| Oil or gas heating systems | 30.1% | 61.7% |
| Heat pumps as main heating | 15.9% | 15.5% |
| Wood heating systems | 27.2% | 9.3% |
| District heating | 15.3% | 7.3% |
| Photovoltaic installations | 1,394 | 329,600 |
| Installed photovoltaic capacity per 1,000 inhabitants | 1,087 kW | 919.4 kW |
| Rooftop solar electricity potential | 342.1 GWh/year | 64,783 GWh/year |
| Rooftop solar potential per inhabitant | 8,580 kWh/inh. | 7,100 kWh/inh. |
| Establishments | 3,807 | 728,011 |
| Jobs | 23,792 | 5,679,518 |
| Jobs per 1,000 inhabitants | 596.6 | 622.5 |
| Share of jobs in services | 61.9% | 73.4% |
| Share of jobs in industry and construction | 29.8% | 22.0% |
| Entities listed in the commercial register | 4,256 | 762,757 |
| Entities in the commercial register per 1,000 inhabitants | 106.7 | 83.6 |
| Share of limited companies (AG, GmbH) among registered entities | 79.2% | 68.6% |
| Share of sole proprietorships among registered entities | 16.1% | 26.1% |
Frequently asked questions
How many municipalities are there in Obwalden?
Obwalden has 7 municipalities. The most populous is Sarnen, with 10,906 residents.
What is the population of Obwalden?
Obwalden has 39,879 residents (2025), or 84 people per km².
Which municipality in Obwalden is growing fastest?
Giswil has the fastest growth in Obwalden over 10 years: +11.9%.