Messen: population and statistics
Messen has a population of 1,506 (2025) across 11.9 km², or 127 people per km². It ranks 1,164 of 2,115 municipalities by population. Its population is growing: +3.1% between 2015 and 2025.
- 1,506 residents
- 11.9 km²
- 127 people/km²
- 507 m
Key points
Among the 106 municipalities in Solothurn, Messen ranks No. 53 by population.
Share of foreign nationals: 4.7% in Messen, compared with an average of 25.9% in Solothurn and 27.7% nationally.
District heating: 10.7% in Messen, compared with an average of 2.7% in Solothurn and 7.3% nationally.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 38° generates about 1,224 kWh a year here.
Messen in numbers
Where is Messen?
Population of Messen over time
Messen had 1,461 residents in 2015 and 1,506 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 1,471 |
| 2021 | 1,469 |
| 2022 | 1,471 |
| 2023 | 1,496 |
| 2024 | 1,498 |
| 2025 | 1,506 |
Did you know?
- “Share of foreign nationals”: lower than in 98% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 1,665 football pitches.
- The nearest municipality is Biezwil, 3.5 km away.
- The nearest more populous municipality is Rapperswil (BE) (2,755 residents), 4.3 km away.
- A 4 kWp rooftop solar system here would generate about 4,896 kWh a year, roughly what an average household uses.
All indicators for Messen
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 | Messen | Solothurn | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged 65 and over (2025) | 22.1% | 21.7% | 20.7% | ranked 687 of 1,811 |
Housing
| Indicator | Messen | Solothurn | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwellings (2026) | 708 | 148,900 | 4,927,050 | ranked 1,271 of 2,108 | |
| Dwellings in buildings built before 1946 (2026) | 41.5% | 22.0% | 23.3% | ranked 245 of 1,806 | |
| Dwellings in buildings built since 2001 (2026) | 15.0% | 21.9% | 25.3% | ranked 1,521 of 1,806 | |
| Share of single-family houses among residential buildings (2026) | 72.9% | 70.1% | 69.5% | ranked 685 of 1,806 |
Energy
| Indicator | Messen | Solothurn | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oil or gas heating systems (2026) | 48.2% | 72.7% | 53.5% | ranked 1,095 of 1,806 | |
| Heat pumps as main heating (2026) | 14.4% | 11.4% | 13.7% | ranked 871 of 1,806 | |
| Wood heating systems (2026) | 23.0% | 8.1% | 12.4% | ranked 421 of 1,806 | |
| District heating (2026) | 10.7% | 2.7% | 1.4% | ranked 216 of 1,806 | |
| Photovoltaic installations (2026) | 118 | 11,211 | 329,600 | ranked 928 of 2,108 | |
| Installed photovoltaic capacity per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 1,643 kW | 1,095 kW | 1,134 kW | ranked 405 of 1,806 | |
| Rooftop solar electricity potential (2026) | 20.8 GWh/year | 2,373 GWh/year | 64,783 GWh/year | ranked 983 of 2,114 | |
| Rooftop solar potential per inhabitant (2026) | 13,811 kWh/inh. | 8,138 kWh/inh. | 9,356 kWh/inh. | ranked 352 of 1,810 |
Economy
| Indicator | Messen | Solothurn | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Establishments (2024) | 121 | 18,596 | 728,011 | ranked 1,115 of 2,112 | |
| Entities listed in the commercial register (2026) | 79 | 18,362 | 762,757 | ranked 1,317 of 2,115 | |
| Entities in the commercial register per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 52.5 | 63.0 | 64.9 | ranked 1,430 of 1,811 | |
| Share of limited companies (AG, GmbH) among registered entities (2026) | 65.8% | 65.9% | 65.7% | ranked 894 of 1,808 | |
| Share of sole proprietorships among registered entities (2026) | 27.8% | 29.3% | 29.0% | ranked 1,015 of 1,808 |
Employment
| Indicator | Messen | Solothurn | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jobs (2024) | 467 | 151,633 | 5,679,518 | ranked 1,201 of 2,111 | |
| Jobs per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 310.1 | 520.0 | 362.9 | ranked 1,118 of 1,810 | |
| Share of jobs in services (2024) | 69.4% | 67.4% | 63.6% | ranked 680 of 1,804 | |
| Share of jobs in industry and construction (2024) | 10.1% | 27.9% | 24.2% | ranked 1,540 of 1,776 |
Society
| Indicator | Messen | Solothurn | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of foreign nationals (2025) | 4.7% | 25.9% | 18.9% | ranked 1,768 of 1,811 |
Sunshine and temperatures: Messen
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Messen?
Messen has 1,506 residents (2025), ranking 1,164 of 2,115 municipalities.
How big is Messen?
Messen covers 11.9 km², with a density of 127 people per km².
Is the population of Messen growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Messen went from 1,461 to 1,506, a change of +3.1%.
Where is Messen?
Messen is in Solothurn. It belongs to Bezirk Bucheggberg (district). Latitude 47.091, longitude 7.449.
Share of foreign nationals: what is the figure for Messen?
In Messen, “Share of foreign nationals” stands at 4.7% (2025), ranking 1,768 of 1,811 municipalities; the national median is 18.9%.
District heating: what is the figure for Messen?
In Messen, “District heating” stands at 10.7% (2026), ranking 216 of 1,806 municipalities; the national median is 1.4%.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Messen?
In Messen, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 38° produces about 1,224 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Messen?
The nearest to Messen are Biezwil (3.5 km), Iffwil (3.8 km), Wengi (3.8 km), Unterramsern (4.1 km), Rapperswil (BE) (4.3 km).