Olten: population and statistics
Olten has a population of 19,265 (2025) across 11.5 km², or 1,675 people per km². It ranks 61 of 2,115 municipalities by population. Its population is growing: +8.0% between 2015 and 2025.
- 19,265 residents
- 11.5 km²
- 1,675 people/km²
- 397 m
Key points
Among the 106 municipalities in Solothurn, Olten ranks No. 1 by population.
Oil or gas heating systems: 87.0% in Olten, compared with an average of 72.7% in Solothurn and 61.7% nationally.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 37° generates about 1,145 kWh a year here.
Olten in numbers
Where is Olten?
Population of Olten over time
Olten had 17,833 residents in 2015 and 19,265 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 18,496 |
| 2021 | 18,349 |
| 2022 | 18,339 |
| 2023 | 18,715 |
| 2024 | 19,051 |
| 2025 | 19,265 |
Did you know?
- Number 1 in Solothurn for “Population”.
- Number 1 in Solothurn for “Dwellings”.
- “Oil or gas heating systems”: higher than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Jobs”: higher than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Dwellings”: higher than in 98% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 1,611 football pitches.
- Its population density is 7.2 times the national average.
All indicators for Olten
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 | Olten | Solothurn | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged 65 and over (2025) | 19.0% | 21.7% | 20.7% | ranked 1,206 of 1,811 |
Housing
| Indicator | Olten | Solothurn | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwellings (2026) | 11,135 | 148,900 | 4,927,050 | ranked 53 of 2,108 | |
| Dwellings in buildings built before 1946 (2026) | 31.4% | 22.0% | 23.3% | ranked 541 of 1,806 | |
| Dwellings in buildings built since 2001 (2026) | 14.9% | 21.9% | 25.3% | ranked 1,522 of 1,806 | |
| Share of single-family houses among residential buildings (2026) | 53.9% | 70.1% | 69.5% | ranked 1,566 of 1,806 |
Energy
| Indicator | Olten | Solothurn | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oil or gas heating systems (2026) | 87.0% | 72.7% | 53.5% | ranked 16 of 1,806 | |
| Heat pumps as main heating (2026) | 4.8% | 11.4% | 13.7% | ranked 1,670 of 1,806 | |
| Wood heating systems (2026) | 0.8% | 8.1% | 12.4% | ranked 1,790 of 1,806 | |
| District heating (2026) | 3.2% | 2.7% | 1.4% | ranked 620 of 1,806 | |
| Photovoltaic installations (2026) | 291 | 11,211 | 329,600 | ranked 290 of 2,108 | |
| Installed photovoltaic capacity per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 476.2 kW | 1,095 kW | 1,134 kW | ranked 1,688 of 1,806 | |
| Rooftop solar electricity potential (2026) | 104.5 GWh/year | 2,373 GWh/year | 64,783 GWh/year | ranked 75 of 2,114 | |
| Rooftop solar potential per inhabitant (2026) | 5,426 kWh/inh. | 8,138 kWh/inh. | 9,356 kWh/inh. | ranked 1,618 of 1,810 |
Economy
| Indicator | Olten | Solothurn | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Establishments (2024) | 1,771 | 18,596 | 728,011 | ranked 49 of 2,112 | |
| Entities listed in the commercial register (2026) | 1,688 | 18,362 | 762,757 | ranked 63 of 2,115 | |
| Entities in the commercial register per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 87.6 | 63.0 | 64.9 | ranked 322 of 1,811 | |
| Share of limited companies (AG, GmbH) among registered entities (2026) | 69.4% | 65.9% | 65.7% | ranked 567 of 1,808 | |
| Share of sole proprietorships among registered entities (2026) | 23.5% | 29.3% | 29.0% | ranked 1,380 of 1,808 |
Employment
| Indicator | Olten | Solothurn | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jobs (2024) | 23,566 | 151,633 | 5,679,518 | ranked 29 of 2,111 | |
| Jobs per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 1,223 | 520.0 | 362.9 | ranked 52 of 1,810 | |
| Share of jobs in services (2024) | 91.0% | 67.4% | 63.6% | ranked 62 of 1,804 | |
| Share of jobs in industry and construction (2024) | 8.9% | 27.9% | 24.2% | ranked 1,606 of 1,776 |
Society
| Indicator | Olten | Solothurn | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of foreign nationals (2025) | 32.5% | 25.9% | 18.9% | ranked 211 of 1,811 |
Sunshine and temperatures: Olten
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Olten?
Olten has 19,265 residents (2025), ranking 61 of 2,115 municipalities.
How big is Olten?
Olten covers 11.5 km², with a density of 1,675 people per km².
Is the population of Olten growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Olten went from 17,833 to 19,265, a change of +8.0%.
Where is Olten?
Olten is in Solothurn. It belongs to Bezirk Olten (district). Latitude 47.353, longitude 7.908.
Oil or gas heating systems: what is the figure for Olten?
In Olten, “Oil or gas heating systems” stands at 87.0% (2026), ranking 16 of 1,806 municipalities; the national median is 53.5%.
Jobs: what is the figure for Olten?
In Olten, “Jobs” stands at 23,566 (2024), ranking 29 of 2,111 municipalities; the national median is 622.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Olten?
In Olten, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 37° produces about 1,145 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Olten?
The nearest to Olten are Trimbach (1.3 km), Starrkirch-Wil (1.5 km), Winznau (2.4 km), Dulliken (2.9 km), Wangen bei Olten (3.1 km).