Varen: population and statistics
Varen has a population of 701 (2025) across 12.8 km², or 54.7 people per km². It ranks 1,656 of 2,115 municipalities by population. Its population is growing: +14.0% between 2015 and 2025.
- 701 residents
- 12.8 km²
- 55 people/km²
- 680 m
Key points
Among the 122 municipalities in Valais, Varen ranks No. 84 by population.
District heating: 0.0% in Varen, compared with an average of 3.4% in Valais and 7.3% nationally.
Share of jobs in industry and construction: 3.6% in Varen, compared with an average of 21.0% in Valais and 22.0% nationally.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 40° generates about 1,457 kWh a year here.
Varen in numbers
Where is Varen?
Population of Varen over time
Varen had 615 residents in 2015 and 701 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 682 |
| 2021 | 694 |
| 2022 | 692 |
| 2023 | 691 |
| 2024 | 700 |
| 2025 | 701 |
Did you know?
- “District heating”: lower than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Share of jobs in industry and construction”: lower than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Share of limited companies (AG, GmbH) among registered entities”: lower than in 94% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 1,794 football pitches.
- Its population density is 4.2 times lower than the national average.
- The nearest municipality is Inden, 2.3 km away.
- The nearest more populous municipality is Leuk (4,349 residents), 2.6 km away.
All indicators for Varen
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 | Varen | Valais | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged 65 and over (2025) | 27.4% | 21.2% | 20.7% | ranked 122 of 1,811 |
Housing
| Indicator | Varen | Valais | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwellings (2026) | 458 | 284,329 | 4,927,050 | ranked 1,573 of 2,108 | |
| Dwellings in buildings built before 1946 (2026) | 36.2% | 15.6% | 23.3% | ranked 378 of 1,806 | |
| Dwellings in buildings built since 2001 (2026) | 16.6% | 28.0% | 25.3% | ranked 1,440 of 1,806 | |
| Share of single-family houses among residential buildings (2026) | 66.3% | 63.4% | 69.5% | ranked 1,079 of 1,806 |
Energy
| Indicator | Varen | Valais | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oil or gas heating systems (2026) | 43.4% | 49.8% | 53.5% | ranked 1,271 of 1,806 | |
| Heat pumps as main heating (2026) | 12.4% | 12.0% | 13.7% | ranked 1,015 of 1,806 | |
| Wood heating systems (2026) | 15.5% | 13.0% | 12.4% | ranked 741 of 1,806 | |
| District heating (2026) | 0.0% | 3.4% | 1.4% | ranked 1,506 of 1,806 | |
| Photovoltaic installations (2026) | 45 | 18,204 | 329,600 | ranked 1,625 of 2,108 | |
| Installed photovoltaic capacity per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 734.2 kW | 1,004 kW | 1,134 kW | ranked 1,434 of 1,806 | |
| Rooftop solar electricity potential (2026) | 8.5 GWh/year | 3,880 GWh/year | 64,783 GWh/year | ranked 1,651 of 2,114 | |
| Rooftop solar potential per inhabitant (2026) | 12,183 kWh/inh. | 10,316 kWh/inh. | 9,356 kWh/inh. | ranked 499 of 1,810 |
Economy
| Indicator | Varen | Valais | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Establishments (2024) | 70 | 32,476 | 728,011 | ranked 1,497 of 2,112 | |
| Entities listed in the commercial register (2026) | 39 | 35,035 | 762,757 | ranked 1,701 of 2,115 | |
| Entities in the commercial register per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 55.6 | 93.1 | 64.9 | ranked 1,318 of 1,811 | |
| Share of limited companies (AG, GmbH) among registered entities (2026) | 51.3% | 72.6% | 65.7% | ranked 1,704 of 1,808 | |
| Share of sole proprietorships among registered entities (2026) | 35.9% | 20.9% | 29.0% | ranked 335 of 1,808 |
Employment
| Indicator | Varen | Valais | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jobs (2024) | 192 | 202,116 | 5,679,518 | ranked 1,637 of 2,111 | |
| Jobs per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 273.9 | 537.6 | 362.9 | ranked 1,274 of 1,810 | |
| Share of jobs in services (2024) | 43.8% | 71.1% | 63.6% | ranked 1,511 of 1,804 | |
| Share of jobs in industry and construction (2024) | 3.6% | 21.0% | 24.2% | ranked 1,751 of 1,776 |
Society
| Indicator | Varen | Valais | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of foreign nationals (2025) | 12.1% | 26.5% | 18.9% | ranked 1,398 of 1,811 |
Sunshine and temperatures: Varen
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Varen?
Varen has 701 residents (2025), ranking 1,656 of 2,115 municipalities.
How big is Varen?
Varen covers 12.8 km², with a density of 55 people per km².
Is the population of Varen growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Varen went from 615 to 701, a change of +14.0%.
Where is Varen?
Varen is in Valais. It belongs to Bezirk Leuk (district). Latitude 46.317, longitude 7.600.
District heating: what is the figure for Varen?
In Varen, “District heating” stands at 0.0% (2026), ranking 1,506 of 1,806 municipalities; the national median is 1.4%.
Share of jobs in industry and construction: what is the figure for Varen?
In Varen, “Share of jobs in industry and construction” stands at 3.6% (2024), ranking 1,751 of 1,776 municipalities; the national median is 24.2%.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Varen?
In Varen, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 40° produces about 1,457 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Varen?
The nearest to Varen are Inden (2.3 km), Leuk (2.6 km), Albinen (3.2 km), Salgesch (3.2 km), Guttet-Feschel (3.8 km).