Cham: population and statistics
Cham has a population of 18,518 (2025) across 17.7 km², or 1,044 people per km². It ranks 66 of 2,115 municipalities by population. Its population is growing: +16.1% between 2015 and 2025.
- 18,518 residents
- 17.7 km²
- 1,044 people/km²
- 431 m
Key points
Among the 11 municipalities in Zug, Cham ranks No. 3 by population.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 38° generates about 1,143 kWh a year here.
Cham in numbers
Where is Cham?
Population of Cham over time
Cham had 15,954 residents in 2015 and 18,518 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 17,042 |
| 2021 | 17,076 |
| 2022 | 17,643 |
| 2023 | 17,867 |
| 2024 | 18,273 |
| 2025 | 18,518 |
Did you know?
- “Establishments”: higher than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Jobs”: higher than in 97% of municipalities.
- “Dwellings”: higher than in 96% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 2,483 football pitches.
- Its population density is 4.5 times the national average.
- The nearest municipality is Hünenberg, 2.5 km away.
- The nearest more populous municipality is Zug (32,160 residents), 4.6 km away.
All indicators for Cham
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 | Cham | Zug | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged 65 and over (2025) | 17.4% | 18.9% | 20.7% | ranked 1,471 of 1,811 |
Housing
| Indicator | Cham | Zug | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwellings (2026) | 8,670 | 63,541 | 4,927,050 | ranked 81 of 2,108 | |
| Dwellings in buildings built before 1946 (2026) | 10.1% | 10.6% | 23.3% | ranked 1,598 of 1,806 | |
| Dwellings in buildings built since 2001 (2026) | 37.6% | 33.5% | 25.3% | ranked 228 of 1,806 | |
| Share of single-family houses among residential buildings (2026) | 42.8% | 43.8% | 69.5% | ranked 1,734 of 1,806 |
Energy
| Indicator | Cham | Zug | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oil or gas heating systems (2026) | 72.6% | 65.2% | 53.5% | ranked 270 of 1,806 | |
| Heat pumps as main heating (2026) | 10.6% | 13.8% | 13.7% | ranked 1,174 of 1,806 | |
| Wood heating systems (2026) | 6.7% | 9.1% | 12.4% | ranked 1,307 of 1,806 | |
| District heating (2026) | 7.6% | 7.5% | 1.4% | ranked 322 of 1,806 | |
| Photovoltaic installations (2026) | 389 | 2,987 | 329,600 | ranked 168 of 2,108 | |
| Installed photovoltaic capacity per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 1,010 kW | 868.1 kW | 1,134 kW | ranked 1,084 of 1,806 | |
| Rooftop solar electricity potential (2026) | 88.4 GWh/year | 689.7 GWh/year | 64,783 GWh/year | ranked 117 of 2,114 | |
| Rooftop solar potential per inhabitant (2026) | 4,776 kWh/inh. | 5,108 kWh/inh. | 9,356 kWh/inh. | ranked 1,706 of 1,810 |
Economy
| Indicator | Cham | Zug | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Establishments (2024) | 2,249 | 20,801 | 728,011 | ranked 31 of 2,112 | |
| Entities listed in the commercial register (2026) | 4,383 | 43,307 | 762,757 | ranked 14 of 2,115 | |
| Entities in the commercial register per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 236.7 | 320.8 | 64.9 | ranked 12 of 1,811 | |
| Share of limited companies (AG, GmbH) among registered entities (2026) | 84.8% | 85.5% | 65.7% | ranked 21 of 1,808 | |
| Share of sole proprietorships among registered entities (2026) | 12.3% | 11.8% | 29.0% | ranked 1,782 of 1,808 |
Employment
| Indicator | Cham | Zug | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jobs (2024) | 13,262 | 135,123 | 5,679,518 | ranked 66 of 2,111 | |
| Jobs per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 716.2 | 1,001 | 362.9 | ranked 196 of 1,810 | |
| Share of jobs in services (2024) | 82.2% | 80.4% | 63.6% | ranked 267 of 1,804 | |
| Share of jobs in industry and construction (2024) | 16.4% | 17.2% | 24.2% | ranked 1,281 of 1,776 |
Society
| Indicator | Cham | Zug | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of foreign nationals (2025) | 27.9% | 30.6% | 18.9% | ranked 394 of 1,811 |
Sunshine and temperatures: Cham
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Cham?
Cham has 18,518 residents (2025), ranking 66 of 2,115 municipalities.
How big is Cham?
Cham covers 17.7 km², with a density of 1,044 people per km².
Is the population of Cham growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Cham went from 15,954 to 18,518, a change of +16.1%.
Where is Cham?
Cham is in Zug. It belongs to Kanton Zug (district). Latitude 47.180, longitude 8.459.
Establishments: what is the figure for Cham?
In Cham, “Establishments” stands at 2,249 (2024), ranking 31 of 2,112 municipalities; the national median is 131.
Jobs: what is the figure for Cham?
In Cham, “Jobs” stands at 13,262 (2024), ranking 66 of 2,111 municipalities; the national median is 622.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Cham?
In Cham, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 38° produces about 1,143 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Cham?
The nearest to Cham are Hünenberg (2.5 km), Steinhausen (2.7 km), Zug (4.6 km), Risch (4.8 km), Sins (4.9 km).