Thalwil: population and statistics
Thalwil has a population of 18,835 (2025) across 5.5 km², or 3,406 people per km². It ranks 65 of 2,115 municipalities by population. Its population is growing: +6.1% between 2015 and 2025.
- 18,835 residents
- 5.5 km²
- 3,406 people/km²
- 450 m
Key points
Among the 160 municipalities in Zürich, Thalwil ranks No. 16 by population.
Rooftop solar potential per inhabitant: 2,725 kWh/inh. in Thalwil, compared with an average of 4,465 kWh/inh. in Zürich and 7,100 kWh/inh. nationally.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 38° generates about 1,148 kWh a year here.
Thalwil in numbers
Where is Thalwil?
Population of Thalwil over time
Thalwil had 17,747 residents in 2015 and 18,835 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 18,278 |
| 2021 | 18,541 |
| 2022 | 18,392 |
| 2023 | 18,561 |
| 2024 | 18,513 |
| 2025 | 18,835 |
Did you know?
- “Rooftop solar potential per inhabitant”: lower than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Dwellings”: higher than in 97% of municipalities.
- “Establishments”: higher than in 97% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 775 football pitches.
- Its population density is 14.7 times the national average.
- The nearest municipality is Rüschlikon, 1.6 km away.
- The nearest more populous municipality is Zürich (440,935 residents), 9.0 km away.
All indicators for Thalwil
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 | Thalwil | Zürich | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged 65 and over (2025) | 19.3% | 17.6% | 20.7% | ranked 1,162 of 1,811 |
Housing
| Indicator | Thalwil | Zürich | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwellings (2026) | 9,474 | 810,666 | 4,927,050 | ranked 73 of 2,108 | |
| Dwellings in buildings built before 1946 (2026) | 16.8% | 20.9% | 23.3% | ranked 1,255 of 1,806 | |
| Dwellings in buildings built since 2001 (2026) | 21.3% | 27.3% | 25.3% | ranked 1,168 of 1,806 | |
| Share of single-family houses among residential buildings (2026) | 44.8% | 50.5% | 69.5% | ranked 1,711 of 1,806 |
Energy
| Indicator | Thalwil | Zürich | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oil or gas heating systems (2026) | 79.1% | 63.4% | 53.5% | ranked 121 of 1,806 | |
| Heat pumps as main heating (2026) | 9.4% | 20.2% | 13.7% | ranked 1,295 of 1,806 | |
| Wood heating systems (2026) | 1.1% | 5.4% | 12.4% | ranked 1,776 of 1,806 | |
| District heating (2026) | 5.5% | 8.1% | 1.4% | ranked 434 of 1,806 | |
| Photovoltaic installations (2026) | 318 | 33,320 | 329,600 | ranked 248 of 2,108 | |
| Installed photovoltaic capacity per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 373.8 kW | 571.3 kW | 1,134 kW | ranked 1,745 of 1,806 | |
| Rooftop solar electricity potential (2026) | 51.3 GWh/year | 7,291 GWh/year | 64,783 GWh/year | ranked 311 of 2,114 | |
| Rooftop solar potential per inhabitant (2026) | 2,725 kWh/inh. | 4,465 kWh/inh. | 9,356 kWh/inh. | ranked 1,804 of 1,810 |
Economy
| Indicator | Thalwil | Zürich | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Establishments (2024) | 1,355 | 126,784 | 728,011 | ranked 71 of 2,112 | |
| Entities listed in the commercial register (2026) | 1,542 | 132,519 | 762,757 | ranked 75 of 2,115 | |
| Entities in the commercial register per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 81.9 | 81.2 | 64.9 | ranked 402 of 1,811 | |
| Share of limited companies (AG, GmbH) among registered entities (2026) | 68.4% | 67.3% | 65.7% | ranked 643 of 1,808 | |
| Share of sole proprietorships among registered entities (2026) | 27.7% | 27.9% | 29.0% | ranked 1,025 of 1,808 |
Employment
| Indicator | Thalwil | Zürich | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jobs (2024) | 7,030 | 1,149,866 | 5,679,518 | ranked 135 of 2,111 | |
| Jobs per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 373.2 | 704.2 | 362.9 | ranked 869 of 1,810 | |
| Share of jobs in services (2024) | 84.8% | 81.6% | 63.6% | ranked 187 of 1,804 | |
| Share of jobs in industry and construction (2024) | 15.2% | 16.2% | 24.2% | ranked 1,339 of 1,776 |
Society
| Indicator | Thalwil | Zürich | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of foreign nationals (2025) | 31.5% | 29.2% | 18.9% | ranked 242 of 1,811 |
Sunshine and temperatures: Thalwil
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Thalwil?
Thalwil has 18,835 residents (2025), ranking 65 of 2,115 municipalities.
How big is Thalwil?
Thalwil covers 5.5 km², with a density of 3,406 people per km².
Is the population of Thalwil growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Thalwil went from 17,747 to 18,835, a change of +6.1%.
Where is Thalwil?
Thalwil is in Zürich. It belongs to Bezirk Horgen (district). Latitude 47.295, longitude 8.565.
Rooftop solar potential per inhabitant: what is the figure for Thalwil?
In Thalwil, “Rooftop solar potential per inhabitant” stands at 2,725 kWh/inh. (2026), ranking 1,804 of 1,810 municipalities; the national median is 9,356 kWh/inh..
Dwellings: what is the figure for Thalwil?
In Thalwil, “Dwellings” stands at 9,474 (2026), ranking 73 of 2,108 municipalities; the national median is 990.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Thalwil?
In Thalwil, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 38° produces about 1,148 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Thalwil?
The nearest to Thalwil are Rüschlikon (1.6 km), Langnau am Albis (1.9 km), Oberrieden (2.2 km), Erlenbach (ZH) (2.3 km), Küsnacht (ZH) (2.9 km).