About Breitenbach
Breitenbach is a municipality in the district of Thierstein in the canton of Solothurn in Switzerland. There are two train stations near Breitenbach, the main being in Laufen and the other in Zwingen. As with most of Switzerland, there are Postauto buses which take people to surrounding cities and to and from the train station. Schweizerdeutsch (Swiss-German) in Breitenbach closely resembles that of Baseldeutsch (Basel-German).
- Canton
- Solothurn
- Area
- 6.8 km²
Population
4'366residents
Median taxable income
CHF 65'341
Vacancy
1.99%
Foreign residents
26.6%
Dwellings
2'161
Jobs (FTE)
1'779
Tax multiplier
113%
Land use across the commune
Every 100 × 100 m of Breitenbach, coloured by how it's used. Drawn from the BFS Arealstatistik 2025 release — the most recent nationwide snapshot.
Source BFS Arealstatistik
Loading statistics …
Jobs & economy
1'779 full-time-equivalent jobs across 264 businesses — services make up 70% of employment, industry 29% (2018).
Source BFS STATENT
1'779FTE total
Primary1.3%
Secondary28.8%
Tertiary69.9%
Land use
20% built-up, 44% agricultural, 35% forest. Measured across 684 hectares (2018).
Source BFS Arealstatistik
Settlement20.4%
Agriculture44.6%
Forest35.0%
Water0.0%
Election Results
SVP led the 2023 National Council election with 29.2%, ahead of FDP at 26.5%.
Source BFS
SVP29.2%+3.1 pp
FDP26.5%−8.5 pp
Mitte16.7%
SP8.5%−1.5 pp
GLP8.0%+2.3 pp
Grüne6.7%−2.3 pp
EVP1.6%+0.1 pp
2023 vs 2019
Primary / second-home mix
89.8% of dwellings are primary residences; 10.2% are second homes (2026).
Source BFS
Primary residences89.8%
Second homes10.2%
Climate data
Annual mean 10.9°C with 842 mm of rain. Warmest in July (20.2°C), coldest in January (2.2°C). Station: Basel / Binningen, 316 m.
Source MeteoSchweiz
10.9°C
Annual mean
Mean 10.9°C
Rain 842 mm
Sun ≈141 days
Basel / Binningen · 316 m.a.s.l. · 1991–2020 normals
Warming trend
Mean annual temperature at Basel / Binningen has risen by +2.4°C between the first 30 observed years (1755–1784) and the most recent (1996–2025).
Source MeteoSchweiz NBCN
+2.4°C
mean 1996–2025 vs. 1755–1784
Basel / Binningen · 316 m.a.s.l. · 1755–2025
