About Biel/Bienne
Biel/Bienne is a bilingual city in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. With over 55,000 residents, it is the country's tenth-largest city by population. The Biel urban area has a population of around 100,000 inhabitants. Biel/Bienne is the capital of the Biel/Bienne administrative district. The city has been an industrial and watchmaking heart of Switzerland since the 19th century. With world-famous watch brands such as Rolex, Omega and Swatch based in Biel/Bienne, the city is one of the main centres of the Swiss watch industry and is also referred to as the "world capital of watchmaking".
- Canton
- Bern
- Area
- 21.2 km²
Population
56'896residents
Median taxable income
CHF 57'820
Vacancy
1.37%
Foreign residents
34.9%
Dwellings
32'336
Jobs (FTE)
41'468
Tax multiplier
163%
Land use across the commune
Every 100 × 100 m of Biel/Bienne, coloured by how it's used. Drawn from the BFS Arealstatistik 2025 release — the most recent nationwide snapshot.
Source BFS Arealstatistik
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Jobs & economy
41'468 full-time-equivalent jobs across 4'437 businesses — services make up 76% of employment, industry 23% (2018).
Source BFS STATENT
41'468FTE total
Primary0.1%
Secondary23.5%
Tertiary76.4%
Land use
47% built-up, 6% agricultural, 45% forest. Measured across 2'120 hectares (2018).
Source BFS Arealstatistik
Settlement48.0%
Agriculture6.2%
Forest45.9%
Water0.0%
Election Results
SP led the 2023 National Council election with 33.6%, ahead of Grüne at 19.5%.
Source BFS
SP33.6%+7.3 pp
Grüne19.5%−4.6 pp
SVP16.3%+0.8 pp
GLP9.1%+0.2 pp
FDP8.1%+0.1 pp
Mitte5.2%
EVP3.4%+0.2 pp
Others
2.1%
2023 vs 2019
Primary / second-home mix
86.7% of dwellings are primary residences; 13.3% are second homes (2026).
Source BFS
Primary residences86.7%
Second homes13.3%
Warming trend
Mean annual temperature at Bern / Zollikofen has risen by +2.2°C between the first 30 observed years (1864–1893) and the most recent (1996–2025).
Source MeteoSchweiz NBCN
+2.2°C
mean 1996–2025 vs. 1864–1893
Bern / Zollikofen · 553 m.a.s.l. · 1864–2025
