About Olten
Olten is a town in the canton of Solothurn in Switzerland and capital of the district of the same name.
- Canton
- Solothurn
- Area
- 11.5 km²
Population
19'051residents
Median taxable income
CHF 62'769
Vacancy
2.06%
Foreign residents
32.0%
Dwellings
11'019
Jobs (FTE)
22'016
Tax multiplier
108%
Land use across the commune
Every 100 × 100 m of Olten, 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
22'016 full-time-equivalent jobs across 1'777 businesses — services make up 89% of employment, industry 11% (2018).
Source BFS STATENT
22'016FTE total
Primary0.0%
Secondary11.3%
Tertiary88.7%
Land use
43% built-up, 11% agricultural, 42% forest. Measured across 1'145 hectares (2018).
Source BFS Arealstatistik
Settlement44.7%
Agriculture11.1%
Forest44.2%
Water0.0%
Election Results
SP led the 2023 National Council election with 25.6%, ahead of Grüne at 19.5%.
Source BFS
SP25.6%−0.6 pp
Grüne19.5%−0.6 pp
SVP16.1%−0.1 pp
FDP15.7%±0 pp
Mitte11.3%
GLP8.8%+0.1 pp
EVP1.9%+0.2 pp
2023 vs 2019
Primary / second-home mix
87.4% of dwellings are primary residences; 12.6% are second homes (2026).
Source BFS
Primary residences87.4%
Second homes12.6%
Climate data
Annual mean 9.6°C with 972 mm of rain. Warmest in July (18.6°C), coldest in January (1.0°C). Station: Rünenberg, 611 m.
Source MeteoSchweiz
9.6°C
Annual mean
Mean 9.6°C
Rain 972 mm
Sun ≈140 days
Rünenberg · 611 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
