Population
56'896↑1.7%
About Biel/Bienne
Municipality · Bern
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".
Population
56'896
Tax multiplier
163%
Biel/Bienne in numbers
Federal data — BFS (STATPOP, STATENT, land use), ESTV, BAKOM, ARE.Tax multiplier
163%
Below average in canton
Median taxable income
CHF 57'820
Bottom quartile in canton
Vacancy
1.37%↓19.4%
Above average in canton
- Settlement47%
- Forest45%
- Agriculture6%
- Other1%
Foreign residents
34.9%↑2.5%
Top 10% in canton
Dwellings
32'336↑0.5%
Jobs (FTE)
34'096↑1.9%
87%
58%
Fibre
Housing market in Biel/Bienne
The rental vacancy rate is 1.37%, 25% above the cantonal average (1.10 %) — a comparatively relaxed market. The municipal tax multiplier (Steuerfuss) is 163%, roughly the cantonal average (164 %) — tax-favourable. Median taxable income is CHF 57'820, 14% below the Swiss median (CHF 67'216). Biel/Bienne has 56'896 residents (2024).
Source: Swiss Federal Statistical Office (BFS).
