About Lausanne
Lausanne is the capital and largest city of the Swiss French-speaking canton of Vaud, in Switzerland. The Olympic capital, it is a hilly city situated on the shores of Lake Geneva, about halfway between the Jura Mountains and the Alps, and facing the French town of Évian-les-Bains across the lake. Lausanne is located 51.7 kilometres northeast of Geneva, the nearest major city. The Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland convenes in Lausanne, although it is not the de jure capital of the nation.
- Canton
- Vaud
- Area
- 67.6 km²
Population
144'873residents
Median taxable income
CHF 60'196
Vacancy
0.58%
Foreign residents
42.7%
Dwellings
82'069
Jobs (FTE)
124'073
Tax multiplier
79%
Land use across the commune
Every 100 × 100 m of Lausanne, 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
124'073 full-time-equivalent jobs across 12'891 businesses — services make up 95% of employment, industry 5% (2018).
Source BFS STATENT
124'073FTE total
Primary0.1%
Secondary5.1%
Tertiary94.8%
Land use
47% built-up, 14% agricultural, 39% forest. Measured across 4'138 hectares (2025).
Source BFS Arealstatistik
Settlement46.7%
Agriculture14.4%
Forest38.9%
Water0.0%
Election Results
SP led the 2023 National Council election with 32.8%, ahead of Grüne at 20.0%.
Source BFS
SP32.8%+6.2 pp
Grüne20.0%−7.3 pp
FDP14.2%−0.9 pp
SVP11.0%+1.7 pp
Sol.
6.6%+1.3 pp
GLP6.3%−0.6 pp
Mitte3.3%
Others
4.0%
2023 vs 2019
Primary / second-home mix
87.7% of dwellings are primary residences; 12.3% are second homes (2026).
Source BFS
Primary residences87.7%
Second homes12.3%
Climate data
Annual mean 11.3°C with 1'132 mm of rain. Warmest in July (20.5°C), coldest in January (2.7°C). Station: Pully, 456 m.
Source MeteoSchweiz
11.3°C
Annual mean
Mean 11.3°C
Rain 1132 mm
Sun ≈157 days
Pully · 456 m.a.s.l. · 1991–2020 normals
Warming trend
Mean annual temperature at Payerne has risen by +1.8°C between the first 30 observed years (1965–1984) and the most recent (2006–2025).
Source MeteoSchweiz NBCN
+1.8°C
mean 2006–2025 vs. 1965–1984
Payerne · 490 m.a.s.l. · 1965–2025
