Switzerland: building age and utilization
3'601'174 parcels in municipal zones across all municipalities · Parcel data of September 2026
- Parcels in zones
- 3'601'174
- Municipalities
- 2'076
- Median utilization (ratioV)
- 10%
- Newest building from 2006 or later
- 9%
- Median building height
- 9.5 m
- Median floors
- 0.9
Overview
Switzerland: the parcel data lists 3'601'174 parcels in 2'076 municipalities of 26 cantons.
The median volume utilization (ratioV, as built today) is 10%, the average 128%.
9% of the parcels have a newest building from 2006 or later. Their average utilization is 156%, against 166% for all parcels.
The median building height is 9.5 m and the median number of floors is 0.9.
Building age
Each parcel is counted by the construction year of its newest building. The oldest band also holds parcels without a building year, such as unbuilt land.
| Newest building | Parcels | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 or later | 52'141 | 1% |
| 2016-2020 | 69'068 | 2% |
| 2011-2015 | 101'323 | 3% |
| 2006-2010 | 95'615 | 3% |
| 1986-2005 | 413'602 | 11% |
| 1966-1985 | 345'280 | 10% |
| 1965 or earlier, or no year | 2'524'145 | 70% |
Utilization by construction window
| Newest building | Parcels | Average utilization |
|---|---|---|
| Built 2021 or later | 52'141 | 145% |
| Built 2016 or later | 121'209 | 141% |
| Built 2011 or later | 222'532 | 146% |
| Built 2006 or later | 318'147 | 156% |
| Built 1986 or later | 731'749 | 164% |
| Built 1966 or later | 1'077'029 | 186% |
| All parcels | 3'601'174 | 166% |
Utilization (ratioV)
ratioV is the volume utilization of a parcel in percent, as built today; values above 100% occur on densely built parcels. The lowest bucket is mostly land with little or no building volume.
| Utilization (ratioV) | Parcels | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 10% | 1'798'445 | 51% |
| 10-50% | 248'700 | 7% |
| 50-100% | 691'518 | 19% |
| 100-150% | 444'772 | 13% |
| 150-200% | 157'515 | 4% |
| 200% or more | 213'169 | 6% |
Median: 10% · Average: 128% · Based on 3'554'119 parcels with a value.
Building height
Building height in meters, for parcels with a height value.
| Building height | Parcels | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 6 m | 104'106 | 7% |
| 6-10 m | 755'801 | 51% |
| 10-16 m | 543'549 | 37% |
| 16-30 m | 75'165 | 5% |
| 30 m or more | 2'498 | 0.2% |
Median: 9.5 m · Average: 10 m · Based on 1'481'119 parcels with a value.
Floors
Number of floors, for parcels with a floor count.
| Floors | Parcels | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1'934'984 | 62% |
| 2 | 602'529 | 19% |
| 3 | 391'297 | 13% |
| 4 | 104'499 | 3% |
| 5-6 | 56'101 | 2% |
| 7 or more | 15'897 | 0.5% |
Median: 0.9 · Average: 1.1 · Based on 3'105'307 parcels with a value.
Cantons
| Place | Parcels | Median utilization | Median floors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valais | 584'649 | 7% | 0.6 |
| Bern | 451'597 | 31% | 1 |
| Zurich | 389'494 | 40% | 1.1 |
| Aargau | 311'428 | 35% | 0.9 |
| Vaud | 283'904 | 9% | 0.8 |
| Graubünden | 231'403 | 8% | 0.7 |
| St. Gallen | 189'426 | 58% | 2.1 |
| Ticino | 148'671 | 10% | 0.9 |
| Thurgau | 136'704 | 24% | 0.9 |
| Basel-Landschaft | 127'003 | 41% | 1.3 |
| Lucerne | 121'251 | 49% | 1.8 |
| Solothurn | 121'195 | 30% | 0.9 |
| Fribourg | 82'702 | 85% | 2.5 |
| Geneva | 72'748 | 49% | 1.3 |
| Neuchâtel | 65'421 | 15% | 0.9 |
| Schwyz | 49'955 | 62% | 2.4 |
| Schaffhausen | 46'054 | 9% | 0.8 |
| Jura | 32'430 | 87% | 2.3 |
| Appenzell Ausserrhoden | 27'591 | 52% | 2.2 |
| Glarus | 24'652 | 69% | 2.2 |
| Basel-Stadt | 22'358 | 99% | 3.6 |
| Zug | 20'115 | 59% | 2.5 |
| Uri | 18'414 | 58% | 2 |
| Obwalden | 17'323 | 42% | 1.9 |
| Appenzell Innerrhoden | 12'417 | 20% | 0.6 |
| Nidwalden | 12'269 | 60% | 2.5 |
Explore
Method and data
The figures come from the Swiss parcel data (zone statistics of the RES service, pulled in September 2026). Each municipal zone is summarized on its own; a municipality is the sum of its zones, a canton the sum of its municipalities and Switzerland the sum of the cantons. Parcels outside a municipal zone are not counted.
Age uses the construction year of the newest building on a parcel. The distributions leave out the most extreme values, so the parcels with a value can be fewer than all parcels. Percentages are shares of the counts shown; medians are read from the buckets and are exact to within one bucket.
The pages describe what has been built and measured. They are not a forecast, a valuation or a statement of what may be built.