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Switzerland · canton

Solothurn population 2026

Solothurn has 289,792 people on the latest official figure, for 1 January 2025, 2,948 more than a year earlier (+1.03%). It is 13th of Switzerland’s 26 cantons by population, home to 3.2% of Switzerland’s people.

If last year’s change continues: about 294 thousand by 1 July 2026. That is our arithmetic, not an official figure.

Solothurn in numbers

Population
290 thousand 1 January 2025
Change in a year
+1.03% +2,948 people
Change since 2020
+5.28% from 275 thousand
Share of Switzerland
3.2% 13th of 26 cantons
Population density
367per km² 791 km²

That is about as many people as French Polynesia (283 thousand).

Population of Solothurn by year

Population of Solothurn
290k
› Show the numbers as a table
YearPopulation
2012256,990
2013259,283
2014261,437
2015263,719
2016266,418
2017269,441
2018271,432
2019273,194
2020275,247
2021277,462
2022280,245
2023282,408
2024286,844
2025289,792
YearPopulationChange
2025 289,792 +2,948
2024 286,844 +4,436
2023 282,408 +2,163
2022 280,245 +2,783
2021 277,462 +2,215
2020 275,247 +2,053
2019 273,194 +1,762
2018 271,432 +1,991
2017 269,441 +3,023
2016 266,418 +2,699
2015 263,719 +2,282
2014 261,437 +2,154
2013 259,283 +2,293
2012 256,990 –

Solothurn among Switzerland’s cantons

Full ranking →
Cantons of Switzerland by population
#
1 Zurich1,620,020+0.90%
2 Bern1,071,216+0.72%
3 Vaud855,106+1.09%
4 Aargau735,808+1.23%
5 St. Gallen540,036+0.92%
6 Geneva531,102+1.28%
7 Lucerne437,944+1.20%
8 Valais371,288+1.49%
9 Ticino358,903+0.33%
10 Fribourg346,674+1.50%
11 Basel-Landschaft301,323+0.83%
12 Thurgau299,509+1.45%
13 Solothurn289,792+1.03%
14 Graubünden206,138+0.61%
15 Basel-Stadt201,384+0.68%
16 Neuchâtel179,518+0.69%
17 Schwyz168,931+0.91%
18 Zug133,739+0.89%
19 Schaffhausen88,667+1.79%
20 Jura74,840+0.39%
21 Appenzell Ausserrhoden56,705+0.37%
22 Nidwalden45,345+0.73%
23 Glarus42,371+0.75%
24 Obwalden39,662+0.99%
25 Uri38,275+0.91%
26 Appenzell Innerrhoden16,733+0.89%

Largest cities in Solothurn

City proper, not the wider metro area; latest figure in GeoNames (CC BY 4.0), so years differ.

  1. Olten18,362
  2. Solothurn16,777
  3. Grenchen15,927

Questions

What is the population of Solothurn in 2026?
The latest official figure is 289,792, for 1 January 2025 (Eurostat). If last year’s change continues, Solothurn would have about 294 thousand people by 1 July 2026; that is our arithmetic, not an official figure. Eurostat updates regional populations once a year.

Is Solothurn’s population growing or shrinking?
It grew by 2,948 people (+1.03%) in the latest year, and has changed +5.28% since 2020.

How does Solothurn rank in Switzerland?
Solothurn is 13th of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, with 3.2% of the people. Zurich is the largest, with 1.6 million.

What is the population density of Solothurn?
About 367 people per km², on 791 km². Total area, Wikidata.

What is the largest city in Solothurn?
Olten, with about 18 thousand people in the city proper. Metro areas are larger, and years differ (GeoNames).

Source and method

Eurostat, population on 1 January by NUTS 3 region (demo_r_pjanaggr3). Eurostat reuse policy (CC BY 4.0). Total area, Wikidata. Eurostat updates regional populations once a year. Ranks, shares and changes are our arithmetic on the published figures. National figures can differ from the UN’s projection for Switzerland, which uses a different method. The 2026 figure above carries last year’s change forward; it does not come from the source.

Cite this page: Solothurn population, Eurostat, 1 January 2025. GlobeMetrics, https://globemetrics.org/world-population/switzerland/solothurn/

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