Cities in Switzerland

All 6 cities in Switzerland with more than 100,000 residents: the official population, a short profile and the crime rate recorded by the police, set against the rate for Switzerland.

Municipalities (Gemeinden / communes) with at least 100,000 permanent residents on 31 December 2025. The figures cover the municipality only, not the wider agglomeration.

How to read the figures

• Population is the latest official figure from the Federal Statistical Office (BFS).
• The crime rate is: criminal code offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025, from the Federal Statistical Office (BFS), police crime statistics (PKS), as published in the cantonal PKS reports. National rate: Switzerland 61.3.
• The BFS itself says police crime statistics are better suited to trends over time than to comparing places. Large cities draw many commuters and visitors, which raises their rates.
• Compare cities within Switzerland only: every country defines and records crime differently.
• The figure is not your personal risk: offences are counted where they happen, so city centres with many commuters and visitors record higher rates.

All 6 cities

City	Region	Residents	Crime rate
Zurich	Canton of Zürich	440,935	101.8
Geneva	Canton of Geneva	211,152	121.6
Basel	Canton of Basel-Stadt	180,097	154.7
Lausanne	Canton of Vaud	145,596	141.3
Bern	Canton of Bern	138,562	154.8
Winterthur	Canton of Zürich	120,741	79.9

The cities, from largest

Zurich (Zürich)

Canton of Zürich · 440,935 residents on 31 December 2025.

Zurich is Switzerland's largest city, and the city administration describes the financial sector as shaping its economy. It is home to ETH Zurich, founded in 1855, and the University of Zurich, Switzerland's largest university with more than 27,000 students.

Criminal Code offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Zurich 101.8, Switzerland 61.3.

Sources – population: BFS · Crime: BFS police crime statistics · About the city: Finanzplatz Zürich 2025/2026 – Stadt Zürich, Portrait – ETH Zurich, At a Glance – University of Zurich

Geneva (Genève)

Canton of Geneva · 211,152 residents on 31 December 2025.

Geneva is Switzerland's second-largest city and hosts the United Nations Office at Geneva; according to UN Geneva, more than 40 international organisations and over 180 permanent missions are based in Geneva. The University of Geneva was founded in 1559.

Criminal Code offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Geneva 121.6, Switzerland 61.3.

Sources – population: BFS · Crime: BFS police crime statistics · About the city: About – The United Nations Office at Geneva, About the University – Université de Genève

Basel

Canton of Basel-Stadt · 180,097 residents on 31 December 2025.

Basel lies on the Rhine at the border triangle of Switzerland, France and Germany and is Switzerland's third-largest city. Life-sciences companies such as Roche and Novartis have headquarters or major functions in the Basel region, and the University of Basel is Switzerland's oldest university.

Criminal Code offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Basel 154.7, Switzerland 61.3.

Sources – population: BFS · Crime: BFS police crime statistics · About the city: Basel – one canton, three municipalities – Kanton Basel-Stadt, Important industries and companies – Kanton Basel-Stadt, History – University of Basel

Lausanne

Canton of Vaud · 145,596 residents on 31 December 2025.

Lausanne, on Lake Geneva, has been the capital of the canton of Vaud since 1803 and the home of the International Olympic Committee since 1915. The University of Lausanne and the federal institute of technology EPFL share a lakeside campus.

Criminal Code offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Lausanne 141.3, Switzerland 61.3.

Sources – population: BFS · Crime: BFS police crime statistics · About the city: Histoire – Ville de Lausanne, Siège du CIO – Ville de Lausanne, Université et EPF – Ville de Lausanne

Bern

Canton of Bern · 138,562 residents on 31 December 2025.

Bern is the Swiss federal city: in 1848 the two chambers of parliament chose it as the seat of the federal authorities. It is home to the University of Bern, and its old town has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983.

Criminal Code offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Bern 154.8, Switzerland 61.3.

Sources – population: BFS · Crime: BFS police crime statistics · About the city: 175 Jahre Bern als Bundesstadt – Stadt Bern, Universität: Das ist Bern – Universität Bern, UNESCO Weltkulturerbe – Stadt Bern

Winterthur

Canton of Zürich · 120,741 residents on 31 December 2025.

Winterthur, in the canton of Zürich about 25 km north-east of Zurich, is Switzerland's sixth-largest city. It hosts campuses of the ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences, and Zurich Airport is about 13 minutes away by train.

Criminal Code offences recorded by the police per 1,000 residents, 2025: Winterthur 79.9, Switzerland 61.3.

Sources – population: BFS · Crime: BFS police crime statistics · About the city: Standorte und Infrastruktur – ZHAW School of Management and Law

Sources and method

Population: BFS (Swiss Federal Statistical Office) – STATPOP: Ständige und nichtständige Wohnbevölkerung nach Jahr, Kanton/Bezirk/Gemeinde … (px-x-0102010000_101), permanent resident population on 31 December 2025, definitive results. Crime: BFS Polizeiliche Kriminalstatistik (PKS) 2025 – Häufigkeitszahlen (frequency rates) for offences against the Criminal Code (StGB) by Gemeinde, as published in the BFS-format cantonal PKS annual reports 2025 (Zürich, Genève, Basel-Stadt, Vaud, Bern), all with the table source line "BFS – Polizeiliche Kriminalstatistik (PKS) 2025". Where a figure was not published for a city, we say so rather than estimate it. Found an error? Write to editor@relocateineurope.com.