Bern: observed built density
Municipality in the canton of Bern · FSO no. 351 · Parcel data as of July 2025
- Parcels
- 16’975
4 % of the canton
- Municipal zones
- 65
- Median utilization
- 102 %
Canton: 32 %
Switzerland: 10 %
- Median GFZ
- 1.02
Canton: 0.09
Switzerland: 0.09
- Median height
- 14.3 m
Canton: 9.5 m
Switzerland: 9.5 m
- Median floors
- 3.5
Canton: 2.3
Switzerland: 2.3
About Bern
Bern is a municipality in the canton of Bern. The parcel data lists 16’975 parcels in 65 municipal zone types. The zone types with the most parcels are Wohnzone, Bauklasse 2 (3’889), Wohnzone, Bauklasse Erhaltung (2’850) and Wohnzone, Bauklasse 3 (2’107).
The median parcel is built to a volume utilization of 102 %; half of the parcels lie between 58 % and 151 %. The canton median is 32 %, so Bern sits above it.
The median building height is 14.3 m at 3.5 floors, and the median floor-area ratio (GFZ) is 1.02. Parcels built in the last 20 years reach a mean volume utilization of 124 % (496 parcels), lower than the 135 % across all building years.
Parcels by municipal zone
| Zone | Parcels | Median utilization |
|---|---|---|
| Wohnzone, Bauklasse 2 | 3’889 | 93 % |
| Wohnzone, Bauklasse Erhaltung | 2’850 | 162 % |
| Wohnzone, Bauklasse 3 | 2’107 | 95 % |
| Wohnzone, Bauklasse 4 | 1’948 | 112 % |
| Wohnzone, Bauklasse SPEZ | 786 | 102 % |
| Wohnzone, Bauklasse 5 | 779 | 94 % |
| Untere Altstadt, Untere Altstadt | 539 | 104 % |
| Obere Altstadt, Obere Altstadt | 407 | 233 % |
| Schutzzone A, Zonen im öff Interesse | 383 | 0 % |
| Landwirtschaftszone, Landwirtschaftszone | 319 | 0 % |
| Übriges Gebiet: Wald | 268 | 0 % |
| Industrie Gewerbezone, Bauklasse 4 | 228 | 89 % |
| Other zones (53) | 2’472 | - |
Volume utilization (ratioV)
Of the 16’844 parcels with a value, half lie between 58 % and 151 %. The median is 102 % and the mean 131 %.
Share of parcels by range
- below 50 %22 %
- 50 % to below 100 %27 %
- 100 % to below 150 %26 %
- 150 % and above25 %
Floor-area ratio (GFZ)
Of the 16’844 parcels with a value, half lie between 0.46 and 1.93. The median is 1.02 and the mean 1.42.
Share of parcels by range
- below 0.5027 %
- 0.50 to below 1.0023 %
- 1.00 to below 1.5016 %
- 1.50 and above34 %
Building height
Of the 14’294 parcels with a value, half lie between 10.9 m and 17.8 m. The median is 14.3 m and the mean 14.7 m.
Share of parcels by range
- below 8 m8 %
- 8 m to below 12 m24 %
- 12 m to below 20 m53 %
- 20 m and above15 %
Number of floors
Of the 11’789 parcels with a value, half lie between 2.6 and 4.5. The median is 3.5 and the mean 3.6.
Share of parcels by range
- below 23 %
- 2 to below 319 %
- 3 to below 553 %
- 5 and above25 %
Building age cohorts
Mean volume utilization of the parcels built inside each window, from all years on record down to the last five. The windows overlap: the last 20 years include the last 5.
| Built in | Parcels | Mean utilization |
|---|---|---|
| All years | 16’975 | 135 % |
| Last 60 years | 2’722 | 148 % |
| Last 40 years | 1’408 | 133 % |
| Last 20 years | 496 | 124 % |
| Last 15 years | 360 | 129 % |
| Last 10 years | 194 | 135 % |
| Last 5 years | 81 | 145 % |
How to read this page
room shows observed built density: what has been built on the parcels, not what the zoning permits. Volume utilization (ratioV) compares the built volume of a parcel with the reference volume of its municipal zone type. The floor-area ratio (GFZ) is floor area divided by parcel area; building height and number of floors are taken from the buildings on a parcel. Figures pool all municipal zones of the area. Medians and quartiles are read from bins 10 points (ratioV), 0.1 (GFZ), 2 m (height) and 1 floor wide, so they are exact to within one bin; means are exact. A parcel counts in a distribution only when the parcel data has a value for it. The floors distribution leaves out parcels without a building (0 floors).