Canton of Geneva: observed built density
Canton · 45 municipalities with parcel data · Parcel data as of July 2025
- Parcels
- 72’748
2 % of Switzerland
- Municipal zones
- 342
- Median utilization
- 49 %
Switzerland: 10 %
- Median GFZ
- 0.23
Switzerland: 0.09
- Median height
- 9.3 m
Switzerland: 9.5 m
- Median floors
- 2.4
Switzerland: 2.3
About Canton of Geneva
The parcel data covers 45 municipalities of the canton of Geneva: 72’748 parcels in 342 municipal zone records. The municipalities with the most parcels are Genève, Veyrier and Vernier.
The median parcel is built to a volume utilization of 49 %; half of the parcels lie between 6 % and 111 %. The Swiss median is 10 %, so Geneva sits above it.
The median building height is 9.3 m at 2.4 floors, and the median floor-area ratio (GFZ) is 0.23. Parcels built in the last 20 years reach a mean volume utilization of 120 % (9’051 parcels), higher than the 91 % across all building years.
Parcels by municipal zone
| Zone | Parcels |
|---|---|
| Zone de développement 5 | 24’713 |
| Zone de développement 4B protégée | 16’924 |
| Zone agricole | 16’209 |
| Zone de développement 3 | 9’308 |
| Zone des bois et forêts | 2’663 |
| Zone de développement industriel et artisanal | 1’521 |
| Zone de verdure | 618 |
| Zone de protection de la nature et du paysage | 197 |
| Zone ferroviaire | 182 |
| Zone de hameaux | 156 |
| Zone des eaux et des rives | 141 |
| Zone sportive | 111 |
| Other zones (2) | 5 |
Zone labels are municipal spellings, so one zone type can appear under several names.
Volume utilization (ratioV)
Of the 72’158 parcels with a value, half lie between 6 % and 111 %. The median is 49 % and the mean 84 %.
Share of parcels by range
- below 50 %50 %
- 50 % to below 100 %21 %
- 100 % to below 150 %12 %
- 150 % and above17 %
Floor-area ratio (GFZ)
Of the 72’155 parcels with a value, half lie between 0.06 and 0.64. The median is 0.23 and the mean 0.93.
Share of parcels by range
- below 0.5071 %
- 0.50 to below 1.0010 %
- 1.00 to below 1.503 %
- 1.50 and above16 %
Building height
Of the 42’599 parcels with a value, half lie between 7.3 m and 13.2 m. The median is 9.3 m and the mean 11.9 m.
Share of parcels by range
- below 8 m34 %
- 8 m to below 12 m38 %
- 12 m to below 20 m12 %
- 20 m and above16 %
Number of floors
Of the 34’851 parcels with a value, half lie between 1.7 and 3.4. The median is 2.4 and the mean 3.1.
Share of parcels by range
- below 218 %
- 2 to below 335 %
- 3 to below 529 %
- 5 and above17 %
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 | 72’748 | 91 % |
| Last 60 years | 27’607 | 125 % |
| Last 40 years | 20’014 | 118 % |
| Last 20 years | 9’051 | 120 % |
| Last 15 years | 6’434 | 127 % |
| Last 10 years | 4’367 | 137 % |
| Last 5 years | 1’856 | 148 % |
Municipalities of the canton of Geneva
| Name | Parcels | Zones | Median utilization | Median height | Median floors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genève | 10’296 | 10 | 99 % | 23.5 m | 6.3 |
| Veyrier | 3’377 | 7 | 72 % | 7.9 m | 2.1 |
| Vernier | 3’327 | 11 | 56 % | 8.6 m | 2.1 |
| Collonge-Bellerive | 3’258 | 9 | 61 % | 8.2 m | 2.1 |
| Bernex | 3’178 | 9 | 9 % | 8.7 m | 2.3 |
| Lancy | 2’632 | 10 | 50 % | 10.1 m | 2.6 |
| Plan-les-Ouates | 2’585 | 9 | 65 % | 8.0 m | 2.2 |
| Thônex | 2’512 | 10 | 61 % | 7.9 m | 2.1 |
| Meyrin | 2’339 | 9 | 44 % | 9.4 m | 2.4 |
| Satigny | 2’280 | 9 | 7 % | 9.5 m | 2.1 |
| Chêne-Bougeries | 2’267 | 9 | 69 % | 9.2 m | 2.2 |
| Versoix | 2’062 | 11 | 62 % | 8.8 m | 2.2 |
| Onex | 1’596 | 8 | 79 % | 8.7 m | 2.3 |
| Carouge (GE) | 1’564 | 10 | 73 % | 13.6 m | 3.4 |
| Anières | 1’462 | 10 | 9 % | 8.5 m | 2.1 |
| Le Grand-Saconnex | 1’449 | 9 | 72 % | 7.8 m | 2.2 |
| Avusy | 1’350 | 6 | 8 % | 8.6 m | 2.2 |
| Cologny | 1’329 | 9 | 70 % | 9.3 m | 2.1 |
| Pregny-Chambésy | 1’327 | 10 | 61 % | 8.3 m | 2.1 |
| Chancy | 1’201 | 5 | 7 % | 9.0 m | 2.6 |
| Vandoeuvres | 1’195 | 5 | 65 % | 8.3 m | 2.1 |
| Confignon | 1’155 | 7 | 67 % | 8.5 m | 2.3 |
| Chêne-Bourg | 1’115 | 7 | 60 % | 9.2 m | 2.4 |
| Corsier (GE) | 1’106 | 8 | 12 % | 8.2 m | 2.1 |
| Genthod | 1’068 | 9 | 77 % | 8.0 m | 2.2 |
| Bellevue | 1’025 | 10 | 69 % | 8.2 m | 2.3 |
| Bardonnex | 1’024 | 8 | 9 % | 9.2 m | 2.3 |
| Cartigny | 1’011 | 6 | 7 % | 8.8 m | 2.4 |
| Troinex | 999 | 6 | 48 % | 8.3 m | 2.1 |
| Jussy | 994 | 5 | 7 % | 9.5 m | 2.2 |
| Avully | 941 | 5 | 7 % | 9.4 m | 2.6 |
| Dardagny | 904 | 8 | 7 % | 9.6 m | 2.1 |
| Meinier | 877 | 7 | 8 % | 9.1 m | 2.3 |
| Choulex | 848 | 7 | 8 % | 8.5 m | 2.2 |
| Laconnex | 810 | 5 | 7 % | 9.1 m | 2.3 |
| Aire-la-Ville | 802 | 8 | 9 % | 8.6 m | 2.3 |
| Puplinge | 786 | 5 | 9 % | 8.9 m | 2.4 |
| Collex-Bossy | 733 | 5 | 21 % | 8.8 m | 2.2 |
| Hermance | 731 | 7 | 10 % | 9.0 m | 2.2 |
| Perly-Certoux | 727 | 6 | 9 % | 10.0 m | 2.7 |
| Soral | 622 | 4 | 7 % | 9.3 m | 2.4 |
| Russin | 597 | 7 | 6 % | 8.7 m | 2.2 |
| Presinge | 502 | 5 | 7 % | 8.9 m | 2.1 |
| Céligny | 454 | 9 | 9 % | 9.6 m | 2.1 |
| Gy | 331 | 3 | 9 % | 8.4 m | 2.1 |
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).