More than 50,000 apartments are vacant throughout Switzerland
51,172 or 1.19 percent of all apartments in Switzerland were vacant as of June 1, 2015. Compared with the previous year, the vacancy rate rose by 5,424 apartments or 12 percent. This was revealed by the vacancy census conducted by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO).
All seven major regions recorded an increase in vacant apartments. The highest change in the vacancy rate was observed in northwestern Switzerland, followed by Ticino and eastern Switzerland. The increase was somewhat less pronounced in the major regions of Espace Mittelland, Central Switzerland, the Lake Geneva region and Zurich. In total, 15 cantons were above the 1 percent vacancy mark, which is one more canton than in the previous year. The highest cantonal vacancy rate was observed in the canton of Jura at 2.35 percent, closely followed by that of the canton of Solothurn at 2.33 percent. The lowest vacancy rates were reported by the cantons of Basel-Stadt with 0.34 percent and Basel-Landschaft with 0.39 percent.
On the reporting date of June 1, 2015, 6,416 vacant single-family homes were counted in Switzerland, an increase of 14 percent on the previous year. The number of unoccupied new homes rose by 307 units or 4 percent to 7,706 within the year. At the same time, 40,202 rental apartments in Switzerland were unoccupied, an increase of 12 percent. This is the highest absolute figure since 2000, when 44,344 units were vacant. The number of vacant apartments offered for sale rose by 1,063 units, or just under 11 percent, to a total of 10,970 units. Compared to the previous year, higher vacancy rates were registered for all apartment sizes, the FSO said. (mr)
- Here the Link to the interactive map of the FSO.
