Open Data Insight of the Day

Nestled on the eastern slope of the Domberg mountain, Hersberg is a small municipality in the Bezirk Liestal of the canton of Basel-Landschaft. At an altitude of 516 meters above sea level, it occupies a total surface area of 166 hectares, placing it among the smaller municipalities in the canton. Table 2 summarizes the key features of the municipality, and figure 1 shows its location on the map.

The history of Hersberg is one of resilience. First documented in 1226, its name suggests an Alemannic origin. The village came under the control of the city of Basel in 1461 and later faced significant hardships, including being plundered by Spanish soldiers during the Thirty Years' War and suffering from the plague. A more detailed summary is available on its Wikipedia page.

As of 2024, Hersberg is home to 392 residents. The population is predominantly Swiss, with 336 citizens compared to 56 foreigners, representing 14.3 percent. The age structure shows a balanced community with 60 young people (0-17 years), 252 in the working-age population (18-65), and 80 older adults (over 65). The gender ratio is nearly equal, with 197 men and 195 women. With this population, Hersberg ranks 78th out of 86 municipalities in the canton by size. Table 2 shows the population by age groups since 2005.

Land use in Hersberg is characterized by its natural landscape. Of its 166-hectare total surface, nearly half (49.7 percent) is forested. Agricultural land accounts for 38.5 percent, while the settlement area makes up 11.8 percent of the territory.

In terms of municipal finances, Hersberg's tax revenue ranks 66th in the canton. The tax revenue per adult capita and the specific municipal tax multiplier, along with their respective ranks among the 86 municipalities, provide further insight into the community's fiscal position.

The energy consumption profile for 2022 shows electricity as the primary energy carrier at 1,592 MWh, followed by environmental heat (1,197 MWh) and heating oil (1,258 MWh). Renewable sources like wood, photovoltaics, and solar thermal also contribute. For electricity specifically, the per capita consumption is 4.3 MWh, ranking Hersberg 28th in the canton. This middle-of-the-pack ranking indicates a typical consumption level, not heavily influenced by large industrial activity which can skew such figures.

The vehicle stock in Hersberg is notably progressive. In 2026, the municipality had 298 passenger cars and delivery vans. Of these, 60 were electric vehicles, representing a significant 20.1 percent share of the total fleet, well above the national average. The remaining 238 vehicles are powered by petrol, diesel, or other combustion engines. This data is detailed in table 3.

Waste recycling data from 2024 shows varied performance across categories. Residents recycled 17 kg of glass per capita (rank 63), 54 kg of green waste (rank 66), and 12 kg of paper and cardboard (rank 71). The municipality performs better in plastic recycling, with 2 kg per capita ranking 17th, and in general waste, with 139 kg of household and bulky waste per capita ranking 39th. With only one category in the top 20, Hersberg is not among the canton's leading municipalities in overall recycling performance. The total recycled waste, per capita values, and canton comparisons are shown in table 4.