Open Data Insight of the Day

Nestled in the Bezirk Laufen, the municipality of Zwingen sits at an altitude of 345 meters above sea level, placing it at rank 64 among the 86 municipalities in the canton of Basel-Landschaft. With a total surface area of 461 hectares, it holds the 51st position in terms of size. Table 2 summarizes the key features of the municipality, and figure 1 shows Zwingen on the map.

Zwingen is a village with a long history, first documented in 1194 when it was granted to the Beinwil monastery. It later became a fief of the Lords of Ramstein and was under the control of the Bishop of Basel for centuries before passing through the Raurach Republic and the Canton of Laufen. After a period in the Canton of Bern, Zwingen ultimately joined Basel-Landschaft in 1994. A more detailed summary is available on its Wikipedia page.

As of 2024, Zwingen is home to 2,892 residents, making it the 23rd most populous municipality in the canton. The population consists of 2,071 Swiss citizens and 821 foreigners, with foreigners making up 28.39 percent of the population, the 15th highest proportion in Basel-Landschaft. The age structure shows 531 young people (0-17 years), 1,908 individuals of working age (18-65), and 453 older adults (over 65). The gender ratio is nearly balanced, with 1,452 women and 1,440 men. Table 2 shows the population by age groups since 2005.

The land use in Zwingen reflects a balanced distribution across its 461 hectares. Settlement areas account for 29.3 percent of the surface, agricultural land uses 28.9 percent, and forests cover 39.1 percent. The remaining 2.6 percent is classified as unproductive surface.

In terms of municipal finances, Zwingen generates a notable tax revenue, ranking 24th in the canton for total tax income. The municipal tax multiplier and its specific rank among the 86 municipalities are detailed in the accompanying financial tables.

The energy consumption profile for Zwingen in 2022 shows a reliance on heating oil, which accounted for 18,109.55 MWh of gross energy. Electricity consumption was 9,386.55 MWh, wood contributed 4,094.86 MWh, and environmental heat sources provided 4,173.1 MWh. Other sources included photovoltaics, biogas, natural gas, and thermal solar energy. For electricity, a common benchmark, Zwingen's per capita consumption of 3.4 MWh places it at rank 47 in the canton, a middle position that suggests a balanced mix of residential and possibly some industrial activity without extremes in consumption.

The vehicle stock in Zwingen, as of 2026, consists of 2,040 passenger cars and delivery vans. Of these, 1,759 run on petrol, diesel, or other combustion engines, while 281 are electric vehicles. This means 13.8 percent of the local vehicle fleet is electric, a figure detailed in table 3.

In waste recycling for 2024, Zwingen shows varied performance across categories. Residents recycled 125 kg of green waste per capita, ranking 25th in the canton, and 154 kg per capita of household rubbish and bulky waste, ranking 17th. The recycling rate for white tin and aluminum, at 2 kg per capita, achieves a strong rank of 16. However, recycling rates for glass and paper are lower, with ranks of 72 and 76, respectively. The total recycled waste, per capita values, and canton-wide comparisons are shown in table 4. With two categories ranked within the top 25 and one in the top 20, Zwingen demonstrates a committed, if mixed, approach to recycling.