Nestled in the Bezirk Liestal, the municipality of Ziefen is situated at an altitude of 421 meters above sea level and covers a total area of 782 hectares. Figure 1 shows the municipality on the map. Table 2 summarizes the key features of the municipality.

Ziefen is a municipality with a deep history, first recorded in 1226. The village developed from two settlement cores in a wide valley at the foot of steep vineyards. Over centuries, control shifted from the Bishop of Basel to the city of Basel, and it became part of the Liestal district in 1798. The village experienced turmoil during the 1832/33 separation conflicts and had a notable naturalization moratorium from 1835 until 1965. More details can be found on its Wikipedia page.

As of 2025, Ziefen has a population of 1,748 residents. The population is nearly evenly split between men and women, with 875 men and 873 women. In terms of nationality, 86% are Swiss citizens, while 12% are foreign nationals. The age structure shows a balanced community: 19% are children and young people aged 0-17, 60% are of working age between 18 and 65, and 21% are older adults over 65. With this population, Ziefen ranks 35th in size among the 86 municipalities in the canton. Table 2 shows the population by age groups since 2005.

The land use in Ziefen reflects its rural character. Of its 782-hectare total surface, nearly half, 48.5%, is covered by forest. Agricultural land accounts for 42.1% of the area, while settlement area makes up 9.1%. A minimal 0.4% is classified as unproductive surface.

In terms of municipal finances, Ziefen ranks 39th in the canton for total tax revenue. The municipal tax multiplier and its specific rank among the 86 municipalities are not provided in the available data.

The energy consumption profile for Ziefen in 2022 shows a reliance on traditional heating sources. Heating oil was the largest energy carrier at 10,602 MWh, followed by wood at 3,435 MWh and electricity at 4,443 MWh. The community also utilizes renewable sources, with environmental heat (heat pumps) at 3,125 MWh, photovoltaics at 1,006 MWh, and thermal solar energy at 202 MWh. For electricity consumption specifically, Ziefen's per capita use of 2.7 MWh places it 71st out of 86 municipalities, indicating a relatively low consumption level that is likely due to the absence of significant industrial activity. Very low or very high per capita consumption can be caused by the presence or absence of industrial activity, leading to higher electricity consumption.

The vehicle stock in Ziefen, as of 2026, consists of 1,018 passenger cars and delivery vans. Of these, 859 vehicles, or 84%, run on petrol or diesel. The municipality has embraced electric mobility, with 159 electric vehicles, representing 15.6% of the total fleet. This data is detailed in Table 3 below.

Ziefen demonstrates a strong commitment to waste recycling. Data from 2024 shows that residents recycle significant amounts per capita, particularly for green waste (172 kg, ranking 12th in the canton) and paper and cardboard (56 kg, ranking 8th). The municipality also ranks 6th for recycling other metals, with 17 kg per capita. With two categories in the top 10 and a third in the top 12, Ziefen is overall among the leading municipalities in recycling performance. For glass, residents recycle 27 kg per capita, ranking 27th. The amounts for household waste and bulky waste (132 kg, rank 47) and for oils (0 kg, rank 30) are lower. A notably low ranking of 82nd is recorded for tinplate and aluminum, with 0 kg recycled per capita. The total recycled waste, recycled waste per capita, and canton-wide comparison values are shown in Table 4.