# Territorial division by communes

A thematic map of the Atlas of Switzerland, the national atlas published by ETH Zurich. The map is drawn in the browser; this file describes it and lists its variants and links, but not the data values shown on the map.

- Map: https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/theme/territorial-division-by-communes/
- Short title: Communes
- Map id: 111
- Categories: State and Politics › Territorial divisions › Administrative units
- Keywords: Administrative units, Boundaries, State
- Published: 2015-10-09
- Last revised: 2026-09-23
- Content language: English
- Other languages: [Deutsch](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/de/thema/raumgliederung-nach-gemeinden.md), [Français](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/fr/theme/niveau-geographique-communal.md), [Italiano](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/it/tema/suddivisione-territoriale-per-comuni.md)

## Description

### Cantons

The Swiss Confederation is made up of 26 members with equal rights, known as the *cantons* or «states». Among them, there are the following half cantons: Basle-City, Basle-Country, Obwalden, Nidwalden, Appenzell Ausserrhoden and Appenzell Innerrhoden.

### Districts

The administrative level below the canton is the *district*. In 2025, 17 cantons had an administrative level between the canton and the municipality. Together, they comprise 135 districts, administrative districts, offices or regional divisions. If we include the cantons which have no further intermediate administrative level (Uri, Glarus, Obwalden, Nidwalden, Zug, Basel-Stadt, Appenzell Innerrhoden, Neuchâtel and Geneva), we arrive at a total of 144 regions. The beginning of 1997 saw the elimination of the subdivision of canton Appenzell Innerrhoden into an Inner and Outer region. In 2001, the 14 districts of canton Grisons were rearranged to 11 districts, followed in 2003 by the canton St. Gall with a reduction from 14 to eight districts. In 2010, the canton of Berne replaced its 26 districts by ten administrative units. At the end of 2017, all districts in the canton of Neuchâtel were abolished.

### Municipalities and MS regions

The smallest administrative unit is the *commune*. At the beginning of 2026, there were 2113 communes in Switzerland; in the early Nineties, there were more than 3000! This subdivision level is very suitable for spatial analysis. It is used as a statistical observation unit for the Population Census (since 1850). For statistical purposes, some communes are grouped into conurbations. Nowadays, the 106 MS regions (mobilité spatiale) are the most important micro-regional analysis areas in Switzerland.

### Major regions

In the wake of European integration, the process of economic concentration and globalisation, Swiss statistics have created large regional units for the purpose of regional comparisons within Switzerland itself and in Europe. This regionalization is aligned on European statistics. At the end of a process which took several years and required consultation with cantonal governments, the country was divided into seven large regions. This subdivision has been mandatory for Swiss statistics since 1997.

## Sources

- FSO (2003): Statistisches Jahrbuch der Schweiz. Neuchâtel: Verlag Neue Zürcher Zeitung
- FSO (2010): Statistisches Jahrbuch der Schweiz. Neuchâtel: Verlag Neue Zürcher Zeitung
- FSO (2016): [Institutionelle Gliederungen der Schweiz](http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/regionen/11/geo/institutionelle_gliederungen/00.html)
- BFS/OFS/UST/FSO (2016): [Taschenstatistik der Schweiz 2016](http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/00/01/02.html). Neuchâtel: Bundesamt für Statistik. (= Statistische Grundlagen und Übersichten)

## Data sources

- Atlas of Switzerland (2010): [Basiskarte 1:500.000](http://www.atlasderschweiz.ch/)
- Atlas of Switzerland: [Administrative Einheiten 1:500.000 (Gemeinden, Bezirke, Kantone)](http://www.atlasderschweiz.ch/)
- BFS (2023): [Gemeindestand 1.1.2023](https://www.agvchapp.bfs.admin.ch/de/home)
- BFS (2023): [Amtliches Gemeindeverzeichnis der Schweiz](https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/de/home/grundlagen/agvch.html)
- BFS (2025): [Gemeindestand](https://www.agvchapp.bfs.admin.ch/de)
- BFS (2025): [Mutierte Gemeinden](https://www.agvchapp.bfs.admin.ch/de/mutated-communes/query)
- BFS (2026): [Gemeindestand](https://www.agvchapp.bfs.admin.ch/de/state/query)
- BFS/OFS/UST/FSO (2016): [Amtliches Gemeindeverzeichnis der Schweiz](http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/infothek/nomenklaturen/blank/blank/gem_liste/03.html). Neuchâtel: BFS
- FSO (2016): [Institutionelle Gliederungen der Schweiz](http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/regionen/11/geo/institutionelle_gliederungen/00.html)
- FSO (2017): [Applikation der Schweizer Gemeinden](https://www.communes.bfs.admin.ch/de/home)
- FSO (2018): [Amtliches Gemeindeverzeichnis der Schweiz](https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/de/home/grundlagen/agvch.assetdetail.4924498.html). Neuchâtel: BFS
- FSO (2020): [Amtliches Gemeindeverzeichnis der Schweiz](https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/de/home/grundlagen/agvch.assetdetail.11467406.html). Neuchâtel
- FSO (2020): [Amtliches Gemeindeverzeichnis der Schweiz](https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/de/home/grundlagen/agvch.assetdetail.15264524.html). Neuchâtel
- swisstopo (2010): [Gemeindegrenzen GG25](https://shop.swisstopo.admin.ch/de/products/landscape/boundaries3D)
- swisstopo (2010): [Gemeindegrenzen GC25](https://www.swisstopo.admin.ch/de/home.html)
- swisstopo (2021): [Gemeindegrenzen GG25](https://shop.swisstopo.admin.ch/de/products/landscape/boundaries3D)
- Swisstopo (2025): [swissBOUNDARIES3D](https://www.swisstopo.admin.ch/de/landschaftsmodell-swissboundaries3d)
- Swisstopo (2026): [swissBOUNDARIES3D](https://www.swisstopo.admin.ch/de/landschaftsmodell-swissboundaries3d)
- swisstopo [J160089] (2010): [Gemeindegrenzen GG25](https://shop.swisstopo.admin.ch/de/products/landscape/boundaries3D)
- swisstopo [J160089] (2010): [VECTOR25](https://shop.swisstopo.admin.ch/de/products/landscape/vector25)
- swisstopo [J160089] (2010): [Landeskarte 1:500.000](https://shop.swisstopo.admin.ch/de/products/maps/national/lk500)
- wikipedia (2023): [Gemeindestandsveränderungen in der Schweiz](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gemeindestandsver%C3%A4nderungen_in_der_Schweiz)
- Wikipedia (2025): [Gemeindestandsveränderungen in der Schweiz](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gemeindestandsver%C3%A4nderungen_in_der_Schweiz)
- Wikipedia contributors (2024): [Gemeindestandsveränderungen in der Schweiz](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gemeindestandsver%C3%A4nderungen_in_der_Schweiz)

## Data owners

- [Atlas of Switzerland (AoS)](http://www.atlasderschweiz.ch/)
- [Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO)](https://www.bfs.admin.ch/)
- [Wikipedia contributors (Wikipedia)](https://www.wikipedia.org/)
- [Swiss Federal Office of Topography (swisstopo)](http://www.swisstopo.admin.ch/)

## Citation

The terms of use ask to name the Atlas of Switzerland and the data owners, and to keep the source references in exports, screenshots and embeds. Cite the map as:

> Atlas of Switzerland (2026): Territorial division by communes. ETH Zürich. Map data © AoS, FSO, Wikipedia, swisstopo. https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/theme/territorial-division-by-communes/

## Variants

The map has 27 variants. Levels: spatial unit → time. The `u` value of a variant selects it in the links below.

- Communes
  - 2000: `u=ARcABQAA`
  - 2001: `u=ARgABQAA`
  - 2002: `u=AkAABQAA`
  - 2003: `u=AkEABQAA`
  - 2004: `u=AkIABQAA`
  - 2005: `u=AkMABQAA`
  - 2006: `u=AkQABQAA`
  - 2007: `u=AkYABQAA`
  - 2008: `u=AkUABQAA`
  - 2009: `u=AkcABQAA`
  - 2010: `u=AkgABQAA`
  - 2011: `u=AkkABQAA`
  - 2012: `u=AkoABQAA`
  - 2013: `u=AksABQAA`
  - 2014: `u=AkwABQAA`
  - 2015: `u=Ak0ABQAA`
  - 2016: `u=AuEABQAA`
  - 2017: `u=AuIABQAA`
  - 2018: `u=AxAABQAA`
  - 2019: `u=AxUABQAA`
  - 2020: `u=Ay8ABQAA`
  - 2021: `u=AzIABQAA`
  - 2022: `u=A4IABQAA`
  - 2023: `u=A-YABQAA`
  - 2024: `u=A_QABQAA`
  - 2025: `u=BBMABQAA`
  - 2026: `u=BCoABQAA` (default)

## Links

Replace `{u}` with the `u` value of a variant above, or leave out `u={u}` for the default variant. The map opens at its full extent; a link cannot set the map position.

- Map: https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/theme/territorial-division-by-communes/?u={u}
- Short link, stays valid when the title changes: https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/t/111/?u={u}
- Side by side with another map: https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/comparison/?lt=111&lu={u}&rt={id of the other map}&ru={u of the other map, or leave out}

Embed in another website (allowed by the terms of use, as long as the source references stay visible):

```html
<iframe src="https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/embed/?id=111&u={u}&dm=e&ig=1" style="border:0;width:100%;height:600px;max-width:100%;" loading="lazy" title="Theme “Communes” in the Atlas of Switzerland" allowfullscreen sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups" allow="geolocation" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin"></iframe>
```

In the embed URL, `dm` sets what is shown: `e` the map with its title bar (default), `p` also the values of an object clicked on the map, `m` only the map with a button that opens it in the atlas. `ig=1` (default) lets the map react to scrolling and dragging only after a click into it, `ig=0` right away. The size can be changed in `style`.

## Related maps

- [Territorial division by cantons](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/theme/territorial-division-by-cantons.md) (id 102)
- [Territorial division by districts](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/theme/territorial-division-by-districts.md) (id 260)

For the use and citation of maps and data, see the [terms of use](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/terms-of-use/).