Swiss Land Use Statistics
Since the 1980s, the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) has been producing data on the state and development of land use in Switzerland through the Land Use Statistics. The Land Use Statistics have thus become an indispensable tool for long-term spatial monitoring. The results enable an assessment of how developments in land use align with the objectives of spatial planning and the sustainable management of land as a finite resource
With the survey cycle that began in 2021, the dataset will cover five periods. The first three surveys were conducted every 12 years, and from the fourth survey onward, the interval was reduced to every 9 years.
Statistical Method
Statistically, the 2020/25 Land Use Statistics are based on the same survey method as those from 1979/85, 1992/97, 2004/09, and 2013/18 ensuring full comparability across all five periods and enabling the robust analysis of land use changes over time.
The data for the 2020/25 Land Use Statistics are based on digital color aerial photographs taken between 2020 and 2025, supplied by the Federal Office of Topography (swisstopo).
Human and AI Interpretation
The interpretation of land use and land cover is based on fixed sample points distributed across Switzerland on a 100-meter grid, overlaid on aerial imagery. Interpretation is carried out at specialized workstations using three-dimensional stereo visualization. During this process, codes assigned in the previous survey are compared with current situation visible in the aerial image, and any changes are recorded accordingly.
Because land use and land cover have been recorded consistently across all survey periods, it is possible to trace how each sample point was classified at any given time and how its use and cover have changed over time.
Since 2022, a new IT solution has combined expert visual interpretation of aerial images with machine learning algorithms from the field of artificial intelligence. These algorithms predict changes and classify points, enabling partial automation of the survey workflow. this tool was developed as part of a broader effort to modernize statistical production through new technologies and the integration of existing digital data sources. It marks the first use of data science technology in official federal statistics in Switzerland.
