Zurich's Housing Supply Grows Amid Demolitions
Zurich's housing market is expanding, with the construction of new apartments outpacing the number of units lost to demolition. The trend indicates that strong demand for housing continues to drive new development within the city.
- In 2025, the city saw 2,977 new apartments completed while 1,379 were demolished, resulting in a net increase of 2,070 units and bringing the total housing stock to 238,472. - The number of demolitions was the second-highest ever recorded for the city, representing an increase of 539 units from the previous year. - For the first time since 2009, the city of Zurich itself was a larger developer than building cooperatives, completing 768 new units primarily in the Tramdepot Hard, Letzi, and Leutschenbach developments. - Despite the growth in housing stock, Zurich's apartment vacancy rate remains critically low at just 0.1%, indicating that demand continues to significantly outstrip supply. - The high rate of demolition and replacement construction disproportionately affects low-income residents, who are often displaced by new, more expensive rental properties. - New rental agreements in the city of Zurich have become 39% more expensive since 2005, highlighting the rising cost of housing for those entering the market or forced to move. - Future construction activity is expected to remain high, with 79 new projects comprising roughly 3,000 apartments approved in 2025.
