A survey by a newspaper in Valais has found that some councils (Gemeinde) in the canton have more vehicles than residents. The study showed there are seven such communities in Valais alone. What's more, according to the Federal Statistical Office, Valais isn't even the most car-mad Swiss canton.

Swiss villages with more vehicles than people

The sleepy village of Dorénaz has been found to have more vehicles registrations per inhabitant than anywhere else in the country, with 128 bought or leased vehicles per 100 people. It is one of the seven in Canton Valais with more vehicles than people, according to the Road Traffic and Navigation Service of Valais (SCN).

The Head of the SCN, Bruno Abgottspon, said that the large numbers can be explained by new businesses and international companies registering their vehicles in the canton. This is not uncommon, with most rental car providers registering their vehicles in Canton Appenzell Innerrhoden, to take advantage of competitive vehicle taxes.

Authorities in Valais were quick to point out that in contrast to the high number of vehicles in some towns, many others in the canton have chosen to go completely car-free. Authorities used the example of the ski resorts of Zermatt and Saas-Fee, which only have 54,2 and 59,7 vehicles per 100 residents respectively.

The Swiss cantons with the most cars per person 

Every year, the Federal Statistical Office releases its list of all the cantons ranked by the most vehicles per inhabitant. In 2021, the most car-mad cantons were:

1. Zug (70,9 vehicles per 100 people)
2. Schwyz (65,3 vehicles per 100 people)
3. Valais (65,1 vehicles per 100 people)
4. Nidwalden (63,6 vehicles per 100 people)
5. Thurgau (63,3 vehicles per 100 people)
6. Ticino (63,1 vehicles per 100 people)
7. Appenzell Innerrhoden (62 vehicles per 100 people)
8. Obwalden (61,3 vehicles per 100 people)
9. Jura (60,1 vehicles per 100 people)
10. Glarus (59,4 vehicles per 100 people)

Of the largest cantons in Switzerland, Bern came 21st with 52,3 cars, Vaud came 23rd with 51,7, Zurich was 24th with 48,3 and Geneva was 25th with 42,8. The least car-mad canton was Basel Stadt, with only 32,8 vehicles per 100 people.

For more details of how the number of vehicles has changed in Switzerland, and to see where your canton ranked, please consult the Federal Statistical Office website.