How many cantons does the Swiss federal state have?
Wie viele Kantone hat der Schweizer Bundesstaat?
Correct answer: B
- A 12 (10 cantons and 2 half-cantons)12 (10 Kantone und 2 Halbkantone)
- B 26 (20 cantons and 6 half-cantons)26 (20 Kantone und 6 Halbkantone)
- C 34 (28 cantons and 6 half-cantons)34 (28 Kantone und 6 Halbkantone)
- D 16 (12 cantons and 4 half-cantons)16 (12 Kantone und 4 Halbkantone)
Why
Switzerland has 26 cantons. Six of them used to be half-cantons, for example Basel-Stadt and Basel-Landschaft.
Exam answer: «26 (20 Kantone und 6 Halbkantone)». Today: the Federal Constitution no longer speaks of half-cantons, but of 26 cantons, 6 of which have half a cantonal vote (Federal Constitution Art. 1 and 142, as of 2026).
Common mistakes
- D: 16 (12 cantons and 4 half-cantons)
- 16 is the number of federal states (Bundesländer) in Germany, not the number of cantons in Switzerland.
- A: 12 (10 cantons and 2 half-cantons)
- With 12 cantons there would be less than half as many as there really are.
Topic
Three levels of government and 26 cantons
Switzerland is a federal state. Federalism means: power is distributed across several levels. Switzerland has three levels of government. The highest level is the Confederation, that is the whole of Switzerland. The middle level is the cantons. The lowest level is the municipalities. Each level has its own tasks, its own authorities and levies its own taxes.
Confederation
1
Foreign policy · Monetary policy · Customs · Social security
Canton
26 = 20 + 6
Halbkanton: former name for the 6 cantons with only half a cantonal vote, for example Basel-Stadt.
Municipality
≈ 2,200 (2021)
What happens at the border or applies to the whole country (army, customs, foreign policy, franc) is done by the Confederation. What happens on your doorstep (school, police, water, fire service) is done by the canton and the municipality.
How the state works
Federalism: Confederation, cantons, municipalities
Sources
Last checked: September 2026
Question 57 of the official question list of the Canton of Zurich (Gemeindeamt, May 2025). Translation and explanation: Swiss Passport.