īern is also the capital of the canton of Bern, the second-most populous of Switzerland's cantons. The metropolitan area had a population of 660,000 in 2000.

The Bern agglomeration, which includes 36 municipalities, had a population of 406,900 in 2014. With a population of about 133,000 (as of 2022 ), Bern is the fifth-most populous city in Switzerland, behind Zürich, Geneva, Basel and Lausanne. Altenberg, Aaregg, Bümpliz, Bethlehem, Beundenfeld, Bottigen, Breitenrain, Breitfeld, Brunnadern, Dählhölzli, Engeried, Gäbelbach, Grosser Bremgartenwald, Gryphenhübeli, Felsenau, Holligen, Innere Stadt, Kirchenfeld, Könizbergwald, Länggasse, Lorraine, Muesmatt, Murifeld, Neufeld, Sandrain, Schosshalde, Spitalacker, Stöckacker, Tiefenau, Wankdorf, Weissenbühl, Weissensteinīremgarten bei Bern, Frauenkappelen, Ittigen, Kirchlindach, Köniz, Mühleberg, Muri bei Bern, Neuenegg, Ostermundigen, Wohlen bei Bern, Zollikofenīern ( Swiss Standard German: ⓘ, German: ), or Berne ( French: ⓘ), is the de facto capital of Switzerland, referred to as the ' federal city'.