Hölstein is a municipality in the Bezirk Waldenburg, located between Liestal and Waldenburg at an altitude of 426 meters above sea level. It covers a total surface area of 603 hectares. Table 2 summarizes the key features of the municipality, and figure 1 shows Hölstein on the map.

Hölstein was first documented in 1093 as "Hulestein," which translates to "hollow stone" or "by the hollow rock." In the 14th century, the village was a fief of the Ziefener, a branch of the Eptinger family. More information can be found on the Wikipedia page at https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hölstein.

As of 2025, Hölstein has a population of 2,691 people. In 2024, the proportion of foreigners stood at 21.53 percent, while Swiss citizens made up the rest. The population is composed of 532 children (0-17 years), 1,602 working-age adults (18-65 years), and 557 older adults (over 65 years). There are 1,388 men and 1,303 women. Hölstein ranks 25th in total population among the 86 municipalities of Baselland. Table 2 shows the population by age groups since 2005.

The municipality’s total surface of 603 hectares is divided into 15.4 percent settlement area, 43.4 percent agricultural area, and 40.5 percent forest.

Hölstein’s tax revenue ranks 25th in the canton. The tax revenue per adult capita and the municipal tax multiplier rank among the 86 municipalities of Baselland are also notable.

In 2022, Hölstein’s energy consumption was dominated by heating oil with 15,222.61 MWh, followed by electricity with 12,439.03 MWh, environmental heat with 5,289.9 MWh, wood with 4,578.81 MWh, photovoltaics with 756.53 MWh, and thermal solar energy with 185.79 MWh. Electricity consumption per capita in Hölstein ranks 22nd among all municipalities in the canton. Very low or very high per capita consumption can be caused by the presence or absence of industrial activity, leading to higher electricity consumption.

As of 2026, Hölstein had a total of 1,623 passenger cars and delivery vans. Of these, 1,364 vehicles had combustion engines (mainly petrol and diesel), and 259 were electric cars, making up 16.0 percent of the car stock. Table 3 below provides further details.

In 2024, Hölstein recycled waste across several categories. For glass, the total recycled amount was 14.0 kg per capita, ranking 75th in the canton. For green waste, the amount was 89.0 kg per capita, ranking 44th. Household waste and bulky goods amounted to 157.0 kg per capita, ranking 15th. Oils had 0.0 kg per capita, ranking 30th. Paper and cardboard totaled 24.0 kg per capita, ranking 47th. Other metals amounted to 4.0 kg per capita, ranking 22nd. Tinplate and aluminum totaled 1.0 kg per capita, ranking 52nd. Table 4 shows total recycled waste, recycled waste per capita, and the corresponding canton-wide comparison values.