Gams: population and statistics
Gams has a population of 3,736 (2025) across 22.3 km², or 168 people per km². It ranks 604 of 2,115 municipalities by population. Its population is growing: +13.3% between 2015 and 2025.
- 3,736 residents
- 22.3 km²
- 168 people/km²
- 579 m
Key points
Among the 75 municipalities in St. Gallen, Gams ranks No. 50 by population.
Heat pumps as main heating: 39.6% in Gams, compared with an average of 30.7% in St. Gallen and 15.5% nationally.
Share of single-family houses among residential buildings: 78.3% in Gams, compared with an average of 64.1% in St. Gallen and 56.9% nationally.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 40° generates about 1,231 kWh a year here.
Gams in numbers
Where is Gams?
Population of Gams over time
Gams had 3,296 residents in 2015 and 3,736 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 3,587 |
| 2021 | 3,612 |
| 2022 | 3,606 |
| 2023 | 3,711 |
| 2024 | 3,728 |
| 2025 | 3,736 |
Did you know?
- “Heat pumps as main heating”: higher than in 95% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 3,119 football pitches.
- The nearest more populous municipality is Grabs (7,535 residents), 2.3 km away.
- A 4 kWp rooftop solar system here would generate about 4,924 kWh a year, roughly what an average household uses.
All indicators for Gams
Value for the municipality, then the regional average and the national median (for counts: regional and national totals). The gauge places the municipality between the lowest and highest value in the country.
Population
| Indicator | Gams | St. Gallen | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged 65 and over (2025) | 19.2% | 19.9% | 20.7% | ranked 1,180 of 1,811 |
Housing
| Indicator | Gams | St. Gallen | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwellings (2026) | 1,750 | 280,853 | 4,927,050 | ranked 685 of 2,108 | |
| Dwellings in buildings built before 1946 (2026) | 25.3% | 23.5% | 23.3% | ranked 789 of 1,806 | |
| Dwellings in buildings built since 2001 (2026) | 32.7% | 24.8% | 25.3% | ranked 438 of 1,806 | |
| Share of single-family houses among residential buildings (2026) | 78.3% | 64.1% | 69.5% | ranked 315 of 1,806 |
Energy
| Indicator | Gams | St. Gallen | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oil or gas heating systems (2026) | 31.6% | 52.2% | 53.5% | ranked 1,597 of 1,806 | |
| Heat pumps as main heating (2026) | 39.6% | 30.7% | 13.7% | ranked 85 of 1,806 | |
| Wood heating systems (2026) | 19.8% | 9.0% | 12.4% | ranked 552 of 1,806 | |
| District heating (2026) | 4.8% | 6.0% | 1.4% | ranked 481 of 1,806 | |
| Photovoltaic installations (2026) | 339 | 26,111 | 329,600 | ranked 220 of 2,108 | |
| Installed photovoltaic capacity per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 2,153 kW | 1,325 kW | 1,134 kW | ranked 174 of 1,806 | |
| Rooftop solar electricity potential (2026) | 37.2 GWh/year | 4,072 GWh/year | 64,783 GWh/year | ranked 524 of 2,114 | |
| Rooftop solar potential per inhabitant (2026) | 9,963 kWh/inh. | 7,485 kWh/inh. | 9,356 kWh/inh. | ranked 798 of 1,810 |
Economy
| Indicator | Gams | St. Gallen | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Establishments (2024) | 259 | 39,699 | 728,011 | ranked 595 of 2,112 | |
| Entities listed in the commercial register (2026) | 245 | 42,658 | 762,757 | ranked 622 of 2,115 | |
| Entities in the commercial register per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 65.6 | 78.4 | 64.9 | ranked 879 of 1,811 | |
| Share of limited companies (AG, GmbH) among registered entities (2026) | 62.0% | 65.2% | 65.7% | ranked 1,234 of 1,808 | |
| Share of sole proprietorships among registered entities (2026) | 29.8% | 29.2% | 29.0% | ranked 830 of 1,808 |
Employment
| Indicator | Gams | St. Gallen | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jobs (2024) | 1,292 | 317,461 | 5,679,518 | ranked 684 of 2,111 | |
| Jobs per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 345.8 | 583.5 | 362.9 | ranked 968 of 1,810 | |
| Share of jobs in services (2024) | 49.0% | 64.9% | 63.6% | ranked 1,382 of 1,804 | |
| Share of jobs in industry and construction (2024) | 38.9% | 30.3% | 24.2% | ranked 315 of 1,776 |
Society
| Indicator | Gams | St. Gallen | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of foreign nationals (2025) | 25.7% | 27.2% | 18.9% | ranked 497 of 1,811 |
Sunshine and temperatures: Gams
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Gams?
Gams has 3,736 residents (2025), ranking 604 of 2,115 municipalities.
How big is Gams?
Gams covers 22.3 km², with a density of 168 people per km².
Is the population of Gams growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Gams went from 3,296 to 3,736, a change of +13.3%.
Where is Gams?
Gams is in St. Gallen. It belongs to Wahlkreis Werdenberg (district). Latitude 47.200, longitude 9.433.
Heat pumps as main heating: what is the figure for Gams?
In Gams, “Heat pumps as main heating” stands at 39.6% (2026), ranking 85 of 1,806 municipalities; the national median is 13.7%.
Share of single-family houses among residential buildings: what is the figure for Gams?
In Gams, “Share of single-family houses among residential buildings” stands at 78.3% (2026), ranking 315 of 1,806 municipalities; the national median is 69.5%.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Gams?
In Gams, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 40° produces about 1,231 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Gams?
The nearest to Gams are Grabs (2.3 km), Buchs (SG) (4.8 km), Sennwald (8.9 km), Sevelen (9.7 km), Wildhaus-Alt St. Johann (11 km).