Gossau (SG): population and statistics
Gossau (SG) has a population of 18,943 (2025) across 27.5 km², or 689 people per km². It ranks 64 of 2,115 municipalities by population. Its population is growing: +5.2% between 2015 and 2025.
- 18,943 residents
- 27.5 km²
- 689 people/km²
- 638 m
Key points
Among the 75 municipalities in St. Gallen, Gossau (SG) ranks No. 4 by population.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 39° generates about 1,153 kWh a year here.
Gossau (SG) in numbers
Where is Gossau (SG)?
Population of Gossau (SG) over time
Gossau (SG) had 18,005 residents in 2015 and 18,943 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 17,990 |
| 2021 | 18,017 |
| 2022 | 18,226 |
| 2023 | 18,454 |
| 2024 | 18,633 |
| 2025 | 18,943 |
Did you know?
- “Photovoltaic installations”: higher than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Jobs”: higher than in 97% of municipalities.
- “Dwellings”: higher than in 96% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 3,853 football pitches.
- Its population density is 3.0 times the national average.
- The nearest municipality is Andwil (SG), 3.6 km away.
- The nearest more populous municipality is St. Gallen (79,487 residents), 9.6 km away.
All indicators for Gossau (SG)
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 | Gossau (SG) | St. Gallen | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged 65 and over (2025) | 21.6% | 19.9% | 20.7% | ranked 748 of 1,811 |
Housing
| Indicator | Gossau (SG) | St. Gallen | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwellings (2026) | 9,275 | 280,853 | 4,927,050 | ranked 75 of 2,108 | |
| Dwellings in buildings built before 1946 (2026) | 15.8% | 23.5% | 23.3% | ranked 1,317 of 1,806 | |
| Dwellings in buildings built since 2001 (2026) | 21.5% | 24.8% | 25.3% | ranked 1,142 of 1,806 | |
| Share of single-family houses among residential buildings (2026) | 56.1% | 64.1% | 69.5% | ranked 1,503 of 1,806 |
Energy
| Indicator | Gossau (SG) | St. Gallen | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oil or gas heating systems (2026) | 60.1% | 52.2% | 53.5% | ranked 688 of 1,806 | |
| Heat pumps as main heating (2026) | 31.0% | 30.7% | 13.7% | ranked 224 of 1,806 | |
| Wood heating systems (2026) | 6.0% | 9.0% | 12.4% | ranked 1,354 of 1,806 | |
| District heating (2026) | 0.3% | 6.0% | 1.4% | ranked 1,345 of 1,806 | |
| Photovoltaic installations (2026) | 737 | 26,111 | 329,600 | ranked 31 of 2,108 | |
| Installed photovoltaic capacity per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 1,427 kW | 1,325 kW | 1,134 kW | ranked 610 of 1,806 | |
| Rooftop solar electricity potential (2026) | 147.4 GWh/year | 4,072 GWh/year | 64,783 GWh/year | ranked 32 of 2,114 | |
| Rooftop solar potential per inhabitant (2026) | 7,784 kWh/inh. | 7,485 kWh/inh. | 9,356 kWh/inh. | ranked 1,227 of 1,810 |
Economy
| Indicator | Gossau (SG) | St. Gallen | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Establishments (2024) | 1,294 | 39,699 | 728,011 | ranked 78 of 2,112 | |
| Entities listed in the commercial register (2026) | 1,421 | 42,658 | 762,757 | ranked 83 of 2,115 | |
| Entities in the commercial register per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 75.0 | 78.4 | 64.9 | ranked 566 of 1,811 | |
| Share of limited companies (AG, GmbH) among registered entities (2026) | 66.9% | 65.2% | 65.7% | ranked 794 of 1,808 | |
| Share of sole proprietorships among registered entities (2026) | 27.2% | 29.2% | 29.0% | ranked 1,065 of 1,808 |
Employment
| Indicator | Gossau (SG) | St. Gallen | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jobs (2024) | 13,674 | 317,461 | 5,679,518 | ranked 61 of 2,111 | |
| Jobs per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 721.8 | 583.5 | 362.9 | ranked 189 of 1,810 | |
| Share of jobs in services (2024) | 64.8% | 64.9% | 63.6% | ranked 848 of 1,804 | |
| Share of jobs in industry and construction (2024) | 32.8% | 30.3% | 24.2% | ranked 521 of 1,776 |
Society
| Indicator | Gossau (SG) | St. Gallen | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of foreign nationals (2025) | 23.8% | 27.2% | 18.9% | ranked 577 of 1,811 |
Sunshine and temperatures: Gossau (SG)
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Gossau (SG)?
Gossau (SG) has 18,943 residents (2025), ranking 64 of 2,115 municipalities.
How big is Gossau (SG)?
Gossau (SG) covers 27.5 km², with a density of 689 people per km².
Is the population of Gossau (SG) growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Gossau (SG) went from 18,005 to 18,943, a change of +5.2%.
Where is Gossau (SG)?
Gossau (SG) is in St. Gallen. It belongs to Wahlkreis St. Gallen (district). Latitude 47.416, longitude 9.250.
Photovoltaic installations: what is the figure for Gossau (SG)?
In Gossau (SG), “Photovoltaic installations” stands at 737 (2026), ranking 31 of 2,108 municipalities; the national median is 103.
Jobs: what is the figure for Gossau (SG)?
In Gossau (SG), “Jobs” stands at 13,674 (2024), ranking 61 of 2,111 municipalities; the national median is 622.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Gossau (SG)?
In Gossau (SG), a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 39° produces about 1,153 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Gossau (SG)?
The nearest to Gossau (SG) are Andwil (SG) (3.6 km), Herisau (4.1 km), Flawil (4.1 km), Gaiserwald (6.0 km), Waldkirch (6.1 km).