Grabs: population and statistics
Grabs has a population of 7,535 (2025) across 54.6 km², or 138 people per km². It ranks 263 of 2,115 municipalities by population. Its population is growing: +8.7% between 2015 and 2025.
- 7,535 residents
- 54.6 km²
- 138 people/km²
- 460 m
Key points
Among the 75 municipalities in St. Gallen, Grabs ranks No. 21 by population.
District heating: 31.3% in Grabs, compared with an average of 6.0% in St. Gallen and 7.3% nationally.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 39° generates about 1,211 kWh a year here.
Grabs in numbers
Where is Grabs?
Population of Grabs over time
Grabs had 6,929 residents in 2015 and 7,535 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 7,220 |
| 2021 | 7,238 |
| 2022 | 7,302 |
| 2023 | 7,402 |
| 2024 | 7,488 |
| 2025 | 7,535 |
Did you know?
- “District heating”: higher than in 98% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 7,654 football pitches.
- The nearest municipality is Gams, 2.3 km away.
- The nearest more populous municipality is Buchs (SG) (14,287 residents), 2.5 km away.
- A 4 kWp rooftop solar system here would generate about 4,844 kWh a year, roughly what an average household uses.
All indicators for Grabs
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 | Grabs | St. Gallen | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged 65 and over (2025) | 21.4% | 19.9% | 20.7% | ranked 786 of 1,811 |
Housing
| Indicator | Grabs | St. Gallen | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwellings (2026) | 3,937 | 280,853 | 4,927,050 | ranked 268 of 2,108 | |
| Dwellings in buildings built before 1946 (2026) | 28.8% | 23.5% | 23.3% | ranked 631 of 1,806 | |
| Dwellings in buildings built since 2001 (2026) | 24.2% | 24.8% | 25.3% | ranked 972 of 1,806 | |
| Share of single-family houses among residential buildings (2026) | 79.4% | 64.1% | 69.5% | ranked 250 of 1,806 |
Energy
| Indicator | Grabs | St. Gallen | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oil or gas heating systems (2026) | 22.6% | 52.2% | 53.5% | ranked 1,725 of 1,806 | |
| Heat pumps as main heating (2026) | 24.8% | 30.7% | 13.7% | ranked 389 of 1,806 | |
| Wood heating systems (2026) | 20.1% | 9.0% | 12.4% | ranked 540 of 1,806 | |
| District heating (2026) | 31.3% | 6.0% | 1.4% | ranked 30 of 1,806 | |
| Photovoltaic installations (2026) | 520 | 26,111 | 329,600 | ranked 81 of 2,108 | |
| Installed photovoltaic capacity per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 1,242 kW | 1,325 kW | 1,134 kW | ranked 784 of 1,806 | |
| Rooftop solar electricity potential (2026) | 63.0 GWh/year | 4,072 GWh/year | 64,783 GWh/year | ranked 217 of 2,114 | |
| Rooftop solar potential per inhabitant (2026) | 8,354 kWh/inh. | 7,485 kWh/inh. | 9,356 kWh/inh. | ranked 1,102 of 1,810 |
Economy
| Indicator | Grabs | St. Gallen | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Establishments (2024) | 463 | 39,699 | 728,011 | ranked 306 of 2,112 | |
| Entities listed in the commercial register (2026) | 492 | 42,658 | 762,757 | ranked 298 of 2,115 | |
| Entities in the commercial register per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 65.3 | 78.4 | 64.9 | ranked 886 of 1,811 | |
| Share of limited companies (AG, GmbH) among registered entities (2026) | 62.4% | 65.2% | 65.7% | ranked 1,206 of 1,808 | |
| Share of sole proprietorships among registered entities (2026) | 31.9% | 29.2% | 29.0% | ranked 656 of 1,808 |
Employment
| Indicator | Grabs | St. Gallen | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jobs (2024) | 4,139 | 317,461 | 5,679,518 | ranked 234 of 2,111 | |
| Jobs per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 549.3 | 583.5 | 362.9 | ranked 395 of 1,810 | |
| Share of jobs in services (2024) | 62.2% | 64.9% | 63.6% | ranked 951 of 1,804 | |
| Share of jobs in industry and construction (2024) | 32.5% | 30.3% | 24.2% | ranked 538 of 1,776 |
Society
| Indicator | Grabs | St. Gallen | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of foreign nationals (2025) | 23.4% | 27.2% | 18.9% | ranked 600 of 1,811 |
Sunshine and temperatures: Grabs
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Grabs?
Grabs has 7,535 residents (2025), ranking 263 of 2,115 municipalities.
How big is Grabs?
Grabs covers 54.6 km², with a density of 138 people per km².
Is the population of Grabs growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Grabs went from 6,929 to 7,535, a change of +8.7%.
Where is Grabs?
Grabs is in St. Gallen. It belongs to Wahlkreis Werdenberg (district). Latitude 47.183, longitude 9.450.
District heating: what is the figure for Grabs?
In Grabs, “District heating” stands at 31.3% (2026), ranking 30 of 1,806 municipalities; the national median is 1.4%.
Jobs: what is the figure for Grabs?
In Grabs, “Jobs” stands at 4,139 (2024), ranking 234 of 2,111 municipalities; the national median is 622.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Grabs?
In Grabs, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 39° produces about 1,211 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Grabs?
The nearest to Grabs are Gams (2.3 km), Buchs (SG) (2.5 km), Sevelen (7.5 km), Sennwald (10 km), Wartau (11 km).