Mels: population and statistics
Mels has a population of 9,581 (2025) across 139.1 km², or 68.9 people per km². It ranks 196 of 2,115 municipalities by population. Its population is growing: +11.1% between 2015 and 2025.
- 9,581 residents
- 139.1 km²
- 69 people/km²
- 522 m
Key points
Among the 75 municipalities in St. Gallen, Mels ranks No. 15 by population.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 39° generates about 1,229 kWh a year here.
Mels in numbers
Where is Mels?
Population of Mels over time
Mels had 8,620 residents in 2015 and 9,581 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 8,716 |
| 2021 | 8,991 |
| 2022 | 9,311 |
| 2023 | 9,538 |
| 2024 | 9,581 |
| 2025 | 9,581 |
Did you know?
- “Photovoltaic installations”: higher than in 93% of municipalities.
- “Dwellings”: higher than in 90% of municipalities.
- “Establishments”: higher than in 90% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 19,483 football pitches.
- Its population density is 3.4 times lower than the national average.
- The nearest municipality is Sargans, 1.8 km away.
- The nearest more populous municipality is Chur (39,753 residents), 24 km away.
All indicators for Mels
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 | Mels | St. Gallen | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged 65 and over (2025) | 19.2% | 19.9% | 20.7% | ranked 1,178 of 1,811 |
Housing
| Indicator | Mels | St. Gallen | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwellings (2026) | 4,776 | 280,853 | 4,927,050 | ranked 210 of 2,108 | |
| Dwellings in buildings built before 1946 (2026) | 21.4% | 23.5% | 23.3% | ranked 995 of 1,806 | |
| Dwellings in buildings built since 2001 (2026) | 28.4% | 24.8% | 25.3% | ranked 696 of 1,806 | |
| Share of single-family houses among residential buildings (2026) | 74.7% | 64.1% | 69.5% | ranked 553 of 1,806 |
Energy
| Indicator | Mels | St. Gallen | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oil or gas heating systems (2026) | 45.1% | 52.2% | 53.5% | ranked 1,203 of 1,806 | |
| Heat pumps as main heating (2026) | 29.6% | 30.7% | 13.7% | ranked 251 of 1,806 | |
| Wood heating systems (2026) | 20.6% | 9.0% | 12.4% | ranked 519 of 1,806 | |
| District heating (2026) | 3.2% | 6.0% | 1.4% | ranked 624 of 1,806 | |
| Photovoltaic installations (2026) | 399 | 26,111 | 329,600 | ranked 152 of 2,108 | |
| Installed photovoltaic capacity per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 941.2 kW | 1,325 kW | 1,134 kW | ranked 1,189 of 1,806 | |
| Rooftop solar electricity potential (2026) | 67.7 GWh/year | 4,072 GWh/year | 64,783 GWh/year | ranked 188 of 2,114 | |
| Rooftop solar potential per inhabitant (2026) | 7,065 kWh/inh. | 7,485 kWh/inh. | 9,356 kWh/inh. | ranked 1,371 of 1,810 |
Economy
| Indicator | Mels | St. Gallen | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Establishments (2024) | 643 | 39,699 | 728,011 | ranked 211 of 2,112 | |
| Entities listed in the commercial register (2026) | 570 | 42,658 | 762,757 | ranked 257 of 2,115 | |
| Entities in the commercial register per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 59.5 | 78.4 | 64.9 | ranked 1,136 of 1,811 | |
| Share of limited companies (AG, GmbH) among registered entities (2026) | 63.2% | 65.2% | 65.7% | ranked 1,129 of 1,808 | |
| Share of sole proprietorships among registered entities (2026) | 29.5% | 29.2% | 29.0% | ranked 857 of 1,808 |
Employment
| Indicator | Mels | St. Gallen | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jobs (2024) | 3,715 | 317,461 | 5,679,518 | ranked 263 of 2,111 | |
| Jobs per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 387.7 | 583.5 | 362.9 | ranked 811 of 1,810 | |
| Share of jobs in services (2024) | 67.6% | 64.9% | 63.6% | ranked 749 of 1,804 | |
| Share of jobs in industry and construction (2024) | 24.0% | 30.3% | 24.2% | ranked 900 of 1,776 |
Society
| Indicator | Mels | St. Gallen | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of foreign nationals (2025) | 20.1% | 27.2% | 18.9% | ranked 813 of 1,811 |
Sunshine and temperatures: Mels
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Mels?
Mels has 9,581 residents (2025), ranking 196 of 2,115 municipalities.
How big is Mels?
Mels covers 139.1 km², with a density of 69 people per km².
Is the population of Mels growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Mels went from 8,620 to 9,581, a change of +11.1%.
Where is Mels?
Mels is in St. Gallen. It belongs to Wahlkreis Sarganserland (district). Latitude 47.050, longitude 9.417.
Photovoltaic installations: what is the figure for Mels?
In Mels, “Photovoltaic installations” stands at 399 (2026), ranking 152 of 2,108 municipalities; the national median is 103.
Dwellings: what is the figure for Mels?
In Mels, “Dwellings” stands at 4,776 (2026), ranking 210 of 2,108 municipalities; the national median is 990.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Mels?
In Mels, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 39° produces about 1,229 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Mels?
The nearest to Mels are Sargans (1.8 km), Vilters-Wangs (4.5 km), Wartau (6.3 km), Flums (7.3 km), Bad Ragaz (8.4 km).