Thal: population and statistics
Thal has a population of 7,217 (2025) across 9.6 km², or 753 people per km². It ranks 269 of 2,115 municipalities by population. Its population is growing: +12.3% between 2015 and 2025.
- 7,217 residents
- 9.6 km²
- 753 people/km²
- 423 m
Key points
Among the 75 municipalities in St. Gallen, Thal ranks No. 22 by population.
Entities in the commercial register per 1,000 inhabitants: 106.8 in Thal, compared with an average of 78.4 in St. Gallen and 83.6 nationally.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 38° generates about 1,163 kWh a year here.
Thal in numbers
Where is Thal?
Population of Thal over time
Thal had 6,426 residents in 2015 and 7,217 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 6,722 |
| 2021 | 6,769 |
| 2022 | 6,914 |
| 2023 | 7,097 |
| 2024 | 7,137 |
| 2025 | 7,217 |
Did you know?
- “Photovoltaic installations”: higher than in 95% of municipalities.
- “Entities in the commercial register per 1,000 inhabitants”: higher than in 92% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 1,342 football pitches.
- Its population density is 3.2 times the national average.
- The nearest municipality is Rheineck, 1.3 km away.
- The nearest more populous municipality is Altstätten (12,788 residents), 9.9 km away.
- A 4 kWp rooftop solar system here would generate about 4,652 kWh a year, roughly what an average household uses.
All indicators for Thal
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 | Thal | St. Gallen | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged 65 and over (2025) | 21.3% | 19.9% | 20.7% | ranked 801 of 1,811 |
Housing
| Indicator | Thal | St. Gallen | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwellings (2026) | 3,622 | 280,853 | 4,927,050 | ranked 296 of 2,108 | |
| Dwellings in buildings built before 1946 (2026) | 22.1% | 23.5% | 23.3% | ranked 965 of 1,806 | |
| Dwellings in buildings built since 2001 (2026) | 27.7% | 24.8% | 25.3% | ranked 746 of 1,806 | |
| Share of single-family houses among residential buildings (2026) | 74.4% | 64.1% | 69.5% | ranked 577 of 1,806 |
Energy
| Indicator | Thal | St. Gallen | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oil or gas heating systems (2026) | 59.6% | 52.2% | 53.5% | ranked 702 of 1,806 | |
| Heat pumps as main heating (2026) | 31.6% | 30.7% | 13.7% | ranked 212 of 1,806 | |
| Wood heating systems (2026) | 3.8% | 9.0% | 12.4% | ranked 1,551 of 1,806 | |
| District heating (2026) | 3.4% | 6.0% | 1.4% | ranked 590 of 1,806 | |
| Photovoltaic installations (2026) | 450 | 26,111 | 329,600 | ranked 106 of 2,108 | |
| Installed photovoltaic capacity per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 2,243 kW | 1,325 kW | 1,134 kW | ranked 156 of 1,806 | |
| Rooftop solar electricity potential (2026) | 71.6 GWh/year | 4,072 GWh/year | 64,783 GWh/year | ranked 175 of 2,114 | |
| Rooftop solar potential per inhabitant (2026) | 9,922 kWh/inh. | 7,485 kWh/inh. | 9,356 kWh/inh. | ranked 804 of 1,810 |
Economy
| Indicator | Thal | St. Gallen | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Establishments (2024) | 569 | 39,699 | 728,011 | ranked 244 of 2,112 | |
| Entities listed in the commercial register (2026) | 771 | 42,658 | 762,757 | ranked 181 of 2,115 | |
| Entities in the commercial register per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 106.8 | 78.4 | 64.9 | ranked 153 of 1,811 | |
| Share of limited companies (AG, GmbH) among registered entities (2026) | 70.4% | 65.2% | 65.7% | ranked 484 of 1,808 | |
| Share of sole proprietorships among registered entities (2026) | 24.4% | 29.2% | 29.0% | ranked 1,319 of 1,808 |
Employment
| Indicator | Thal | St. Gallen | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jobs (2024) | 4,062 | 317,461 | 5,679,518 | ranked 239 of 2,111 | |
| Jobs per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 562.8 | 583.5 | 362.9 | ranked 367 of 1,810 | |
| Share of jobs in services (2024) | 54.0% | 64.9% | 63.6% | ranked 1,235 of 1,804 | |
| Share of jobs in industry and construction (2024) | 44.1% | 30.3% | 24.2% | ranked 209 of 1,776 |
Society
| Indicator | Thal | St. Gallen | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of foreign nationals (2025) | 24.9% | 27.2% | 18.9% | ranked 537 of 1,811 |
Sunshine and temperatures: Thal
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Thal?
Thal has 7,217 residents (2025), ranking 269 of 2,115 municipalities.
How big is Thal?
Thal covers 9.6 km², with a density of 753 people per km².
Is the population of Thal growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Thal went from 6,426 to 7,217, a change of +12.3%.
Where is Thal?
Thal is in St. Gallen. It belongs to Wahlkreis Rorschach (district). Latitude 47.466, longitude 9.567.
Photovoltaic installations: what is the figure for Thal?
In Thal, “Photovoltaic installations” stands at 450 (2026), ranking 106 of 2,108 municipalities; the national median is 103.
Entities in the commercial register per 1,000 inhabitants: what is the figure for Thal?
In Thal, “Entities in the commercial register per 1,000 inhabitants” stands at 106.8 (2026), ranking 153 of 1,811 municipalities; the national median is 64.9.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Thal?
In Thal, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 38° produces about 1,163 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Thal?
The nearest to Thal are Rheineck (1.3 km), Lutzenberg (1.6 km), Wolfhalden (1.8 km), Walzenhausen (3.1 km), Heiden (3.9 km).