Wattwil: population and statistics
Wattwil has a population of 9,262 (2025) across 51.2 km², or 181 people per km². It ranks 213 of 2,115 municipalities by population. Its population is growing: +7.9% between 2015 and 2025.
- 9,262 residents
- 51.2 km²
- 181 people/km²
- 643 m
Key points
Among the 75 municipalities in St. Gallen, Wattwil ranks No. 17 by population.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 39° generates about 1,106 kWh a year here.
Wattwil in numbers
Where is Wattwil?
Population of Wattwil over time
Wattwil had 8,581 residents in 2015 and 9,262 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 8,837 |
| 2021 | 8,877 |
| 2022 | 8,954 |
| 2023 | 9,161 |
| 2024 | 9,165 |
| 2025 | 9,262 |
Did you know?
- “Establishments”: higher than in 93% of municipalities.
- “Rooftop solar electricity potential”: higher than in 92% of municipalities.
- “Dwellings”: higher than in 90% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 7,178 football pitches.
- The nearest municipality is Lichtensteig, 2.3 km away.
- The nearest more populous municipality is Uzwil (14,676 residents), 18 km away.
- A 4 kWp rooftop solar system here would generate about 4,424 kWh a year, roughly what an average household uses.
All indicators for Wattwil
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 | Wattwil | St. Gallen | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged 65 and over (2025) | 23.2% | 19.9% | 20.7% | ranked 491 of 1,811 |
Housing
| Indicator | Wattwil | St. Gallen | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwellings (2026) | 4,753 | 280,853 | 4,927,050 | ranked 214 of 2,108 | |
| Dwellings in buildings built before 1946 (2026) | 33.6% | 23.5% | 23.3% | ranked 465 of 1,806 | |
| Dwellings in buildings built since 2001 (2026) | 17.3% | 24.8% | 25.3% | ranked 1,408 of 1,806 | |
| Share of single-family houses among residential buildings (2026) | 68.5% | 64.1% | 69.5% | ranked 966 of 1,806 |
Energy
| Indicator | Wattwil | St. Gallen | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oil or gas heating systems (2026) | 49.2% | 52.2% | 53.5% | ranked 1,059 of 1,806 | |
| Heat pumps as main heating (2026) | 22.2% | 30.7% | 13.7% | ranked 464 of 1,806 | |
| Wood heating systems (2026) | 21.6% | 9.0% | 12.4% | ranked 477 of 1,806 | |
| District heating (2026) | 4.6% | 6.0% | 1.4% | ranked 493 of 1,806 | |
| Photovoltaic installations (2026) | 376 | 26,111 | 329,600 | ranked 184 of 2,108 | |
| Installed photovoltaic capacity per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 1,332 kW | 1,325 kW | 1,134 kW | ranked 679 of 1,806 | |
| Rooftop solar electricity potential (2026) | 72.7 GWh/year | 4,072 GWh/year | 64,783 GWh/year | ranked 169 of 2,114 | |
| Rooftop solar potential per inhabitant (2026) | 7,845 kWh/inh. | 7,485 kWh/inh. | 9,356 kWh/inh. | ranked 1,207 of 1,810 |
Economy
| Indicator | Wattwil | St. Gallen | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Establishments (2024) | 808 | 39,699 | 728,011 | ranked 156 of 2,112 | |
| Entities listed in the commercial register (2026) | 639 | 42,658 | 762,757 | ranked 219 of 2,115 | |
| Entities in the commercial register per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 69.0 | 78.4 | 64.9 | ranked 750 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) | 30.7% | 29.2% | 29.0% | ranked 749 of 1,808 |
Employment
| Indicator | Wattwil | St. Gallen | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jobs (2024) | 4,696 | 317,461 | 5,679,518 | ranked 205 of 2,111 | |
| Jobs per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 507.0 | 583.5 | 362.9 | ranked 476 of 1,810 | |
| Share of jobs in services (2024) | 60.3% | 64.9% | 63.6% | ranked 1,017 of 1,804 | |
| Share of jobs in industry and construction (2024) | 32.4% | 30.3% | 24.2% | ranked 541 of 1,776 |
Society
| Indicator | Wattwil | St. Gallen | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of foreign nationals (2025) | 27.4% | 27.2% | 18.9% | ranked 413 of 1,811 |
Sunshine and temperatures: Wattwil
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Wattwil?
Wattwil has 9,262 residents (2025), ranking 213 of 2,115 municipalities.
How big is Wattwil?
Wattwil covers 51.2 km², with a density of 181 people per km².
Is the population of Wattwil growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Wattwil went from 8,581 to 9,262, a change of +7.9%.
Where is Wattwil?
Wattwil is in St. Gallen. It belongs to Wahlkreis Toggenburg (district). Latitude 47.296, longitude 9.083.
Establishments: what is the figure for Wattwil?
In Wattwil, “Establishments” stands at 808 (2024), ranking 156 of 2,112 municipalities; the national median is 131.
Rooftop solar electricity potential: what is the figure for Wattwil?
In Wattwil, “Rooftop solar electricity potential” stands at 72.7 GWh/year (2026), ranking 169 of 2,114 municipalities; the national median is 19.0 GWh/year.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Wattwil?
In Wattwil, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 39° produces about 1,106 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Wattwil?
The nearest to Wattwil are Lichtensteig (2.3 km), Ebnat-Kappel (4.7 km), Neckertal (5.6 km), Bütschwil-Ganterschwil (6.2 km), Gommiswald (6.7 km).