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Living in St. Gallen

St. Gallen had 78,863 residents at the end of 2024 and is a city in Switzerland. The foreign population count was 26,957 at the end of 2024.

Lower unemployment than 64% of Swiss cities that publish it and cleaner air than 86% of Swiss cities that publish it.

Which Switzerland-wide rules apply when you move to St. Gallen?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in SwitzerlandNational rates and thresholds that apply in St. Gallen.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

No city-level rent or cost figure is published for St. Gallen yet. Switzerland has country-level context; it is not substituted for this city.

Work and income

What is the unemployment rate in St. Gallen?

The unemployment rate is 2 % (2022). Source: Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS/FSO), source data SECO1

Unemployment across cities in SwitzerlandUnemployment in St. Gallen is 2.0%. Of 175 cities with data, 52 have unemployment of 2 to under 3%.
unemployment rate, % · measured cities in Switzerland per band12 cities: 0% to under 1%120–151 cities: 1% to under 2%511–252 cities: 2% to under 3%522–3St. Gallen 2.0%38 cities: 3% to under 4%383–415 cities: 4% to under 5%154–52 cities: 5% to under 6%25–62 cities: 6% to under 7%26–71 city: 8% to under 9%18–91 city: 9% to under 10%19–101 city: 11% to under 12%111–12

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Median gross salary (regional)4,096 EUR/month31 Dec 2024www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch14Official
Unemployment rate2 %country median 2.3%31 Dec 2022Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS/FSO), source data SECO1Official

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to St. Gallen. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

arbeit.swiss — Public employment service

State Secretariat for Economic Affairs / public employment service

Job SearchCareer Counselling
Register
Open the Switzerland service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in St. Gallen. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for St. Gallen. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.

Country-level information

Cantonal integration programmes — Newcomer Adaptation

SEM and cantons

For migrants, refugees.

German, French, ItalianIn Person
Open official information

fide language promotion system — State Language Course

State Secretariat for Migration (SEM)

For adult migrants.

German, French, ItalianIn Person, Online
Open official information
Open the full Switzerland section
National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in St. Gallen.

Climate and air quality

Is the air quality good in St. Gallen?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 7.4 µg/m³ (2021) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: cdn.who.int2

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C
St. Gallen average monthly daytime high and night-time low temperature, °C-10°0°10°20°30°JFMAMJJASOND22°-2°Daytime highNight-time low
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
St. Gallen average monthly precipitation, mm0501001502006764871031571701741851381059390JFMAMJJASONDmm
Sunshine through the yearAverage monthly sunshine, hours
St. Gallen average monthly sunshine, hours06012018024057791321681862002272091541015948JFMAMJJASONDhours
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits
St. Gallen annual air pollutant levels against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limitsCity valueWHO guidelineEU limit5257.4PM2.5µg/m³

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in SwitzerlandAnnual PM2.5 in St. Gallen is 7.4 µg/m³. Of 42 cities with data, 11 have annual PM2.5 of 8 to under 9 µg/m³.
annual PM2.5, µg/m³ · measured cities in Switzerland per band1 city: 2 µg/m³ to under 3 µg/m³12–33 cities: 6 µg/m³ to under 7 µg/m³36–78 cities: 7 µg/m³ to under 8 µg/m³87–8St. Gallen 7.411 cities: 8 µg/m³ to under 9 µg/m³118–99 cities: 9 µg/m³ to under 10 µg/m³99–108 cities: 10 µg/m³ to under 11 µg/m³810–111 city: 16 µg/m³ to under 17 µg/m³116–171 city: 17 µg/m³ to under 18 µg/m³117–18

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
PM2.5 — annual mean7.4 µg/m³country median 8.831 Dec 2021cdn.who.int2Official
Average daytime high by monthJan 2.9 · Feb 3.8 · Mar 7.9 · Apr 12.2 · May 16.5 · Jun 19.9 · Jul 21.7 · Aug 21.3 · Sep 16.8 · Oct 12.4 · Nov 7 · Dec 3.9 °C31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO4Official · nearest-station reading
Average night-time low by monthJan -2.3 · Feb -2 · Mar 1 · Apr 4.2 · May 8.2 · Jun 11.8 · Jul 13.6 · Aug 13.6 · Sep 9.9 · Oct 6.3 · Nov 1.6 · Dec -1.6 °C31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO5Official · nearest-station reading
Average temperature by monthJan 0.2 · Feb 0.8 · Mar 4.4 · Apr 8.1 · May 12.2 · Jun 15.7 · Jul 17.5 · Aug 17.2 · Sep 13.1 · Oct 9.2 · Nov 4.3 · Dec 1.3 °C31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO6Official · nearest-station reading
Average precipitation by monthJan 66.8 · Feb 64.2 · Mar 87.3 · Apr 102.9 · May 156.5 · Jun 170.2 · Jul 174.4 · Aug 185.3 · Sep 137.8 · Oct 104.8 · Nov 92.7 · Dec 90.4 mm31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO7Official · nearest-station reading
Average sunshine by monthJan 56.7 · Feb 79.4 · Mar 131.8 · Apr 167.5 · May 185.5 · Jun 200 · Jul 226.7 · Aug 209.4 · Sep 153.9 · Oct 101.3 · Nov 58.8 · Dec 47.5 hours31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO8Official · nearest-station reading

Cities of a similar size in Switzerland

Closest published populations, for a like-for-like comparison.

All Switzerland cities
Luzern86,234 residentsLugano63,629 residentsBiel/Bienne56,896 residentsWinterthur120,376 residentsNeuchâtel45,309 residentsBellinzona45,305 residents

Population and city profile

How many people live in St. Gallen?

The published population was 78,863 people in 2024. Source: Switzerland official denominator source13

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population
St. Gallen residents by nationalityBy nationalityNational passport65.8%Foreign residents34.2%

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Cars per 1,000 residents432.1 cars/1000 residents31 Dec 2024Swiss Federal Statistical Office/OFS/BFS12Official
City area39.31 km²2017Exact BFS Arealstatistik municipality area: sum of exhaustive NOAS top-level categories 1-4, PERIOD=A4 (2013-2018), FJ=2017, municipality REGION state 2025-01-01; hectares converted to km².3Official
Foreign Nonpermanent Resident Population Total537 people31 Dec 2024Permanent and non permanent resident population by municipality, resident type and citizenship, 20249Official
Foreign residents26,957 people31 Dec 2024Ständige Wohnbevölkerung, Staatsangehörigkeit = Ausland, Gemeinde grain, 31.12.2024.10Official
Nonpermanent Resident Population Total537 people31 Dec 2024Permanent and non permanent resident population by municipality, resident type and citizenship, 20249Official
Population density2,006 people/km²31 Dec 2024Reproducible density from BFS STATPOP permanent population at 31.12.2024 divided by the exact official BFS municipality area denominator (2013-2018; FJ=2017; area observed_at=2017).3Official
Population78,863 people31 Dec 2024Switzerland official denominator source13Official
Swiss Nonpermanent Resident Population Total0 people31 Dec 2024Permanent and non permanent resident population by municipality, resident type and citizenship, 20249Official
Swiss Permanent Resident Population Total51,906 people31 Dec 2024Permanent and non permanent resident population by municipality, resident type and citizenship, 20249Official
Foreign residents over time17 published observations, 2009–2025
Foreign residents in St. Gallen by year, residents20,04422,51924,99427,469200920132019202526,957residents

Foreign residents rose 30.1% between 2009 and 2025, from 20,727 to 26,957.

International community in St. Gallen

Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.

Country of birth

Non-permanent resident population, total sex, all ages · 2025-12-31

Published groupPeopleShare
Place of birth - total484100.0%
Abroad47297.5%
In Switzerland122.5%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source11

Country of birth

Permanent resident population, total sex, all ages · 2025-12-31

Published groupPeopleShare
Place of birth - total79,487100.0%
In Switzerland48,98061.6%
Abroad30,50738.4%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source11

Citizenship

Permanent resident population, total sex, all ages · 2025-12-31

Published groupPeopleShare
Citizenship - total79,487100.0%
Switzerland52,01665.4%
Germany5,6057.1%
Italy2,8433.6%
Kosovo1,9122.4%
Austria1,2491.6%
Portugal1,1901.5%
Serbia1,1681.5%
North Macedonia9581.2%
Eritrea8741.1%
Show 139 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
Spain8621.1%
Türkiye8291.0%
Bosnia and Herzegovina8101.0%
Ukraine7340.9%
Croatia6020.8%
Afghanistan5170.7%
Romania4290.5%
Greece4040.5%
Hungary3990.5%
Sri Lanka3780.5%
Somalia3650.5%
Syria3470.4%
Poland3370.4%
China3130.4%
France2180.3%
Slovakia2060.3%
Bulgaria1810.2%
Russia1640.2%
Vietnam1640.2%
Iraq1620.2%
Slovenia1570.2%
United Kingdom1530.2%
Brazil1510.2%
Netherlands1460.2%
Czechia1250.2%
Thailand1210.2%
Iran1170.1%
United States1130.1%
Tunisia1070.1%
Ethiopia1030.1%
Sweden860.1%
Montenegro820.1%
Dominican Republic800.1%
India790.1%
Algeria720.1%
Morocco610.1%
Albania600.1%
Philippines570.1%
Liechtenstein560.1%
No indication530.1%
Pakistan520.1%
Nigeria510.1%
Finland450.1%
Ireland450.1%
Colombia420.1%
Belgium380.0%
Norway380.0%
Latvia330.0%
Egypt330.0%
Mexico330.0%
Lithuania310.0%
Kenya310.0%
Congo (Kinshasa)310.0%
Japan310.0%
Lebanon310.0%
Canada300.0%
Denmark290.0%
Angola270.0%
Belarus260.0%
Stateless220.0%
Cuba220.0%
Indonesia210.0%
Singapore210.0%
Peru200.0%
Cameroon180.0%
Chile180.0%
Mongolia170.0%
South Korea170.0%
Australia170.0%
Uzbekistan160.0%
Moldova150.0%
South Africa150.0%
Israel140.0%
Azerbaijan140.0%
Guinea130.0%
Sudan130.0%
Yemen130.0%
Nepal130.0%
Argentina120.0%
Ecuador120.0%
Luxembourg110.0%
Gambia110.0%
Taiwan (Chinese Taipei)110.0%
Cambodia110.0%
Bangladesh110.0%
Senegal100.0%
Armenia100.0%
Georgia100.0%
Ghana90.0%
Kazakhstan90.0%
Costa Rica80.0%
Nicaragua80.0%
New Zealand80.0%
Iceland70.0%
Cyprus70.0%
Libya70.0%
Venezuela70.0%
Estonia60.0%
Côte d'Ivoire60.0%
Bolivia60.0%
Madagascar40.0%
Zimbabwe40.0%
Zambia40.0%
Tanzania40.0%
Dominica40.0%
Saudi Arabia40.0%
Andorra30.0%
Malta30.0%
Djibouti30.0%
Sierra Leone30.0%
Burundi20.0%
Guinea-Bissau20.0%
Mali20.0%
Rwanda20.0%
Togo20.0%
Guatemala20.0%
Panama20.0%
Trinidad and Tobago20.0%
Grenada20.0%
Jordan20.0%
Qatar20.0%
Kuwait20.0%
Malaysia20.0%
Palestine20.0%
Gabon10.0%
Congo (Brazzaville)10.0%
Liberia10.0%
Mauritius10.0%
Niger10.0%
Namibia10.0%
Uganda10.0%
Haiti10.0%
Paraguay10.0%
Uruguay10.0%
Myanmar10.0%
Oman10.0%
Timor-Leste10.0%
Kyrgyzstan10.0%
Turkmenistan10.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source11

Is St. Gallen a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile
Remote worker64%strong on work, weak on safety · range 54–74%
Skilled employee64%strong on work, weak on safety · range 54–74%
Student58%strong on legal route, weak on safety · range 46–70%
Family64%strong on family, weak on safety · range 52–76%
Retirement57%strong on air quality, weak on admin · range 45–69%
Foreign residents26,957 people31 Dec 2024Official source · Ständige Wohnbevölkerung, Staatsangehörigkeit = Ausland, Gemeinde grain, 31.12.2024.
Population78,863 people31 Dec 2024Official source · Switzerland official denominator source
Median gross salary (regional)4,096 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Official source · www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch
Unemployment rate2 %31 Dec 2022Official source · Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS/FSO), source data SECO
PM2.5 — annual mean7.4 µg/m³31 Dec 2021Official source · cdn.who.int
Cars per 1,000 residents432.1 cars/1000 residents31 Dec 2024Official source · Swiss Federal Statistical Office/OFS/BFS
Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-08-27

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in St. Gallen under the national coverage rules.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in St. Gallen?

The published population was 78,863 people in 2024. Source: Switzerland official denominator source.

Is the air quality good in St. Gallen?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 7.4 µg/m³ (2021) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: cdn.who.int.

What is the unemployment rate in St. Gallen?

The unemployment rate is 2 % (2022). Source: Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS/FSO), source data SECO.

What is the typical salary around St. Gallen?

The median gross salary is 4,096 EUR/month. Source: www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch.

How many foreign residents live in St. Gallen?

26,957 people residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Ständige Wohnbevölkerung, Staatsangehörigkeit = Ausland, Gemeinde grain, 31.12.2024..

Is St. Gallen a good place to live?

St. Gallen may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

How many people born in Place of birth - total live in St. Gallen?

The official country of birth distribution records 484 people (100.0%) in the source-defined population for 2025-12-31. This is a country of birth measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, September 12). St. Gallen, Switzerland: salary, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ch/3203-st-gallen/ Retrieved 2026-09-12. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_st-gallen-switzerland-salary-jobs_c9f83ba718f5,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {St. Gallen, Switzerland: salary, jobs},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-12},
  version = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  snapshot = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ch/3203-st-gallen/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-12. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[St. Gallen, Switzerland: salary, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ch/3203-st-gallen/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; retrieved 2026-09-12; built 2026-09-12.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown
  1. Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS/FSO), source data SECO dam-api.bfs.admin.ch · checked 2026-08-04
  2. cdn.who.int cdn.who.int · checked 2026-08-26
  3. Exact BFS Arealstatistik municipality area: sum of exhaustive NOAS top-level categories 1-4, PERIOD=A4 (2013-2018), FJ=2017, municipality REGION state 2025-01-01; hectares converted to km². disseminate.stats.swiss · checked 2026-07-15
  4. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-06
  5. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-06
  6. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-06
  7. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-06
  8. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-06
  9. Permanent and non permanent resident population by municipality, resident type and citizenship, 2024 pxweb.bfs.admin.ch · checked 2026-07-18
  10. Ständige Wohnbevölkerung, Staatsangehörigkeit = Ausland, Gemeinde grain, 31.12.2024. pxweb.bfs.admin.ch · checked 2024-12-31
Show 4 more sources
  1. Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO) pxweb.bfs.admin.ch · checked 2026-08-30
  2. Swiss Federal Statistical Office/OFS/BFS pxweb.bfs.admin.ch · checked 2026-08-08
  3. Switzerland official denominator source pxweb.bfs.admin.ch · checked 2026-07-14
  4. www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch pxweb.bfs.admin.ch · checked 2026-08-27

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.