About Lichtensteig
Lichtensteig is a municipality in the Wahlkreis (constituency) of Toggenburg in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland.
- Canton
- St. Gallen
- Area
- 51.2 km²
Population
9'165residents
Median taxable income
CHF 55'470
Vacancy
0.60%
Foreign residents
27.0%
Dwellings
4'667
Jobs (FTE)
4'858
Tax multiplier
129%
Land use across the commune
Every 100 × 100 m of Lichtensteig, coloured by how it's used. Drawn from the BFS Arealstatistik 2025 release — the most recent nationwide snapshot.
Source BFS Arealstatistik
Loading statistics …
Jobs & economy
4'858 full-time-equivalent jobs across 754 businesses — services make up 61% of employment, industry 32% (2018).
Source BFS STATENT
4'858FTE total
Primary6.9%
Secondary32.0%
Tertiary61.1%
Land use
8% built-up, 52% agricultural, 38% forest. Measured across 5'116 hectares (2018).
Source BFS Arealstatistik
Settlement8.4%
Agriculture53.1%
Forest38.5%
Water0.0%
Election Results
SVP led the 2023 National Council election with 39.2%, ahead of Mitte at 16.4%.
Source BFS
SVP39.2%+2.5 pp
Mitte16.4%
SP13.9%+0.9 pp
FDP13.9%+0.1 pp
Grüne7.6%−2.3 pp
GLP3.5%−1.9 pp
EDU1.6%±0 pp
Others
1.2%
2023 vs 2019
Primary / second-home mix
86.9% of dwellings are primary residences; 13.1% are second homes (2026).
Source BFS
Primary residences86.9%
Second homes13.1%
Climate data
Annual mean 8.1°C with 1'818 mm of rain. Warmest in July (17.4°C), coldest in January (-1.1°C). Station: Ebnat-Kappel, 623 m.
Source MeteoSchweiz
8.1°C
Annual mean
Mean 8.1°C
Rain 1818 mm
Ebnat-Kappel · 623 m.a.s.l. · 1991–2020 normals
Warming trend
Mean annual temperature at Säntis has risen by +2.2°C between the first 30 observed years (1864–1893) and the most recent (1996–2025).
Source MeteoSchweiz NBCN
+2.2°C
mean 1996–2025 vs. 1864–1893
Säntis · 2501 m.a.s.l. · 1864–2025
