Ostschweiz: economy, jobs and official figures

Ostschweiz is a statistical region of Switzerland, number 4 of 7 by population. Ostschweiz had 1,250,159 residents on 1 January 2025, 13.8% of the population of Switzerland and 4th largest of 7 regions in Switzerland. That is 9.2% more than in 2015.

In depth

• Economy, jobs and prices in Ostschweiz: The regional economy produced €101.4 billion of output (GDP at market prices) in 2022, 12.4% of Switzerland's GDP.
• Health in Ostschweiz: Life expectancy at birth was 83.9 years in 2024 (84.2 for Switzerland); 6th highest of 7 regions in Switzerland.
• Education in Ostschweiz: The share of adults aged 25 to 64 with a degree-level (tertiary) education was 40.8% in 2025, against 46.2% for Switzerland and 36.9% across the EU; the lowest of 7 regions in Switzerland.
• Poverty and living standards in Ostschweiz: The share of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion was 16.2% in 2024, against 19.3% for Switzerland; 5th highest of 7 regions in Switzerland.
• Government budget and revenue in Ostschweiz: In 2024 the cantonal governments of Eastern Switzerland (Ostschweiz) together spent CHF 12.9 billion in total, or CHF 10,300 per resident, the lowest of 7 greater regions (all cantons: CHF 12,109 per resident).
• Government and politics in Ostschweiz: Eastern Switzerland (Ostschweiz) is a statistical region with no government of its own; power lies with its 7 cantons (Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Appenzell Innerrhoden, Glarus, Graubünden, Schaffhausen, St. Gallen, Thurgau), whose parliaments have 605 seats and whose governments have 39 members in all.

More figures

• In 2025 Eastern Switzerland (Ostschweiz) recorded 10,576 live births and 10,484 deaths, a natural increase of 92, while 52,776 people moved in and 42,068 moved out, a net migration gain of 10,708. Source: Federal Statistical Office (BFS/OFS) · saved copy

Cantons in Ostschweiz

Ostschweiz is made up of 7 cantons. Each has its own page of official figures.

• St. Gallen 540,036
• Thurgau 299,509
• Graubünden / Grigioni / Grischun 206,138
• Schaffhausen 88,667
• Appenzell Ausserrhoden 56,705
• Glarus 42,371
• Appenzell Innerrhoden 16,733

How statistical regions are governed in Switzerland

Cantons (26). Elected cantonal parliament and directly elected government. Own constitutions, police, schools, hospitals, taxes; they decide how communes are organised.

Every tier of government in Switzerland

This is one of the EU's NUTS 2 statistical regions, which Eurostat uses to compare regions across Europe. It does not always match a level of government in Switzerland.

Other statistical regions of Switzerland

• Espace Mittelland 1,962,040
• Région lémanique 1,757,496
• Zürich 1,620,020
• Nordwestschweiz 1,238,515
• Zentralschweiz 863,896
• Ticino 358,903

Up a level: Switzerland · government and power in Switzerland · cities

Sources

• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_d2jan: Population on 1 January, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1572e74fa245…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_d3dens: Population density, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 f4b59fe9d121…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_2gdp: GDP (million euros), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 e3677c4e6d67…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset lfst_r_lfu3rt: Unemployment rate (age 15-74), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 13f5037ce93a…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset lfst_r_lfu3rt: Youth unemployment rate (age 15-24), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 83bb1aebc10b…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset lfst_r_lfe2emprt: Employment rate (age 20-64), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 03191283bf5f…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset ilc_peps11n: At risk of poverty or social exclusion, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 94dcf245d20e…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_mlifexp: Life expectancy at birth, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 62800ed9bbb3…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset edat_lfse_04: Adults (25-64) with a degree-level education, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 6ff9f4bfff72…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset isoc_r_broad_h: Households with broadband, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 b02c9a1ef222…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_fagec: Live births, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 6a1490d549d5…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_magec: Deaths, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 d4821a589633…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset reg_area3: Area, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 75302b0aafe9…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset lfst_r_lfu3rt: Unemployment rates by sex, age, educational attainment level and NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 ac151d8a46d5…)
• Federal Statistical Office (BFS/OFS): Angebot der Krankenhäuser nach Grossregion, Kanton und Betriebstyp, 2010-2024 (Krankenhausstatistik, px-x-1404010100_102), read 24 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 48e34cd9539b…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset isoc_r_iuse_i: Individuals regularly using the internet by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 fb4ff8800853…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset edat_lfse_22: Young people neither in employment nor in education and training (NEET) by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1467a7225373…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset ilc_lvhl21n: People living in households with very low work intensity by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 8b5e993ae943…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset lfst_r_lfe2emprt: Employment rates by sex, age and NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 51bfca80dc8b…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset tran_r_vehst: Stock of vehicles by category and NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 5adf37bcb393…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset ilc_li41: At-risk-of-poverty rate by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 27849ad61b9a…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset hlth_co_disch2t: Hospital discharges by diagnosis and NUTS 2 region (in-patients), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 d93487a1c1f9…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset hlth_cd_asdr2: Causes of death: standardised death rate by NUTS 2 region of residence, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 308c4b705d5d…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset trng_lfse_04: Participation rate of adults in education and training (last 4 weeks) by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 42ceced85786…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset hlth_silc_08_r: Self-reported unmet needs for medical examination by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 e5484460cdfc…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_mlifexp: Life expectancy by age, sex and NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 f5a2a33406b9…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset edat_lfse_16: Early leavers from education and training by sex and NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 c3cc66b98a4a…)
• Federal Statistical Office (BFS/OFS): Bilanz der ständigen Wohnbevölkerung, nach Kanton und Stadt, 1999-2025 (T 01.02.04.01), read 24 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 482963fd4ff7…)
• Federal Statistical Office (BFS/OFS): Kantonale Parlamentswahlen: Mandatsverteilung nach Parteien, Geschlecht und Kantonen (elections counted up to 4 October 2026), read 24 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 fd812b0d11ac…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_find2: Fertility indicators by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 d3f275c072bc…)
• Federal Statistical Office (BFS/OFS): Kantonale Regierungswahlen: Mandatsverteilung nach Partei und Kanton (T 17.02.06.01, elections counted up to 18 October 2026), read 24 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 b0f5f46a4367…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset educ_uoe_enra11: Pupils and students enrolled by education level, sex and NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 20b6224cca4f…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset tran_r_acci: Victims in road accidents by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 a183ad1f888d…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset tour_occ_nin2: Nights spent at tourist accommodation establishments by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 06f6a82909c0…)
• Federal Finance Administration (EFV/AFF): Detaillierte Daten FS und GFS Modell: Standardauswertungen (financial statistics of the Confederation, cantons, communes and social insurance, 1990-2024; standardauswertung.csv with its codelist, saved zipped), read 24 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 5fec658d1506…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset hlth_rs_physreg: Physicians by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 4ff68eb77f8b…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_minfind: Infant mortality rates by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 60cbafea3657…)
• Federal Statistical Office (BFS/OFS): WSH: Unterstützungseinheiten, Sozialhilfebeziehende und Sozialhilfequote der wirtschaftlichen Sozialhilfe nach Kanton, 2005-2024 (T 13.05.01.01.01), read 24 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 12ff5cd56e28…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset hlth_rs_bdsrg2: Hospital beds by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 3178c155028f…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset lfst_r_lfu2ltu: Long-term unemployment (12 months and more) by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 3d5d17a32863…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset ilc_mdsd18: Severe material and social deprivation rate by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 62e6e6fba571…)
• Eurostat: Eurostat dataset edat_lfse_04: Population aged 25-64 by educational attainment level, sex and NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 63810622cd71…)

Each saved copy is the file exactly as downloaded, kept so the figures can be checked even if the source changes. Report an error.