2021 Edition

Background

Once the center of power for the large Austro-Hungarian Empire, Austria was reduced to a small republic after its defeat in World War I. Following annexation by Nazi Germany in 1938 and subsequent occupation by the victorious Allies in 1945, Austria's status remained unclear for a decade. A State Treaty signed in 1955 ended the occupation, recognized Austria's independence, and forbade unification with Germany. A constitutional law that same year declared the country's "perpetual neutrality" as a condition for Soviet military withdrawal. The Soviet Union's collapse in 1991 and Austria's entry into the EU in 1995 have altered the meaning of this neutrality. A prosperous, democratic country, Austria entered the EU Economic and Monetary Union in 1999.

Area

land

82,445 sq km

total

83,871 sq km

water

1,426 sq km

Area - comparative

about the size of South Carolina; slightly more than two-thirds the size of Pennsylvania

Climate

temperate; continental, cloudy; cold winters with frequent rain and some snow in lowlands and snow in mountains; moderate summers with occasional showers

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation

highest point

Grossglockner 3,798 m

lowest point

Neusiedler See 115 m

mean elevation

910 m

Geographic coordinates

47 20 N, 13 20 E

Geography - note

note 1: landlocked; strategic location at the crossroads of central Europe with many easily traversable Alpine passes and valleys; major river is the Danube; population is concentrated on eastern lowlands because of steep slopes, poor soils, and low temperatures elsewherenote 2: the world's largest and longest ice cave system at 42 km (26 mi) is the Eisriesenwelt (Ice Giants World) inside the Hochkogel mountain near Werfen, about 40 km south of Salzburg; ice caves are bedrock caves that contain year-round ice formations; they differ from glacial caves, which are transient and are formed by melting ice and flowing water within and under glaciers

Irrigated land

1,170 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

border countries

Czech Republic 402 km, Germany 801 km, Hungary 321 km, Italy 404 km, Liechtenstein 34 km, Slovakia 105 km, Slovenia 299 km, Switzerland 158 km

total

2,524 km

Land use

agricultural land

38.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 16.5% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 21.1% (2018 est.)

forest

47.2% (2018 est.)

other

14.4% (2018 est.)

Location

Central Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia

Major lakes (area sq km)

Fresh water lake(s)

Lake Constance (shared with Switzerland and Germany) - 540 sq km

Major rivers (by length in km)

Danube (shared with Germany [s], Slovakia, Czechia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Moldova, and Romania [m]) - 2,888 kmnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Rhine-Maas (198,735 sq km), (Black Sea) Danube (795,656 sq km)

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

landslides; avalanches; earthquakes

Natural resources

oil, coal, lignite, timber, iron ore, copper, zinc, antimony, magnesite, tungsten, graphite, salt, hydropower

Population distribution

the northern and eastern portions of the country are more densely populated; nearly two-thirds of the populace lives in urban areas

Terrain

mostly mountains (Alps) in the west and south; mostly flat or gently sloping along the eastern and northern margins

Age structure

0-14 years

14.01% (male 635,803/female 605,065)

15-24 years

10.36% (male 466,921/female 451,248)

25-54 years

41.35% (male 1,831,704/female 1,831,669)

55-64 years

14.41% (male 635,342/female 641,389)

65 years and over

19.87% (male 768,687/female 991,621) (2020 est.)

Birth rate

9.48 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

79% (2019)

note

note: percent of women aged 16-49

Current Health Expenditure

10.3% (2018)

Death rate

9.85 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

28.9

potential support ratio

3.5 (2020 est.)

total dependency ratio

50.6

youth dependency ratio

21.7

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 100% of population

improved: total

total: 100% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 0% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2017 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

Education expenditures

5.2% of GDP (2018)

Ethnic groups

Austrian 80.8%, German 2.6%,  Bosnian and Herzegovinian 1.9%, Turkish 1.8%, Serbian 1.6%, Romanian 1.3%, other 10% (2018 est.)

note

note: data represent population by country of birth

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.1% (2017 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

7,400 (2017 est.)

Hospital bed density

7.3 beds/1,000 population (2018)

Infant mortality rate

female

2.86 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)

male

3.7 deaths/1,000 live births

total

3.29 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Languages

German (official nationwide) 88.6%, Turkish 2.3%, Serbian 2.2%, Croatian (official in Burgenland) 1.6%, other (includes Slovene, official in southern Carinthia, and Hungarian, official in Burgenland) 5.3% (2001 est.)

major-language sample(s)

Das World Factbook, die unverzichtbare Quelle für grundlegende Informationen. (German)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

female

84.85 years (2021 est.)

male

79.42 years

total population

82.07 years

Major urban areas - population

1.945 million VIENNA (capital) (2021)

Maternal mortality ratio

5 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median age

female

45.8 years (2020 est.)

male

43.1 years

total

44.5 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

29.7 years (2019 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Austrian

noun

Austrian(s)

Net migration rate

3.57 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

20.1% (2016)

Physicians density

5.17 physicians/1,000 population (2017)

Population

8,884,864 (July 2021 est.)

Population distribution

the northern and eastern portions of the country are more densely populated; nearly two-thirds of the populace lives in urban areas

Population growth rate

0.32% (2021 est.)

Religions

Catholic 57%, Eastern Orthodox 8.7%, Muslim 7.9%, Evangelical Christian 3.3%, other/none/unspecified 23.1% (2018 est.)

note

note:  data on Muslim is a 2016 estimate; data on other/none/unspecified are from 2012-2018 estimates

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 100% of population

improved: total

total: 100% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 0% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2017 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

16 years (2019)

male

16 years

total

16 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.05 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.03 male(s)/female

25-54 years

1 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.99 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.78 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.96 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.5 children born/woman (2021 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

9.5% (2020 est.)

male

11.3%

total

10.5%

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.68% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

59% of total population (2021)

Administrative divisions

9 states (Bundeslaender, singular - Bundesland); Burgenland, Kaernten (Carinthia), Niederoesterreich (Lower Austria), Oberoesterreich (Upper Austria), Salzburg, Steiermark (Styria), Tirol (Tyrol), Vorarlberg, Wien (Vienna)

Capital

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

etymology

the origin of the name is disputed but may derive from earlier settlements of the area; a Celtic town of Vedunia, established about 500 B.C., came under Roman dominance around 15 B.C. and became known as Vindobona; archeological remains of the latter survive at many sites in the center of Vienna

geographic coordinates

48 12 N, 16 22 E

name

Vienna

time difference

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

at least one parent must be a citizen of Austria

dual citizenship recognized

no

residency requirement for naturalization

10 years

Constitution

amendments

proposed through laws designated "constitutional laws" or through the constitutional process if the amendment is part of another law; approval required by at least a two-thirds majority vote by the National Assembly and the presence of one half of the members; a referendum is required only if requested by one third of the National Council or Federal Council membership; passage by referendum requires absolute majority vote; amended many times, last in 2020

history

several previous; latest adopted 1 October 1920, revised 1929, replaced May 1934, replaced by German Weimar constitution in 1938 following German annexation, reinstated 1 May 1945

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Austria

conventional short form

Austria

etymology

the name Oesterreich means "eastern realm" or "eastern march" and dates to the 10th century; the designation refers to the fact that Austria was the easternmost extension of Bavaria, and, in fact, of all the Germans; the word Austria is a Latinization of the German name

local long form

Republik Oesterreich

local short form

Oesterreich

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant), Mario MESQUITA (since 12 July 2021)

email address and website

ConsulateVienna@state.govhttps://at.usembassy.gov/

embassy

Boltzmanngasse 16, 1090, Vienna

FAX

[43] (1) 310-06-82

mailing address

9900 Vienna Place, Washington DC  20521-9900

telephone

[43] (1) 31339-0

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

3524 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008-3035

chief of mission

Ambassador Martin WEISS (since 6 January 2020)

consulate(s)

Chicago

consulate(s) general

Los Angeles, New York, Washington

email address and website

washington-ka@bmeia.gv.athttps://www.austria.org/

FAX

[1] (202) 895-6750

telephone

[1] (202) 895-6700

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers chosen by the president on the advice of the chancellor

chief of state

President Alexander VAN DER BELLEN (since 26 January 2017)

election results

Alexander VAN DER BELLEN elected in second round; percent of vote in first round - Norbert HOFER (FPOe) 35.1%, Alexander VAN DER BELLEN (independent, allied with the Greens) 21.3%, Irmgard GRISS (independent) 18.9%, Rudolf HUNDSTORFER (SPOe) 11.3%, Andreas KHOL (OeVP) 11.1%, Richard LUGNER (independent) 2.3%; percent of vote in second round - Alexander VAN DER BELLEN 53.8%, Norbert HOFER 46.2%

elections/appointments

president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 6-year term (eligible for a second term); elections last held on 24 April 2016 (first round), 22 May 2016 (second round, which was annulled), and 4 December 2016 (second round re-vote) (next election to be held in April 2022); chancellor appointed by the president but determined by the majority coalition parties in the Federal Assembly; vice chancellor appointed by the president on the advice of the chancellor

head of government

Chancellor Karl NEHAMMER (since 6 December 2021); note - Chancellor Alexander SCHALLENBERG (since 9 October 2021) resigned on 12/2/21

Flag description

three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and red; the flag design is certainly one of the oldest - if not the oldest - national banners in the world; according to tradition, in 1191, following a fierce battle in the Third Crusade, Duke Leopold V of Austria's white tunic became completely blood-spattered; upon removal of his wide belt or sash, a white band was revealed; the red-white-red color combination was subsequently adopted as his banner

Government type

federal parliamentary republic

Independence

no official date of independence: 976 (Margravate of Austria established); 17 September 1156 (Duchy of Austria founded); 6 January 1453 (Archduchy of Austria acknowledged); 11 August 1804 (Austrian Empire proclaimed); 30 March 1867 (Austro-Hungarian dual monarchy established); 12 November 1918 (First Republic proclaimed); 27 April 1945 (Second Republic proclaimed)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CD, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, G-9, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, Schengen Convention, SELEC (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Judicial branch

highest courts

Supreme Court of Justice or Oberster Gerichtshof (consists of 85 judges organized into 17 senates or panels of 5 judges each); Constitutional Court or Verfassungsgerichtshof (consists of 20 judges including 6 substitutes; Administrative Court or Verwaltungsgerichtshof - 2 judges plus other members depending on the importance of the case)

judge selection and term of office

Supreme Court judges nominated by executive branch departments and appointed by the president; judges serve for life; Constitutional Court judges nominated by several executive branch departments and approved by the president; judges serve for life; Administrative Court judges recommended by executive branch departments and appointed by the president; terms of judges and members determined by the president

subordinate courts

Courts of Appeal (4); Regional Courts (20); district courts (120); county courts

Legal system

civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts by the Constitutional Court

Legislative branch

description

bicameral Federal Assembly or Bundesversammlung consists of:Federal Council or Bundesrat (61 seats; members appointed by state parliaments with each state receiving 3 to 12 seats in proportion to its population; members serve 5- or 6-year terms)National Council or Nationalrat (183 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms)

election results

Federal Council - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; composition (as of September 2021) - men 39, women 22, percent of women 36.1% National Council - percent of vote by party - OeVP 37.5%, SPOe 21.2%, FPOe 16.2%, The Greens 13.9%, NEOS 8.1%, other 3.1%; seats by party - OeVP 71, SPOe 40, FPOe 31, The Greens 26,  NEOS 15; composition (as of September 2021) - men 109, women 74, percent of women 40.4%; note - total Federal Assembly percent of women 39.3%

elections

Federal Council - last appointed - NANational Council - last held on 29 September 2019 (next to be held in 2024); note - election was originally scheduled for 2022, but President VAN DER BELLEN called for an early election

National anthem

lyrics/music

Paula von PRERADOVIC/Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART or Johann HOLZER (disputed)

name

"Bundeshymne" (Federal Hymn)

note

note: adopted 1947; the anthem is also known as "Land der Berge, Land am Strome" (Land of the Mountains, Land by the River); Austria adopted a new national anthem after World War II to replace the former imperial anthem composed by Franz Josef HAYDN, which had been appropriated by Germany in 1922 and was thereafter associated with the Nazi regime; a gendered version of the lyrics was adopted by the Austrian Federal Assembly in fall 2011 and became effective 1 January 2012

National holiday

National Day (commemorates passage of the law on permanent neutrality), 26 October (1955)

National symbol(s)

eagle, edelweiss, Alpine gentian; national colors: red, white

Political parties and leaders

Austrian People's Party or OeVP [Karl NEHAMMER]Communist Party of Austria or KPOe [Mirko MESSNER]Freedom Party of Austria or FPOe [Herbert KICKI]The Greens [Werner KOGLER]NEOS - The New Austria [Beate MEINL-REISINGER]Social Democratic Party of Austria or SPOe [Pamela RENDI-WAGNER]

Suffrage

16 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

milk, maize, sugar beet, wheat, barley, potatoes, pork, triticale, grapes, apples

Budget

expenditures

204.6 billion (2017 est.)

revenues

201.7 billion (2017 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-0.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Credit ratings

Fitch rating

AA+ (2015)

Moody's rating

Aa1 (2016)

Standard & Poors rating

AA+ (2012)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2018

$5.989 billion (2018 est.)

Current account balance 2019

$12.667 billion (2019 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2018

$686.196 billion (2018 est.)

Debt - external 2019

$688.434 billion (2019 est.)

Economic overview

Austria is a well-developed market economy with skilled labor force and high standard of living. It is closely tied to other EU economies, especially Germany's, but also the US’, its third-largest trade partner. Its economy features a large service sector, a sound industrial sector, and a small, but highly developed agricultural sector.Austrian economic growth strengthen in 2017, with a 2.9% increase in GDP. Austrian exports, accounting for around 60% of the GDP, were up 8.2% in 2017. Austria’s unemployment rate fell by 0.3% to 5.5%, which is low by European standards, but still at its second highest rate since the end of World War II, driven by an increased number of refugees and EU migrants entering the labor market.Austria's fiscal position compares favorably with other euro-zone countries. The budget deficit stood at a low 0.7% of GDP in 2017 and public debt declined again to 78.4% of GDP in 2017, after reaching a post-war high 84.6% in 2015. The Austrian government has announced it plans to balance the fiscal budget in 2019. Several external risks, such as Austrian banks' exposure to Central and Eastern Europe, the refugee crisis, and continued unrest in Russia/Ukraine, eased in 2017, but are still a factor for the Austrian economy. Exposure to the Russian banking sector and a deep energy relationship with Russia present additional risks.Austria elected a new pro-business government in October 2017 that campaigned on promises to reduce bureaucracy, improve public sector efficiency, reduce labor market protections, and provide positive investment incentives.

Exchange rates

currency

euros (EUR) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2013

0.7634 (2013 est.)

Exchange rates 2014

0.885 (2014 est.)

Exchange rates 2018

0.87789 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

0.90338 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

0.82771 (2020 est.)

Exports

Exports 2018

$253.3 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)

Exports 2019

$247.17 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)

Exports 2020

$226.79 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2020 est.)

Exports - commodities

cars, packaged medical supplies, vehicle parts, medical vaccines/cultures, flavored water (2019)

Exports - partners

Germany 28%, United States 7%, Italy 6%, Switzerland 5% (2019)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

54.2% (2017 est.)

government consumption

19.5% (2017 est.)

household consumption

52.1% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-50.7% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

23.5% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

1.6% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

1.3% (2017 est.)

industry

28.4% (2017 est.)

services

70.3% (2017 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$445.025 billion (2019 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2014

30.5 (2014)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2017

29.7 (2017 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

23.5% (2012 est.)

lowest 10%

2.8%

Imports

Imports 2018

$238.79 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)

Imports 2019

$232.8 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)

Imports 2020

$211.85 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2020 est.)

Imports - commodities

cars, vehicle parts, broadcasting equipment, refined petroleum, packaged medical supplies (2019)

Imports - partners

Germany 39%, Italy 7%, Czechia 5% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

6.5% (2017 est.)

Industries

construction, machinery, vehicles and parts, food, metals, chemicals, lumber and paper, electronics, tourism

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

2% (2017 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018

2% (2018 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

1.5% (2019 est.)

Labor force

3.739 million (2020 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

0.7%

industry

25.2%

services

74.1% (2017 est.)

Population below poverty line

13.3% (2018 est.)

Public debt

note

note: this is general government gross debt, defined in the Maastricht Treaty as consolidated general government gross debt at nominal value, outstanding at the end of the year; it covers the following categories of government liabilities (as defined in ESA95): currency and deposits (AF.2), securities other than shares excluding financial derivatives (AF.3, excluding AF.34), and loans (AF.4); the general government sector comprises the sub-sectors of central government, state government, local government and social security funds; as a percentage of GDP, the GDP used as a denominator is the gross domestic product in current year prices

Public debt 2016

83.6% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2017

78.6% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2010 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2018

$488.86 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$495.8 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$463.12 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2017

2.4% (2017 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2018

2.58% (2018 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2019

1.42% (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2010 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2018

$55,300 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2019

$55,800 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$51,900 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2016

$23.36 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017

$21.57 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

48.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2018

7.7% (2018 est.)

Unemployment rate 2019

7.35% (2019 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

9.5% (2020 est.)

male

11.3%

total

10.5%

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude oil - imports

146,600 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude oil - production

13,000 bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

41.2 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity - consumption

64.6 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - exports

19.21 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

25% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

43% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

31% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - imports

26.37 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

24.79 million kW (2016 est.)

Electricity - production

60.78 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2020)

Natural gas - consumption

9.486 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - exports

5.437 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - imports

14.02 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - production

1.274 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

6.513 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

268,000 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

49,960 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

135,500 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

186,500 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

28.93 (2020 est.)

total

2.606 million (2020)

Broadcast media

worldwide cable and satellite TV are available; the public incumbent ORF competes with three other major, several regional domestic, and up to 400 international TV stations; TV coverage is in principle 100%, but only 90% use broadcast media; Internet streaming not only complements, but increasingly replaces regular TV stations (2019)

Communications - note

note 1: the Austrian National Library contains important collections of the Imperial Library of the Holy Roman Empire and of the Austrian Empire, as well as of the Austrian Republic; among its more than 12 million items are outstanding holdings of rare books, maps, globes, papyrus, and music; its Globe Museum is the only one in the worldnote 2: on 1 October 1869, Austria-Hungary introduced the world's first postal card - postal stationery with an imprinted stamp indicating the prepayment of postage; simple and cheap (sent for a fraction of the cost of a regular letter), postal cards became an instant success, widely produced in the millions worldwidenote 3: Austria followed up with the creation of the world's first commercial picture postcards - cards bearing a picture or photo to which postage is affixed - in May 1871; sent from Vienna, the image served as a souvenir of the city; together, postal cards and post cards served as the world's e-mails of the late 19th and early 20th centuriesnote 4: Austria was also an airmail pioneer; from March to October of 1918, it conducted the world's first regular (daily) airmail service - between the imperial cities of Vienna, Krakow, and Lemberg - a combined distance of some 650 km (400 mi) (earlier airmail services had been set up in a few parts of the world, but only for short stretches and none lasted beyond a few days or weeks); an expansion of the route in June of 1918 allowed private mail to be flown to Kyiv, in newly independent Ukraine, which made the route the world's first regular international airmail service (covering a distance of some 1,200 km; 750 mi)

Internet country code

.at

Internet users

percent of population

87.53% (2020 est.)

total

8.03 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

developed and efficient; 41 per 100 fixed-line for households, 174 per 100 for companies; 120 per 100 mobile-cellular; broadband: 138 per 100 on smartphones; 62 per 100 fixed broadband, 54 per 100 mobile broadband (2019)

general assessment

mature telecom market benefitting from effective competition; government and regulator are focused on improving telecom infrastructure; program to provide a national gigabit service by 2030 based on 5G networks; fixed-line broadband market is dominated by DSL sector, while cable broadband enjoys steady share of connections; fiber penetration remains low pending build out network infrastructure; EU-funded projects develop infrastructure to enable an 'Internet of Services; Vienna is a smart city; importer of broadcasting equipment from Vietnam and China (2020)

international

country code - 43; earth stations available in the Astra, Intelsat, Eutelsat satellite systems (2019)

note

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

42.04 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

3,786,725 (2020)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

118.6 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

10,682,294 (2020)

Airports

total

50 (2020)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

1

2,438 to 3,047 m

5

914 to 1,523 m

4

over 3,047 m

1

total

24

under 914 m

13 (2017)

Airports - with unpaved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

1

914 to 1,523 m

3

total

28

under 914 m

24 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

OE

Heliports

1 (2013)

Merchant marine

by type

other 1 (2021)

total

1

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

373.51 million mt-km (2018)

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

12,935,505 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

130

number of registered air carriers

11 (2020)

Pipelines

1888 km gas, 594 km oil, 157 km refined products (2017)

Ports and terminals

river port(s)

Enns, Krems, Linz, Vienna (Danube)

Railways

standard gauge

5,300 km 1.435-m gauge (3,826 km electrified) (2016)

total

5,800 km (2017)

Roadways

paved

137,039 km (includes 2,232 km of expressways) (2018)

total

137,039 km (2018)

Waterways

358 km (2011)

Military - note

Austria is constitutionally non-aligned, but is an EU member and actively participates in EU peacekeeping and crisis management operations under the Common Security and Defense Policy; Austria is not a member of NATO, but joined NATO’s Partnership for Peace framework in 1995 and participates in NATO-led crisis management and peacekeeping operations; as of 2021, more than 100,000 Austrian military and civilian personnel have taken part in more than 50 international peace support and humanitarian missions since 1960

Military and security forces

Austrian Armed Forces: Land Forces, Air Forces, Cyber Forces, Special Forces (2021)

Military and security service personnel strengths

the Austrian Armed Forces have approximately 23,000 total active duty personnel (13,000 Land Forces; 2,500 Air Force; 7,500 other, support forces) (2021)

Military deployments

290 Bosnia-Herzegovina (EUFOR stabilization force); 340 Kosovo (NATO/KFOR); 170 Lebanon (UNIFIL) (Oct 2021)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the Austrian military's inventory includes a mix of domestically-produced and imported weapons systems from European countries and the US; the Austrian defense industry produces a range of equipment and partners with other countries (2021)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2017

0.8% of GDP (2017)

Military Expenditures 2018

0.7% of GDP (2018)

Military Expenditures 2019

0.7% of GDP (2019)

Military Expenditures 2020

0.7% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

0.8% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military service age and obligation

registration requirement at age 17, the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; 18 is the legal minimum age for compulsory military service (6 months), or optionally, alternative civil/community service (9 months); males 18 to 50 years old in the militia or inactive reserve are subject to compulsory service; in a January 2012 referendum, a majority of Austrians voted in favor of retaining the system of compulsory military service (with the option of alternative/non-military service) instead of switching to a professional army system (2021)

Disputes - international

none

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and South American cocaine destined for Western Europe; increasing consumption of European-produced synthetic drugs

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin)

54,903 (Syria), 40,096 (Afghanistan), 9,152 (Iraq), 8,074 (Somalia), 7,513 (Russia), 6,878 (Iran) (2020)

stateless persons

3,267 (2020)

Terrorist group(s)

Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)

note

note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

61.45 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

6.34 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

12.43 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

Climate

temperate; continental, cloudy; cold winters with frequent rain and some snow in lowlands and snow in mountains; moderate summers with occasional showers

Environment - current issues

some forest degradation caused by air and soil pollution; soil pollution results from the use of agricultural chemicals; air pollution results from emissions by coal- and oil-fired power stations and industrial plants and from trucks transiting Austria between northern and southern Europe; water pollution; the Danube, as well as some of Austria’s other rivers and lakes, are threatened by pollution

Environment - international agreements

party to

Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Antarctic-Environmental Protection

Land use

agricultural land

38.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 16.5% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 21.1% (2018 est.)

forest

47.2% (2018 est.)

other

14.4% (2018 est.)

Major lakes (area sq km)

Fresh water lake(s)

Lake Constance (shared with Switzerland and Germany) - 540 sq km

Major rivers (by length in km)

Danube (shared with Germany [s], Slovakia, Czechia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Moldova, and Romania [m]) - 2,888 kmnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Rhine-Maas (198,735 sq km), (Black Sea) Danube (795,656 sq km)

Revenue from coal

coal revenues

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

forest revenues

0.07% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

77.7 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

77.1 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial

2.695 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

municipal

720 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.68% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

59% of total population (2021)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

4.836 million tons (2015 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually

1,240,918 tons (2015 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

25.7% (2015 est.)