2024 Edition Primary

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. Nazi Germany annexed Austria in 1938, and the victorious Allies then occupied the country in 1945. As a result, Austria's status remained unclear for a decade after World War II, until 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. Austria joined the EU in 1995, but the obligation to remain neutral kept it from joining NATO, although the country became a member of NATO's Partnership for Peace program in 1995. 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

382 sq km (2016)

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)

Donau (Danube) (shared with Germany [s], Slovakia, 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

14.1% (male 648,639/female 616,334)

15-64 years

64.7% (male 2,904,587/female 2,898,339)

65 years and over

21.2% (2024 est.) (male 839,672/female 1,060,411)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

6.3 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

1.9 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

11.9 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

3.7 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

9.3 births/1,000 population (2024 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

11.5% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

58.7% (2023 est.)

Death rate

9.9 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

29.4

potential support ratio

3.4 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

51.1

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 (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

Education expenditures

5.1% of GDP (2020 est.)

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

Gross reproduction rate

0.74 (2024 est.)

Hospital bed density

7.3 beds/1,000 population (2018)

Infant mortality rate

female

2.7 deaths/1,000 live births

male

3.6 deaths/1,000 live births

total

3.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

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

85.4 years

male

80.1 years

total population

82.7 years (2024 est.)

Literacy

female

NA

male

NA

total population

NA

Major urban areas - population

1.975 million VIENNA (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

5 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Median age

female

46.3 years

male

43.6 years

total

44.9 years (2024 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

29.7 years (2020 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Austrian

noun

Austrian(s)

Net migration rate

3.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

20.1% (2016)

Physician density

5.29 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

Population

female

4,575,084 (2024 est.)

male

4,392,898

total

8,967,982

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

0.3% (2024 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 55.2%, Muslim 8.3%, Orthodox 4.9%, Evangelical Christian 3.8%, Jewish 0.1%, other 5.4%, none 22.4% (2021 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 (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

16 years (2020)

male

16 years

total

16 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.79 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.96 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Tobacco use

female

25% (2020 est.)

male

27.7% (2020 est.)

total

26.4% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.52 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

59.5% of total population (2023)

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 early Celtic settlements of the area; a plausible reconstructed Celtic name from several centuries B.C. is Vedunia (meaning "forest stream"), which in Old High German became uuenia (wenia), and later wien (its current German form) in New High German; another possibility is that the name stems from the Roman settlement Vindobona, established around 15 B.C., and its Celtic-derived name (likely from the Celtic windo, meaning "white, fair, or bright" and bona meaning "base, fortification, or settlement" to give a connotation of "white settlement" or "white fort"); 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" and dates to the 10th century; the designation refers to the fact that Austria was the easternmost extension of both Bavaria and all German peoples; 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 Victoria Reggie KENNEDY (since 12 January 2022)

email address and website

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

embassy

Boltzmanngasse 16, 1090, Vienna

FAX

[43] (1) 31339 2017

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 Petra SCHNEEBAUER (since 19 APRIL 2023)

consulate(s)

Chicago

consulate(s) general

Los Angeles, New York

email address and website

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

FAX

[1] (202) 895-6750

telephone

[1] (202) 895-6700

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers proposed by the chancellor and appointed by the president

chief of state

President Alexander VAN DER BELLEN (since 26 January 2017)

election results

2022: Alexander VAN DER BELLEN reelected in first round; percent of vote - Alexander VAN DER BELLEN (independent) 56.7%, Walter ROSENKRANZ (FPO) 17.7%, Dominik WLAZNY (Beer Party) 8.3%, Tassilo WALLENTIN (independent) 8.1%, Gerald GROSZ (independent) 5.6%2016: 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); election last held on 9 October 2022 (next to be held in 2028); 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)

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, UNOOSA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

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 - currently 60; 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 - OeVP 42.6%, SPOe 31.2%. FPOe 16.4%, The Greens 8.2%, NEOS 1.6%; seats by party - OeVP 26, SPOe 19, FPOe 10, The Greens 5, NEOS 1; composition - men 32, women 28, percentage women 46.7%National Council - seats by party - FPOe 57, OeVP 51, SPOe 41, NEOS 18, The Greens 26; composition - men 117, women 66, percentage women 36.1%; total Federal Assembly percentage women 38.7%

elections

Federal Council - last appointed in 2021National Council - last held on 29 September 2024 (next to be held by 30 September 2029)

National anthem

lyrics/music

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

name

"Bundeshymne" (Federal Hymn)

note

note 1: 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 gender-neutral version of the lyrics was adopted by the Austrian Federal Assembly in fall 2011 and became effective 1 January 2012note 2: the beloved waltz "The Blue Danube" ("An der schoenen, blauen Donau"), composed in 1866 by the Austrian composer Johann STRAUSS II, is consistently referred to as Austria's unofficial national anthem 

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Historic Salzburg (c); Palace and Gardens of Schönbrunn (c); Halstadt–Dachstein/Salzkammergut Cultural Landscape (c); Semmering railway (c); Historic Graz and Schloss Eggenberg (c); Wachau Cultural Landscape (c); Historic Vienna (c); Fertő/Neusiedlersee Cultural Landscape (c); Baden bei Wien (c); Primeval Beech Forests - Dürrenstein, Kalkalpen (n)

total World Heritage Sites

12 (11 cultural, 1 natural)

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

Austrian People's Party or OeVP Freedom Party of Austria or FPOe The Greens - The Green Alternative NEOS - The New Austria and Liberal Forum Social Democratic Party of Austria or SPOe 

Suffrage

16 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

milk, sugar beets, maize, wheat, barley, potatoes, pork, grapes, triticale, apples (2022)

note

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Average household expenditures

on alcohol and tobacco

3.7% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

on food

10.8% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$225.52 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenses converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

revenues

$212.218 billion (2022 est.)

Credit ratings

Fitch rating

AA+ (2015)

Moody's rating

Aa1 (2016)

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Standard & Poors rating

AA+ (2012)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2021

$7.77 billion (2021 est.)

Current account balance 2022

-$1.29 billion (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

$13.686 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Economic overview

one of the strongest EU and euro economies; diversified trade portfolios and relations; enormous trade economy; Russian energy dependence, but investing in alternative energy; aging labor force but large refugee population; large government debt

Exchange rates

Currency

euros (EUR) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2019

0.893 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

0.876 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

0.845 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

0.95 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

0.925 (2023 est.)

Exports

Exports 2021

$267.791 billion (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$292.012 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$306.466 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

cars, packaged medicine, vaccines, plastic products, electricity (2022)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

Germany 28%, US 7%, Italy 7%, Switzerland 5%, Hungary 5% (2022)

note

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

59.5% (2023 est.)

government consumption

20.3% (2023 est.)

household consumption

51.8% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services

-56.6% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital

24.4% (2023 est.)

investment in inventories

0.9% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

1.3% (2023 est.)

industry

26.3% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

services

62.3% (2023 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$516.034 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2021

30.7 (2021 est.)

note

note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

23.8% (2021 est.)

lowest 10%

2.8% (2021 est.)

note

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Imports

Imports 2021

$264.231 billion (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$290.277 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$288.146 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

cars, refined petroleum, gold, garments, broadcasting equipment (2022)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

Germany 40%, Italy 7%, Czechia 5%, Switzerland 5%, Netherlands 4% (2022)

note

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

-1.99% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

2.77% (2021 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

8.55% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

7.81% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Labor force

4.825 million (2023 est.)

note

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Population below poverty line

14.8% (2021 est.)

note

note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Public debt

note

note: central government debt as a % of GDP

Public debt 2022

75.05% of GDP (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$567.987 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$595.287 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$590.354 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

note

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2021

4.24% (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

4.81% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

-0.83% (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2021

$63,400 (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$65,800 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$64,600 (2023 est.)

Remittances

note

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Remittances 2021

0.67% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

0.64% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

0.64% of GDP (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

note

note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021

$33.957 billion (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$33.078 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$31.212 billion (2023 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

26.24% (of GDP) (2022 est.)

note

note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Unemployment rate

note

note: % of labor force seeking employment

Unemployment rate 2021

6.46% (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

4.99% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

5.24% (2023 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

11.3% (2023 est.)

male

10.6% (2023 est.)

note

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

total

10.9% (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

9.483 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from consumed natural gas

15.636 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

32.758 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

total emissions

57.876 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Coal

consumption

5.026 million metric tons (2022 est.)

exports

2,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

imports

4.152 million metric tons (2022 est.)

production

1.271 million metric tons (2022 est.)

Electricity

consumption

65.168 billion kWh (2022 est.)

exports

19.882 billion kWh (2022 est.)

imports

28.595 billion kWh (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity

29.81 million kW (2022 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

3.252 billion kWh (2022 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

7.5% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

fossil fuels

25.1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

hydroelectricity

51.2% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

solar

4.5% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

wind

11.7% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2022

123.11 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

8.136 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

imports

12.132 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

production

618.209 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

proven reserves

5.04 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil estimated reserves

35.2 million barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

245,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

total petroleum production

18,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

29 (2020 est.)

total

2.606 million (2020 est.)

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

93% (2021 est.)

total

8.277 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

developed and efficient; 43 per 100 fixed telephone subscriptions; 122 per 100 mobile-cellular subscriptions (2021)

general assessment

mature telecom market; the mobile market benefits from a growing number of Mobile Virtual Network Operators; the telcos as well as the government and regulator have been focused on delivering improved telecom infrastructure; the government has a program to provide a national gigabit service by 2030, delivered by private enterprise though with some state funding; this is based on fiber networks supported by 5G, with the Mobile Network Operators able to expand the reach of their 5G services following auctions held in March 2019 and September 2020; the fixed-line broadband market is still dominated by the DSL sector, while the cable broadband sector has held a steady share of connections in recent years; the fiber sector was slow to develop, and although fiber remains low there are plans to build out the network infrastructure (2021)

international

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

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

40 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

3.544 million (2022 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

123 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

11.035 million (2022 est.)

Airports

61 (2024)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

OE

Heliports

105 (2024)

Merchant marine

by type

other 1

total

1 (2023)

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

373.51 million (2018) mt-km

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

1,888 km gas, 594 km oil, 157 km refined products (2017)

Railways

total

6,123 km (2022) 3,523 km electrified

Roadways

total

126,233 km (2022)

Waterways

358 km (2011)

Military - note

the military’s primary responsibilities are national defense and protecting Austria’s neutrality; it also has some domestic security and disaster response responsibilities; each of the nine federal states has a military command that provides a link between the military and civil authorities; the main tasks of these commands include providing military assistance during disasters and supporting security police operationsthe Austrian military contributes to international peacekeeping and humanitarian missions; Austria has been constitutionally militarily non-aligned since 1955 but is an EU member and actively participates in EU peacekeeping and crisis management operations under the EU 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 some NATO-led crisis management and peacekeeping operations; it has provided troops to international peacekeeping missions in Bosnia and Herzegovina (EU), Kosovo (NATO), and Lebanon (UN) in recent years; more than 100,000 Austrian military and civilian personnel have taken part in more than 50 international peace support and humanitarian missions since 1960 (2024)

Military and security forces

Austrian Armed Forces (Bundesheer): Land Forces, Air Forces, Cyber Forces, Special Operations Forces, Militia (reserves) (2024)

note

note 1: the federal police maintain internal security and report to the Ministry of the Interiornote 2: the militia is comprised of men and women who have done their basic military or training service and continue to perform a task in the armed forces; they are integrated into the military but have civilian jobs and only participate in exercises or operations; missions for the militia may include providing disaster relief, assisting security police, and protecting critical infrastructure (energy, water, etc.), as well as deployments on missions abroad

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 14,000 regular troops; 8,000 civilians; 25,000 militia (2024)

Military deployments

170 Bosnia-Herzegovina (EUFOR stabilization force); 290 Kosovo (NATO/KFOR); 170 Lebanon (UNIFIL) (2024)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the 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 (2024)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2020

0.7% of GDP (2020)

Military Expenditures 2021

0.8% of GDP (2021)

Military Expenditures 2022

0.7% of GDP (2022)

Military Expenditures 2023

0.9% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military Expenditures 2024

1% of GDP (2024 est.)

Military service age and obligation

registration requirement at age 17, the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; men above the age of 18 are subject to compulsory military service; women may volunteer; compulsory service is for 6 months, or optionally, alternative civil/community service (Zivildienst) for 9 months (2024)

note

note 1: as of 2023, women made up about 4% of the military's full-time personnelnote 2: in a January 2013 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

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)

68,700 (Syria), 43,725 (Afghanistan), 10,110 (Iraq), 8,684 (Somalia), 7,294 (Iran), 6,124 (Russia) (mid-year 2022); 84,135 (Ukraine) (as of 11 March 2024)

stateless persons

3,219 (2022)

Space agency/agencies

Aerospace Agency (established in 1972 as the Austrian Space Agency) (2024)

Space program overview

has a national space program and is a member of the European Space Agency (ESA); develops, builds, operates, and tracks satellites, including remote sensing (RS) and research/scientific satellites; works closely with member states of ESA, the EU, and the commercial sector to develop a range of space capabilities and technologies, including applications for satellite payloads, space flight, and space research; has also cooperated with other foreign space agencies and industries, including those of China, India, Russia, and the US (2024)

note

note: further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country’s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in the Space Programs reference guide

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 the Terrorism reference guide

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

61.45 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

6.34 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

11.51 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 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

Geoparks

global geoparks and regional networks

Ore of the Alps; Styrian Eisenwurzen; Karawanken/Karavanke (includes Slovenia) (2023)

total global geoparks and regional networks

3

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)

Donau (Danube) (shared with Germany [s], Slovakia, 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

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0.07% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

77.7 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

720 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

2.7 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

720 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

59.5% of total population (2023)

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.)