Austria
Introduction
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.
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Geography
Location
Central Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia
Geographic coordinates
47 20 N, 13 20 E
Map references
Europe
Area - comparative
about the size of South Carolina; slightly more than two-thirds the size of Pennsylvania
Land boundaries
total: 2,524 km
border countries (8): 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
Coastline
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims
none (landlocked)
Climate
temperate; continental, cloudy; cold winters with frequent rain and some snow in lowlands and snow in mountains; moderate summers with occasional showers
Terrain
mostly mountains (Alps) in the west and south; mostly flat or gently sloping along the eastern and northern margins
Elevation
highest point: Grossglockner 3,798 m
lowest point: Neusiedler See 115 m
mean elevation: 910 m
Natural resources
oil, coal, lignite, timber, iron ore, copper, zinc, antimony, magnesite, tungsten, graphite, salt, hydropower
Land use
agricultural land: 38.4% (2018 est.)
arable land: 16.5% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 0.8% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 21.1% (2018 est.)
forest: 47.2% (2018 est.)
other: 14.4% (2018 est.)
Irrigated land
1,170 sq km (2012)
Major watersheds (area sq km)
Atlantic Ocean drainage: Rhine-Maas (198,735 sq km), (Black Sea) Danube (795,656 sq km)
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 km
note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Population distribution
the northern and eastern portions of the country are more densely populated; nearly two-thirds of the populace lives in urban areas
Natural hazards
landslides; avalanches; earthquakes
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 elsewhere
note 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
People and Society
Nationality
noun: Austrian(s)
adjective: Austrian
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: data represent population by country of birth
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):
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The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Religions
Catholic 57%, Eastern Orthodox 8.7%, Muslim 7.9%, Evangelical Christian 3.3%, other/none/unspecified 23.1% (2018 est.)
note: data on Muslim is a 2016 estimate; data on other/none/unspecified are from 2012-2018 estimates
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.)
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 50.6
youth dependency ratio: 21.7
elderly dependency ratio: 28.9
potential support ratio: 3.5 (2020 est.)
Median age
total: 44.5 years
male: 43.1 years
female: 45.8 years (2020 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
Urbanization
urban population: 59% of total population (2021)
rate of urbanization: 0.68% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas - population
1.945 million VIENNA (capital) (2021)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
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
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth
29.7 years (2019 est.)
Maternal mortality ratio
5 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 163Infant mortality rate
total: 3.29 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 3.7 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 2.86 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 82.07 years
male: 79.42 years
female: 84.85 years (2021 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate
79% (2019)
note: percent of women aged 16-49
Drinking water source
improved: urban: 100% of population
rural: 100% of population
total: 100% of population
unimproved: urban: 0% of population
rural: 0% of population
total: 0% of population (2017 est.)
Current Health Expenditure
10.3% (2018)
Physicians density
5.17 physicians/1,000 population (2017)
Hospital bed density
7.3 beds/1,000 population (2018)
Sanitation facility access
improved: urban: 100% of population
rural: 100% of population
total: 100% of population
unimproved: urban: 0% of population
rural: 0% of population
total: 0% of population (2017 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths
<100 (2017 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
total: 16 years
male: 16 years
female: 16 years (2019)
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24
total: 10.5%
male: 11.3%
female: 9.5% (2020 est.)
Environment
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
Air pollutants
particulate matter emissions: 12.43 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)
carbon dioxide emissions: 61.45 megatons (2016 est.)
methane emissions: 6.34 megatons (2020 est.)
Climate
temperate; continental, cloudy; cold winters with frequent rain and some snow in lowlands and snow in mountains; moderate summers with occasional showers
Land use
agricultural land: 38.4% (2018 est.)
arable land: 16.5% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 0.8% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 21.1% (2018 est.)
forest: 47.2% (2018 est.)
other: 14.4% (2018 est.)
Urbanization
urban population: 59% of total population (2021)
rate of urbanization: 0.68% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Revenue from forest resources
forest revenues: 0.07% of GDP (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 122Waste 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.)
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 km
note – [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)
Total water withdrawal
municipal: 720 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
industrial: 2.695 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)
agricultural: 77.1 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
Total renewable water resources
77.7 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)
Government
Country name
conventional long form: Republic of Austria
conventional short form: Austria
local long form: Republik Oesterreich
local short form: Oesterreich
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
Government type
federal parliamentary republic
Capital
name: Vienna
geographic coordinates: 48 12 N, 16 22 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
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
Administrative divisions
9 states (Bundeslaender, singular - Bundesland); Burgenland, Kaernten (Carinthia), Niederoesterreich (Lower Austria), Oberoesterreich (Upper Austria), Salzburg, Steiermark (Styria), Tirol (Tyrol), Vorarlberg, Wien (Vienna)
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)
National holiday
National Day (commemorates passage of the law on permanent neutrality), 26 October (1955)
Constitution
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
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
Legal system
civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts by the Constitutional Court
International law organization participation
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
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
Suffrage
16 years of age; universal
Executive branch
chief of state: President Alexander VAN DER BELLEN (since 26 January 2017)
head of government: Chancellor Karl NEHAMMER (since 6 December 2021); note - Chancellor Alexander SCHALLENBERG (since 9 October 2021) resigned on 12/2/21
cabinet: Council of Ministers chosen by the president on the advice of the chancellor
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
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%
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)
elections:
Federal Council - last appointed - NA
National 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
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%
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
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]
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
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Martin WEISS (since 6 January 2020)
chancery: 3524 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008-3035
telephone: [1] (202) 895-6700
FAX: [1] (202) 895-6750
email address and website:
washington-ka@bmeia.gv.at
https://www.austria.org/
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York, Washington
consulate(s): Chicago
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant), Mario MESQUITA (since 12 July 2021)
embassy: Boltzmanngasse 16, 1090, Vienna
mailing address: 9900 Vienna Place, Washington DC 20521-9900
telephone: [43] (1) 31339-0
FAX: [43] (1) 310-06-82
email address and website:
ConsulateVienna@state.gov
https://at.usembassy.gov/
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
National symbol(s)
eagle, edelweiss, Alpine gentian; national colors: red, white
National anthem
name: "Bundeshymne" (Federal Hymn)
lyrics/music: Paula von PRERADOVIC/Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART or Johann HOLZER (disputed)
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
Economy
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.
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$463.12 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)
$495.8 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)
$488.86 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)
note: data are in 2010 dollars
Real GDP growth rate
1.42% (2019 est.)
2.58% (2018 est.)
2.4% (2017 est.)
Real GDP per capita
$51,900 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)
$55,800 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)
$55,300 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)
note: data are in 2010 dollars
GDP (official exchange rate)
$445.025 billion (2019 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
1.5% (2019 est.)
2% (2018 est.)
2% (2017 est.)
Credit ratings
Fitch rating: AA+ (2015)
Moody's rating: Aa1 (2016)
Standard & Poors rating: AA+ (2012)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
agriculture: 1.3% (2017 est.)
industry: 28.4% (2017 est.)
services: 70.3% (2017 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use
household consumption: 52.1% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 19.5% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 23.5% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: 1.6% (2017 est.)
exports of goods and services: 54.2% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services: -50.7% (2017 est.)
Agricultural products
milk, maize, sugar beet, wheat, barley, potatoes, pork, triticale, grapes, apples
Industries
construction, machinery, vehicles and parts, food, metals, chemicals, lumber and paper, electronics, tourism
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture: 0.7%
industry: 25.2%
services: 74.1% (2017 est.)
Population below poverty line
13.3% (2018 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income
29.7 (2017 est.)
30.5 (2014)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: 2.8%
highest 10%: 23.5% (2012 est.)
Budget
revenues: 201.7 billion (2017 est.)
expenditures: 204.6 billion (2017 est.)
Public debt
78.6% of GDP (2017 est.)
83.6% of GDP (2016 est.)
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
Fiscal year
calendar year
Current account balance
$12.667 billion (2019 est.)
$5.989 billion (2018 est.)
Exports
$226.79 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2020 est.)
$247.17 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)
$253.3 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)
Exports - partners
Germany 28%, United States 7%, Italy 6%, Switzerland 5% (2019)
Exports - commodities
cars, packaged medical supplies, vehicle parts, medical vaccines/cultures, flavored water (2019)
Imports
$211.85 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2020 est.)
$232.8 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)
$238.79 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)
Imports - partners
Germany 39%, Italy 7%, Czechia 5% (2019)
Imports - commodities
cars, vehicle parts, broadcasting equipment, refined petroleum, packaged medical supplies (2019)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$21.57 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$23.36 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Debt - external
$688.434 billion (2019 est.)
$686.196 billion (2018 est.)
Exchange rates
euros (EUR) per US dollar -
0.82771 (2020 est.)
0.90338 (2019 est.)
0.87789 (2018 est.)
0.885 (2014 est.)
0.7634 (2013 est.)
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24
total: 10.5%
male: 11.3%
female: 9.5% (2020 est.)
Energy
Electricity access
electrification - total population: 100% (2020)
Electricity - installed generating capacity
24.79 million kW (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 36Electricity - from fossil fuels
25% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 188Electricity - from nuclear fuels
0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 41Electricity - from hydroelectric plants
43% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 45Electricity - from other renewable sources
31% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 16Crude oil - proved reserves
41.2 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 78Refined petroleum products - production
186,500 bbl/day (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 54Refined petroleum products - consumption
268,000 bbl/day (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 47Natural gas - proved reserves
6.513 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 84Communications
Telephones - fixed lines
total subscriptions: 3,786,725 (2020)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 42.04 (2020 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular
total subscriptions: 10,682,294 (2020)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 118.6 (2020 est.)
Telecommunication systems
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)
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)
international: country code - 43; earth stations available in the Astra, Intelsat, Eutelsat satellite systems (2019)
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
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)
Internet users
total: 8.03 million (2021 est.)
percent of population: 87.53% (2020 est.)
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
total: 2.606 million (2020)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 28.93 (2020 est.)
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 world
note 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 worldwide
note 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 centuries
note 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)
Transportation
National air transport system
number of registered air carriers: 11 (2020)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 130
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 12,935,505 (2018)
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 373.51 million mt-km (2018)
Airports - with paved runways
total: 24
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 13 (2017)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total: 28
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 24 (2013)
Heliports
1 (2013)
Pipelines
1888 km gas, 594 km oil, 157 km refined products (2017)
Railways
total: 5,800 km (2017)
standard gauge: 5,300 km 1.435-m gauge (3,826 km electrified) (2016)
Roadways
total: 137,039 km (2018)
paved: 137,039 km (includes 2,232 km of expressways) (2018)
Ports and terminals
river port(s): Enns, Krems, Linz, Vienna (Danube)
Military and Security
Military and security forces
Austrian Armed Forces: Land Forces, Air Forces, Cyber Forces, Special Forces (2021)
Military expenditures
0.8% of GDP (2021 est.)
0.7% of GDP (2020 est.)
0.7% of GDP (2019)
0.7% of GDP (2018)
0.8% of GDP (2017)
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 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 deployments
290 Bosnia-Herzegovina (EUFOR stabilization force); 340 Kosovo (NATO/KFOR); 170 Lebanon (UNIFIL) (Oct 2021)
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)
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
Terrorism
Terrorist group(s)
Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)
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
Transnational Issues
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)
Illicit drugs
transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and South American cocaine destined for Western Europe; increasing consumption of European-produced synthetic drugs