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Demographics of Austria

Adapted from Wikipedia · Adventurer experience

A map showing how many people live in each area of Austria, helping us understand where populations are more crowded.

Demographic features of the population of Austria include population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.

Population density in Austria by district.

According to the 2001 population census, 88.6% are native German speakers (96% Austro-Bavarian language and 4% Alemannic language) while the remaining 11.4% speak several minority languages. These non-German speakers belong to two groups: traditional minorities from areas once part of the Habsburg monarchy, and new minorities from recent immigration.

Even though families in Austria have been having fewer children lately, the population continues to grow. This is because many people from other countries have moved to Austria. By 2023, Austria had a population of 9 million people.

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
17802,970,000—    
17903,046,000+0.25%
18003,064,000+0.06%
18103,054,000−0.03%
18213,202,000+0.43%
18303,476,000+0.92%
18403,649,000+0.49%
18503,879,000+0.61%
18574,075,000+0.71%
18694,497,880+0.83%
18804,963,528+0.90%
18905,417,360+0.88%
19006,003,845+1.03%
19106,648,310+1.02%
19236,534,742−0.13%
19346,760,044+0.31%
19396,652,567−0.32%
19516,933,905+0.35%
19617,073,807+0.20%
19717,491,526+0.58%
19817,555,338+0.08%
19917,795,786+0.31%
20018,032,587+0.30%
20118,401,940+0.45%
20218,969,068+0.66%
Source: 2019 estimate

Population

Demographic statistics show important details about Austria's population.

Here are some key facts:

  • One baby is born every 6 minutes.
  • One person passes away every 6 minutes.
  • There is one new person moving into the country every 26 minutes.
  • The population grows by one person every 26 minutes.

The country's population has changed over time, with different rates of births, deaths, and people moving in or out. The total number of children a woman has on average (called the total fertility rate) is about 1.48 children per woman. People in Austria live to about 81 years old on average.

About 14% of the population is aged 0–14 years, 10.82% is 15–24 years, 42.1% is 25–54 years, 13.63% is 55–64 years, and 19.44% is 65 years and older. The median age is 44.2 years.

Most people live in urban areas, making up 58.3% of the total population.

The total fertility rate is the number of children born per woman. It is based on fairly good data for the entire period in the present-day Hungary. Sources: Our World In Data and Gapminder Foundation.

Total fertility rate

1.48 children born/woman (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 199th

Mother's mean age at first birth

Life expectancy in Austria since 1960 by gender

29 years (2014 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 81.7 years. Country comparison to the world: 24th

male: 79 years

female: 84.5 years (2018 est.)

Total fertility rates in Austria 1870–1899
Year1870187118721873187418751876187718781879
Rate4.694.654.754.834.84.814.924.724.614.61
Year1880188118821883188418851886188718881889
Rate4.624.554.564.514.584.494.514.494.434.44
Year1890189118921893189418951896189718981899
Rate4.244.484.314.364.344.44.44.334.354.35

Vital statistics

Data from Statistik Austria.

Some big events changed Austria's population:

In 2024, about one-third of babies born in Austria had mothers who were not Austrian citizens. About one-third had mothers born outside Austria.

Regions and cities

Nationality

Structure of the population

PeriodLive birthsDeathsNatural increase
January—September 202458,32865,374−7,046
January—September 202557,29864,203−6,905
DifferenceDecrease –1,030 (−1.77%)Positive decrease –1,171 (–1.79%)Increase +141
Source:
2024
StatesTFR
Vorarlberg1.45
Oberösterreich1.45
Niederösterreich1.37
Salzburg1.32
Austria1.31
Kärnten1.30
Tirol1.30
Steiermark1.28
Wien1.22
Burgenland1.21
2023
Regions and citiesTFR
Ostösterreich1.25
Mittelburgenland1.18
Nordburgenland1.25
Südburgenland1.31
Mostviertel-Eisenwurzen1.50
Niederösterreich-Süd1.39
Sankt Pölten1.36
Waldviertel1.38
Weinviertel1.30
Wiener Umland/Nordteil1.39
Wiener Umland/Südteil1.33
Wien1.17
Südösterreich1.34
Klagenfurt-Villach1.26
Oberkärnten1.40
Unterkärnten1.40
Graz1.28
Liezen1.60
Östliche Obersteiermark1.25
Oststeiermark1.46
West- und Südsteiermark1.41
Westliche Obersteiermark1.45
Westösterreich1.41
Innviertel1.47
Linz-Wels1.40
Mühlviertel1.58
Steyr-Kirchdorf1.48
Traunviertel1.44
Salzburg1.39
Lungau1.41
Pinzgau-Pongau1.53
Salzburg und Umgebung1.33
Außerfem1.38
Innsbruck1.19
Osttirol1.61
Tiroler Oberland1.40
Tiroler Unterland1.41
Bludenz-Bregenzer Wald1.57
Rheintal-Bodenseegebiet1.49
Austria1.32
2024
Country of birthTFR
Austria1.22
Foreign countries1.57
EU before 2004; UK, EFTA1.10
EU after 20041.29
EU after 20071.79
Former Yugoslavia (non-EU)1.94
Turkey1.80
Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq3.30
Other countries1.24
Age groupMaleFemaleTotal%
Total4,093,9384,308,0028,401,940100
0–4202 637192 069394 7064.70
5–9207 779198 248406 0274.83
10–14218 499208 458426 9575.08
15–19251 251237 567488 8185.82
20–24267 651260 024527 6756.28
25–29277 236275 547552 7836.58
30–34270 267268 040538 3076.41
35–39280 207284 610564 8176.72
40–44338 455336 787675 2428.04
45–49358 163352 225710 3888.46
50–54312 890313 272626 1627.45
55–59253 019264 261517 2806.16
60–64231 598249 067480 6655.72
65–69189 221213 608402 8294.79
70–74187 956222 358410 3144.88
75–79110 870151 333262 2033.12
80–8483 066135 067218 1332.60
85–8940 153101 619141 7721.69
90–9410 99735 36546 3620.55
95–991 8367 5529 3880.11
100+1879251 1120.01
Age groupMaleFemaleTotalPercent
0–14628 915598 7751,227,69014.61
15–642,840,7372,841,4005,682,13767.63
65+624 286867 8271,492,11317.76
Age groupMaleFemaleTotal%
Total4,378,7724,522,2928,901,064100
0–4224 096211 739435 8354.90
5–9219 209206 018425 2274.78
10–14216 381205 617421 9984.74
15–19225 558212 297437 8554.92
20–24266 200251 570517 7705.82
25–29308 142293 260601 4026.76
30–34309 081298 547607 6286.83
35–39307 461302 843610 3046.86
40–44283 167281 274564 4416.34
45–49308 507313 946622 4536.99
50–54356 947354 457711 4047.99
55–59342 150343 335685 4857.70
60–64275 937289 698565 6356.35
65–69213 220237 161450 3815.06
70–74179 931211 723391 6544.40
75–79165 737211 808377 5454.24
80–84102 723144 999247 7222.78
85–8951 51991 697143 2161.61
90–9419 35446 36065 7140.74
95–993 27812 92416 2020.18
100–1041679661 1330.01
105–10975259
110+011
Age groupMaleFemaleTotalPercent
0–14659 686623 3741,283,06014.41
15–642,983,1502,941,2275,924,37766.56
65+735 936957 6911,693,62719.03

Ethnic groups

Austria has many different groups of people. Most people, about 88.6%, speak German as their first language. There are also smaller groups who speak other languages.

There are three main traditional minority groups in Austria. These include people from Carinthia, Croatia, and Hungary who live in Burgenland. Their rights are protected by law.

Many people in Austria today come from other countries. In 2006, about 9.8% of people living in Austria were from outside the country. Some came from places like the former Yugoslavia and Turkey. Over time, many of these people became official citizens of Austria.

By 2011, around 19% of people in Austria had at least one parent born in another country. The largest group of people from another country living in Austria are from Turkey.

Migration background groupsYear
20082010201220142016201820202022
Number%Number%Number%Number%Number%Number%Number%Number%
Non-migrant background6,784,30082.6%6,717,30081.5%6,739,80081.2%6,700,50079.6%6,701,10077.9%6,656,30076.7%6,628,60075.6%6,549,00073.6%
Migrant background (1st and 2nd generations)1,426,40017.4%1,528,20018.5%1,563,00018.8%1,714,60020.4%1,898,00022.1%2,022,20023.3%2,137,80024.4%2,351,80026.4%
Total8,210,700100%8,245,500100%8,302,900100%8,415,100100%8,599,200100%8,678,600100%8,766,300100%8,900,800100%
Background group2008201120162021
Number%Number%Number%Number%
European7,795,0007,789,000
Without migrant background6,784,00082,6%6,721,00081,3%6,701,00077,9%6,567,00074,6%
Kingdom of Yugoslavia Yugoslavian444,000450,000525,000584,000
Germany German200,000220,000
Poland Polish58,00060,000
Romania Romanian56,00068,000
Czech Republic Czech49,00045,000
Hungary Hungarian36,00041,000
Other172,000184,000
Euroasian180,000185.000272.000286,000
Turkey Turkish180,000185,000272,000286,000
Asian282,000294,000
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Afghan127,000
Syria Syrian
Iraq Iraqi
Other102,000109,000
African40,00041,000
Egypt Egyptian13,000
Other27,000
American29,00030,000
North American13,000
Latin American17,000
Australia/Oceania2,6002,700
Other/unspecified/mixed62,000112,000
Total: Foreign background1,426,00017,4%1,548,00018,7%1,898,00022,1%2,240,00025,4%
Total8,210,0008,269,0008,599,0008,807,000
RankNationalityPopulation% of foreign nationals
Total1,729,820100
1European Union Germany225,01213.0
2European Union Romania147,4908.5
3 Turkey120,7067.0
4 Serbia116,1166.8
5 Bosnia and Herzegovina102,4686.0
6European Union Croatia101,8035.8
7European Union Hungary101,6795.8
8 Syria82,1694.8
9 Ukraine79,6154.6
10European Union Poland67,1684.0
11 Afghanistan50,3783.0
12European Union Slovakia48,4772.8
13European Union Bulgaria38,4692.2
14European Union Italy37,7182.2
15 Russia35,5862.1
Other nationalities379,17821.9

Naturalisation

Foreigners can become Austrian citizens if they follow some rules. They must live in Austria for ten years in a row, with five of those years as a permanent resident. They also need to have stable finances, no criminal history, know German well, and respect Austria. Citizens from European Economic Area countries can apply after six years of living permanently in Austria.

Naturalisation in Austria by region (2013–2024)
RegionNaturalised personsPercentage
Europe (EU and EFTA)18,59416.2%
Other European countries (incl. Türkiye)52,74145.9%
Africa9,4068.2%
America2,7042.4%
Asia30,41626.5%
Oceania450.04%
Unknown1,0340.9%
Total114,940100%

Languages

Main article: Languages of Austria

Most people in Austria speak German. It is the official language everywhere in the country. About 88.8% of the population speaks German. Some speak Austrian German, and a smaller group speaks Alemannic.

Besides German, other languages spoken in Austria include Turkish, Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Hungarian, Czech, Slovak, Yiddish, and Romani. Around 10% of the people speak languages from recent immigrant groups.

Religion

Main article: Religion in Austria

In 2021, the most common religions in Austria were:

  1. Catholicism (55.2%)
  2. Eastern Orthodoxy (4.90%)
  3. Protestantism (3.80%)
  4. Other Christians (4.30%)
  5. No religion (22.4%)
  6. Islam (8.30%)
  7. Other religions (1.10%)

By the end of 2016, about 58.8% of Austrians were registered as Roman Catholic. The number of people who said they had no religion grew from 12% in 2001 to 20% by 2015. In 2016, around 700,000 people were registered as Muslims, mainly from Turkey, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Kosovo. About 680,000 people were members of the Eastern Orthodox Church, mostly Romanians and Serbs. There were also smaller groups like Jehovah's Witnesses and Jewish communities.

Newborn by religion of father
YearCatholicProtestantOrthodoxMuslimOther
201934.68%2.15%3.73%12.09%47.35%
201839.24%2.36%4.29%13.80%40.31%
201743.40%2.68%4.80%14.66%34.46%
201644.35%2.73%4.64%14.82%33.46%
201543.89%2.62%4.40%12.75%36.34%
Newborn by religion of mother
YearCatholicProtestantOrthodoxMuslimOther
201937.73%2.29%4.40%11.66%43.92%
201842.54%2.65%4.99%13.37%36.45%
201747.08%3.01%5.54%14.28%30.09%
201649.26%3.24%5.3%14.59%27.61%
201549.52%3.08%5.08%12.75%29.57%

Related articles

Austria
Alemannic German
Habsburg monarchy
European Union
Burgenland
Turkey

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