Skip to main content
OpenFactBook OpenFactBook
Flag of Austria

Austria

Republic of Austria

Europe Vienna

Population

9.17M

Area

83,871 km²

GDP

$521.64B

GDP Per Capita

$63,300

Pop. Density

109/km²

Quick Facts

Currency

euro(EUR)

Calling Code

+43

Timezone

UTC+01:00

Languages

German

Driving Side

right

Demonym

Austrian

Map of Austria

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.

Historical Trends

GDP (USD)

↑60.2% since 2006
$334B (2006)$535B (2024)

Population

↑11.0% since 2006
8.3M (2006)9.2M (2024)

Life Expectancy at Birth

Latest: 81.5 years
2006: 79.9 years2023: 81.5 years

Data source: World Bank Open Data

Geography20

Location

Central Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia

Geographic coordinates

47 20 N, 13 20 E

Map references

Europe

Area

total : 83,871 sq km
land: 82,445 sq km
water: 1,426 sq km

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: 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

31.5% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 16% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.8% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 14.7% (2023 est.)

forest

47.2% (2023 est.)

other

20.9% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land

382 sq km (2016)

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 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)

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 & Society32

Population

total: 9,174,390 (2025 est.)
male: 4,471,802
female: 4,702,588

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.)

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.

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.)

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)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 54.3 (2025 est.)
youth dependency ratio: 21.8 (2025 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 32.5 (2025 est.)
potential support ratio: 3.1 (2025 est.)

Median age

total: 44.5 years (2025 est.)
male: 43.6 years
female: 46.3 years

Population growth rate

0.28% (2025 est.)

Birth rate

8.81 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Death rate

10.21 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Net migration rate

4.19 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 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: 59.5% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 0.68% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas - population

1.975 million VIENNA (capital) (2023)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

29.7 years (2020 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio

6 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 3.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
male: 3.6 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 2.7 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 82.7 years (2024 est.)
male: 80.1 years
female: 85.4 years

Total fertility rate

1.35 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.66 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)

improved: rural

rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 100% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Health expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP): 12.1% of GDP (2021)
Health expenditure (as % of national budget): 16.3% of national budget (2022 est.)

Physician density

5.52 physicians/1,000 population (2023)

Hospital bed density

7.1 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)

improved: rural

rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 100% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

20.1% (2016)

Alcohol consumption per capita

total: 11.9 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
beer: 6.3 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 3.7 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 1.9 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use

total: 19.7% (2025 est.)
male: 21.1% (2025 est.)
female: 18.3% (2025 est.)

Education expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP): 5.3% of GDP (2022 est.)
Education expenditure (% national budget): 9.9% national budget (2022 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 16 years (2023 est.)
male: 16 years (2023 est.)
female: 17 years (2023 est.)

Government25

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" and dates to the 10th century; the designation refers to the fact that Austria was the easternmost extension of Bavaria and the German peoples; 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 name may have evolved from the Roman name Vindobona, which was taken from the Celtic words vindo (white) and bona (fort)

Administrative divisions

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

Legal system

civil law system; Constitutional Court reviews legislative acts

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
amendment process: 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

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 Christian STOCKER (since 3 March 2025)

cabinet

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

election/appointment process

president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 6-year term (eligible for a second term); 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

most recent election date

9 October 2022

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%

expected date of next election

2028

Legislative branch

legislature name: Parliament (Parlament)
legislative structure: bicameral

Legislative branch - lower chamber

chamber name

National Council (Nationalrat)

number of seats

183 (all directly elected)

electoral system

proportional representation

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

5 years

most recent election date

9/29/2024

parties elected and seats per party

Freedom Party (FPÖ) (57); People's Party (ÖVP) (51); Social Democratic Party (SPÖ) (41); NEOS (“New Austria”) (18); Greens (16)

percentage of women in chamber

35.5%

expected date of next election

September 2029

Legislative branch - upper chamber

chamber name: Federal Council (Bundesrat)
number of seats: 60 (all indirectly elected)
parties elected and seats per party: People's Party (OVP) (22); Social Democratic Party (SPO) (18); Freedom Party (16); Greens (3); NEOS (New Austria) (1)
percentage of women in chamber: 46.7%

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

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 

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Petra SCHNEEBAUER (since 19 APRIL 2023)

chancery

3524 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008-3035

telephone

[1] (202) 895-6700

FAX

[1] (202) 895-6750

email address and website


washington-ob@bmeia.gv.at

https://www.austria.org/

consulate(s) general

Los Angeles, New York

consulate(s)

Chicago

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Art FISHER (since 19 November 2025)

embassy

Boltzmanngasse 16, 1090, Vienna

mailing address

9900 Vienna Place, Washington DC  20521-9900

telephone

[43] (1) 31339 0

FAX

[43] (1) 31339 2017

email address and website


ConsulateVienna@state.gov

https://at.usembassy.gov/

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

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)

Flag

description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and red

history: one of the oldest national flags in the world; according to tradition, after a fierce battle in the Third Crusade in 1191, Duke Leopold V of Austria's white tunic became blood-spattered; when his sash was removed, a white band was revealed, and the red-white-red color combination was adopted as his banner

National symbol(s)

eagle, edelweiss, Alpine gentian

National color(s)

red, white

National anthem(s)

title: "Bundeshymne" (Federal Hymn)
lyrics/music: Paula von PRERADOVIC/Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART or Johann HOLZER (disputed)
history: adopted 1947; Austria adopted a new national anthem after World War II to replace the former imperial anthem composed by Franz Josef HAYDN, which Germany had appropriated in 1922 and was thereafter associated with the Nazi regime; the Austrian Federal Assembly adopted a gender-neutral version of the lyrics in 2012

National heritage

total World Heritage Sites: 12 (11 cultural, 1 natural)
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)

Economy31

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

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024: $581.131 billion (2024 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023: $588.031 billion (2023 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022: $593.701 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2024: -1.2% (2024 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2023: -1% (2023 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2022: 5.3% (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2024: $63,300 (2024 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2023: $64,400 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2022: $65,700 (2022 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$521.642 billion (2024 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024: 2.9% (2024 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023: 7.8% (2023 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022: 8.5% (2022 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 1.2% (2024 est.)
industry: 23.1% (2024 est.)
services: 65.3% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption

52.2% (2023 est.)

government consumption

20.5% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital

24.9% (2023 est.)

investment in inventories

0.5% (2023 est.)

exports of goods and services

59.5% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services

-57.3% (2023 est.)

Agricultural products

milk, sugar beets, maize, wheat, barley, potatoes, pork, grapes, triticale, soybeans (2023)

Industries

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

Industrial production growth rate

-5.5% (2024 est.)

Labor force

4.768 million (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2024: 5.5% (2024 est.)
Unemployment rate 2023: 5.3% (2023 est.)
Unemployment rate 2022: 5% (2022 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

total: 11.7% (2024 est.)
male: 11.4% (2024 est.)
female: 12% (2024 est.)

Population below poverty line

14.8% (2021 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2022: 30.9 (2022 est.)

Average household expenditures

on food: 10.1% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
on alcohol and tobacco: 3.5% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 2.8% (2022 est.)
highest 10%: 24.6% (2022 est.)

Remittances

Remittances 2024: 0.7% of GDP (2024 est.)
Remittances 2023: 0.6% of GDP (2023 est.)
Remittances 2022: 0.6% of GDP (2022 est.)

Budget

revenues: $231.132 billion (2023 est.)
expenditures: $241.516 billion (2023 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2023: 78.3% of GDP (2023 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

25.9% (of GDP) (2023 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2024: $12.642 billion (2024 est.)
Current account balance 2023: $6.783 billion (2023 est.)
Current account balance 2022: -$3.911 billion (2022 est.)

Exports

Exports 2024: $299.366 billion (2024 est.)
Exports 2023: $303.914 billion (2023 est.)
Exports 2022: $291.804 billion (2022 est.)

Exports - partners

Germany 25%, USA 9%, Italy 7%, Switzerland 5%, Hungary 4% (2023)

Exports - commodities

cars, packaged medicine, vaccines, vehicle parts/accessories, nitrogen compounds (2023)

Imports

Imports 2024: $284.467 billion (2024 est.)
Imports 2023: $293.692 billion (2023 est.)
Imports 2022: $294.324 billion (2022 est.)

Imports - partners

Germany 34%, China 7%, Italy 7%, Switzerland 5%, Czechia 4% (2023)

Imports - commodities

cars, garments, vaccines, vehicle parts/accessories, refined petroleum (2023)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024: $35.406 billion (2024 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023: $31.212 billion (2023 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022: $33.078 billion (2022 est.)

Exchange rates

Currency

euros (EUR) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2024

0.924 (2024 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

0.925 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

0.95 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

0.845 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

0.876 (2020 est.)

Energy7

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)

Electricity

installed generating capacity: 33.371 million kW (2023 est.)
consumption: 64.611 billion kWh (2023 est.)
exports: 21.631 billion kWh (2023 est.)
imports: 21.55 billion kWh (2023 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 3.095 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels: 14.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
solar: 9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
wind: 11.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
hydroelectricity: 56.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
biomass and waste: 7.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Coal

production: 1.288 million metric tons (2023 est.)
consumption: 5.403 million metric tons (2023 est.)
exports: 2,000 metric tons (2022 est.)
imports: 4.179 million metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum

total petroleum production: 18,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
refined petroleum consumption: 244,000 bbl/day (2024 est.)
crude oil estimated reserves: 35.2 million barrels (2021 est.)

Natural gas

production: 548.976 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
consumption: 6.971 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
imports: 7.084 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
proven reserves: 5.04 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023: 120.211 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Communications6

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 3.48 million (2024 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 38 (2024 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 11.4 million (2024 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 124 (2024 est.)

Broadcast media

public broadcaster, Oesterreichischer Rundfunk (ORF), is a major player in the TV and radio markets; private broadcasters, cable, and satellite TV are available in most homes are widely used; some German stations carry programs for Austrian viewers; national and regional newspapers compete fiercely for readers; the print media are owned by a handful of mostly Austrian and German media groups (2023)

Internet country code

.at

Internet users

percent of population: 95% (2024 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 2.71 million (2023 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 30 (2023 est.)

Transportation5

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

OE

Airports

62 (2025)

Heliports

112 (2025)

Railways

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

Merchant marine

total: 1 (2023)
by type: other 1

Military & Security7

Military and security forces

Austrian Armed Forces (Bundesheer): Land Forces, Air Force, Cyber Forces, Special Operations Forces, Militia (reserves) (2025)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2024: 1% of GDP (2024 est.)
Military Expenditures 2023: 0.9% of GDP (2023 est.)
Military Expenditures 2022: 0.7% of GDP (2022 est.)
Military Expenditures 2021: 0.8% of GDP (2021 est.)
Military Expenditures 2020: 0.7% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 22,000 active Armed Forces (includes about 14,000 regular troops and around 8,000 reservists/militia undergoing refresher training) (2025)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the military's inventory includes a mix of domestically produced and imported armaments from European countries and the US; the Austrian defense industry produces a range of equipment and partners with other countries (2025)

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 (2025)

Military deployments

210 Bosnia-Herzegovina (EUFOR stabilization force); 100 Kosovo (NATO/KFOR); 160 Lebanon (UNIFIL) (2025)

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 operations

the 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; more than 100,000 Austrian military and civilian personnel have taken part in more than 50 international peace support and humanitarian missions since 1960 (2025)

Transnational Issues1

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees: 313,711 (2024 est.)
stateless persons: 3,919 (2024 est.)

Compare Austria

See how Austria compares to other countries side by side.

Compare Countries