Austria
Top Sights & Landmarks
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.
Location
Central Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia
Area
Elevation
Detailed Geography Information
Coastline
0 km (landlocked)
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
Irrigated land
382 sq km (2016)
Land boundaries
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)
Maritime claims
none (landlocked)
Natural hazards
landslides; avalanches; earthquakes
Natural resources
Terrain
mostly mountains (Alps) in the west and south; mostly flat or gently sloping along the eastern and northern margins
Population & Growth
Age Distribution
Demographic Longevity
Vital Dynamics
Detailed People & Society Information
Alcohol consumption per capita
11.9 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
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.)
Education expenditure
5.3% of GDP (2022 est.) 9.9% national budget (2022 est.)
Ethnic groups
Gross reproduction rate
0.66 (2025 est.)
Health expenditure
12.1% of GDP (2021) 16.3% of national budget (2022 est.)
Hospital bed density
7.1 beds/1,000 population (2020 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
Languages
Major urban areas - population
1.975 million VIENNA (capital) (2023)
Maternal mortality ratio
6 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth
29.7 years (2020 est.)
Nationality
noun: Austrian(s) adjective: Austrian
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
20.1% (2016)
Physician density
5.52 physicians/1,000 population (2023)
Population distribution
the northern and eastern portions of the country are more densely populated; nearly two thirds of the populace lives in urban areas
Refugees and internally displaced persons
Religions
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
total: 16 years (2023 est.) male: 16 years (2023 est.) female: 17 years (2023 est.)
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.)
Tobacco use
total: 19.7% (2025 est.) male: 21.1% (2025 est.) female: 18.3% (2025 est.)
Climate & Issues
temperate; continental, cloudy; cold winters with frequent rain and some snow in lowlands and snow in mountains; moderate summers with occasional showers
Land Cover
Air & Carbon Emissions
Water Resources & Use
Detailed Environmental Information
Geoparks
total global geoparks and regional networks: 3 global geoparks and regional networks: Ore of the Alps; Styrian Eisenwurzen; Karawanken/Karavanke (includes Slovenia) (2023)
International environmental agreements
Urbanization
urban population: 59.5% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 0.68% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Waste and recycling
municipal solid waste generated annually: 5.22 million tons (2024 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 36% (2022 est.)
Capital & State Profile
Executive Branch
Legislative Branch
National Identity & Symbols
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and red
Detailed Government Information
Administrative divisions
9 states (Bundeslaender, singular - Bundesland); Burgenland, Kaernten (Carinthia), Niederoesterreich (Lower Austria), Oberoesterreich (Upper Austria), Salzburg, Steiermark (Styria), Tirol (Tyrol), Vorarlberg, Wien (Vienna)
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
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
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
International law organization participation
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
International organization participation
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; Constitutional Court reviews legislative acts
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); FertĹ‘/Neusiedlersee Cultural Landscape (c); Baden bei Wien (c); Primeval Beech Forests - Dürrenstein, Kalkalpen (n)
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
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
Size & Performance
GDP Sector Breakdown
Trade Balance
Budget Balance
Export Profile
Top Export Partners
Major Export Commodities
Import Profile
Top Import Partners
Major Import Commodities
Labor & Employment
Income Inequality
Family Income / Consumption Share
Detailed Economic Data
Agricultural products
Current account balance
$12.642 billion (2024 est.) $6.783 billion (2023 est.) -$3.911 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
Exchange rates
euros (EUR) per US dollar - Exchange rates: 0.924 (2024 est.) 0.925 (2023 est.) 0.95 (2022 est.) 0.845 (2021 est.) 0.876 (2020 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use
Industrial production growth rate
-5.5% (2024 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
Industries
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
2.9% (2024 est.) 7.8% (2023 est.) 8.5% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Public debt
78.3% of GDP (2023 est.) note: central government debt as a % of GDP
Remittances
0.7% of GDP (2024 est.) 0.6% of GDP (2023 est.) 0.6% of GDP (2022 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$35.406 billion (2024 est.) $31.212 billion (2023 est.) $33.078 billion (2022 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
Taxes and other revenues
25.9% (of GDP) (2023 est.) note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP
Grid Infrastructure
Generation Mix
Fossil Fuels Production
Intensity & Nuclear
Digital Access
Active internet users as a percentage of the total population.
Fixed Broadband
Mobile Cellular
Broadcast Media
Aviation
Railways
Merchant Marine
Military Expenditures
Active Duty Strengths
approximately 22,000 active Armed Forces (includes about 14,000 regular troops and around 8,000 reservists/militia undergoing refresher training) (2025)
Service & Defense Details
Austrian Armed Forces (Bundesheer): Land Forces, Air Force, Cyber Forces, Special Operations Forces, Militia (reserves) (2025) note 1: the federal police maintain internal security and report to the Ministry of the Interior note 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
210 Bosnia-Herzegovina (EUFOR stabilization force); 100 Kosovo (NATO/KFOR); 160 Lebanon (UNIFIL) (2025)
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)
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 (2025)
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) note: Austria also has a One-Year Volunteer Program (Einjährig-Freiwilligen-Ausbildung) for men and women, which substitutes for compulsory military service and serves as a gateway for those interested in a long-term military career
Space Agency
Aeronautics and Space Agency (ALR; established in 1972 as the Austrian Space Agency) (2025)