Austria
Republic of AustriaRepublik Oesterreich
federal parliamentary republic
Austria as the 2022 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 168 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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.
Geography
Central Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia
20 fieldsLand useshare of 83,871 sq km
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
Natural resources
oil, coal, lignite, timber, iron ore, copper, zinc, antimony, magnesite, tungsten, graphite, salt, hydropower
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)
Population distribution
the northern and eastern portions of the country are more densely populated; nearly two-thirds of the populace lives in urban areas
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
35 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2020 est.)
Per 1,000 population(2022 est.)
Male · female
Ethnic groups(2018 est.)
Religions(2021 est.)
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.
Population distribution
the northern and eastern portions of the country are more densely populated; nearly two-thirds of the populace lives in urban areas
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:
- 0.65 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 0.96 male(s)/female (2022 est.)
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.)
Environment
14 fieldsLand use(2018 est.)
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
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:
- 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.)
Government
Federal parliamentary republic; President Alexander VAN DER BELLEN (since 26 January 2017); Chancellor Karl NEHAMMER (since 6 December 2021)
22 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
Federal Council, 61 seatsone dot, one seat
National Council, 183 seatsone dot, one seat
Percent of 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" 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
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 early Celtic settlements of the area;
- a possible reconstructed Celtic name from several centuries B.C. is Vedunia (meaning "forest stream");
- under Roman settlement, beginning around 15 B.C., the name became Vindobona (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
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
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
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Alexander VAN DER BELLEN (since 26 January 2017);
- note - President Alexander VAN DER BELLEN was re-elected to a second six-year term on 9 October 2022
- head of government:
- Chancellor Karl NEHAMMER (since 6 December 2021); note - Chancellor Alexander SCHALLENBERG resigned on 2 December 2021
- 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 9 October 2022 (first round), (second round, which was annulled), (next election 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
- election results:
- ;
- Alexander VAN DER BELLEN elected in first round;
- percent of vote - Alexander VAN DER BELLEN (the Greens) 56.7%, Walter ROSENKRANZ (FPO) 17.7%, Dominik WLAZNY (Bier) 8.3%, Tassilo WALLENTIN (independent) 8.1%, Gerald GROSZ (independent) 5.6%
; 2010: Heinz FISCHER re-elected; percent of vote - Heinz FISCHER 79.3%, Barbara ROSENKRANZ 15.2%, Rudolf GEHRING 5.4%- 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 re-vote - 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 in 2021;
- 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 - 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 (as of March 2022) - men 36, women 25, percent of women 41%
- 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 March 2022) - men 107, women 76, percent of women 41.5%
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 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 - The Green Alternative [Werner KOGLER]
- NEOS - The New Austria and Liberal Forum [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, Wassenaar Arrangement, 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:
- [email protected]; https://www.austria.org/
- consulate(s) general:
- Los Angeles, New York, Washington
- consulate(s):
- Chicago
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Victoria Reggie KENNEDY (since 12 January 2022)
- 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:
- [email protected]; 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 anthem
- name:
- "Bundeshymne" (Federal Hymn)
- lyrics/music:
- Paula von PRERADOVIC/Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART or Johann HOLZER (disputed)
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 2012
note 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
- 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)
Economy
Austria is a well-developed market economy with skilled labor force and high standard of living.
34 fieldsGDP - composition, by sector of origin(2017 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
By end use% of GDP · (2017 est.)
Budget(2017 est.)
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 strengthened 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.
Credit ratings
- Fitch rating:
- AA+ (2015)
- Moody's rating:
- Aa1 (2016)
Standard & Poors rating: AA+ (2012)
note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
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
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
Exports
$226.79 billion (2020 est.) · $247.17 billion (2019 est.) · $253.3 billion (2018 est.) note: Data are in current year dollars and do not include illicit exports or re-exports.
Exports - commodities
cars, packaged medical supplies, vehicle parts, medical vaccines/cultures, flavored water (2019)
Imports
$211.85 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars; $232.8 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars; $238.79 billion (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
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.)
Exchange rates
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.828 (2020 est.) · 0.903 (2019 est.) · 0.878 (2018 est.) · 0.885 (2014 est.) · 0.763 (2013 est.)
Energy
11 fieldsElectrification% of population · (2020)
Installed generating capacity, 28.376 million kW(2020 est.)
Coal
- production:
- 1.327 million metric tons (2020 est.)
- consumption:
- 4.899 million metric tons (2020 est.)
- exports:
- 1,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
- imports:
- 3.667 million metric tons (2020 est.)
- proven reserves:
- 0 metric tons (2019 est.)
Petroleum
- total petroleum production:
- 20,100 bbl/day (2021 est.)
- refined petroleum consumption:
- 278,700 bbl/day (2019 est.)
- crude oil and lease condensate exports:
- 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
- crude oil and lease condensate imports:
- 168,300 bbl/day (2018 est.)
- crude oil estimated reserves:
- 35.2 million barrels (2021 est.)
Natural gas
- production:
- 924.5 million cubic meters (2019 est.)
- consumption:
- 9.208 billion cubic meters (2019 est.)
- exports:
- 2.8 billion cubic meters (2019 est.)
- imports:
- 14.11 billion cubic meters (2019 est.)
- proven reserves:
- 5.04 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions
65.54 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
- from coal and metallurgical coke:
- 10.508 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
- from petroleum and other liquids:
- 37.336 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
- from consumed natural gas:
- 17.695 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
Communications
8 fieldsPer 100 inhabitants(2020 est.)
Telecommunication systems
- 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)
- domestic:
- developed and efficient;
- 42 per 100 fixed-line for households, 174 per 100 for companies;
- roughly 119 per 100 mobile-cellular;
- broadband: 138 per 100 on smartphones;
- roughly 29 per 100 fixed broadband and 107 per 100 mobile broadband (2020)
- 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 a downturn, particularly in mobile device production;
progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services
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 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
12 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right
Networkskm
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 (2018) mt-km
Railways
- total:
- 5,300 km (2018) (2017)
- standard gauge:
- 5,300 km 1.435-m gauge (3,826 km electrified) (2016)
Military and Security
Austrian Armed Forces: Land Forces, Air Forces, Cyber Forces, Special Forces (2022)
7 fieldsPersonnel strengthsone square, 100 people · (2022)
Military and security forces
Austrian Armed Forces: Land Forces, Air Forces, Cyber Forces, Special Forces (2022)
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 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 (2022)
note 1: as of 2019, women made up about 4% of the military's full-time personnel
note 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;
approximately 40% of those liable to compulsory service have opted in favor of alternative civil/community service
Military deployments
- 170 Bosnia-Herzegovina (EUFOR stabilization force);
- 300 Kosovo (NATO/KFOR);
- 200 Lebanon (UNIFIL) (Aug 2022)
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 2022, more than 100,000 Austrian military and civilian personnel had taken part in more than 50 international peace support and humanitarian missions since 1960 (2022)
Terrorism
1 fieldTerrorist 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
3 fieldsRefugees and internally displaced persons
- refugees (country of origin):
- 57,887 (Syria), 41,037 (Afghanistan), 9,661 (Iraq), 8,212 (Somalia), 7,046 (Iran), 7,003 (Russia) (mid-year 2021); 90,126 (Ukraine) (as of 20 December 2022)
- stateless persons:
- 3,229 (mid-year 2021)
Illicit drugs
- transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and South American cocaine destined for Western Europe;
- increasing consumption of European-produced synthetic drugs
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Austria.” The World Factbook 2022. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/austria/2022.