Statistical information Austria 1993

Austria in the World
top of pageBackground: 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. After the annexation to Nazi Germany in 1938 and subsequent occupation by the victorious Allied powers, Austria's 1955 State Treaty declared the country "permanently neutral" as a condition of the Soviet military withdrawal. The Soviet collapse relieved the external pressure to remain unaligned, but neutrality had evolved into a part of Austrian cultural identity, which has led to an ongoing public debate over whether Vienna legitimately can remain outside of European security structures.
top of pageLocation: Central Europe, between Germany and Hungary
Geographic coordinatesMap reference:
Africa, Arctic Region, Europe, Standard Time Zones of the
World
AreaTotal: 83,850 km²
Land: 82,730 km²
Land boundaries:
total 2,496 km, Czech Republic 362 km, Germany 784 km,
Hungary 366 km, Italy 430 km, Liechtenstein 37 km, Slovakia 91 km, Slovenia 262 km, Switzerland 164 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none; landlocked
Climate: temperate; continental, cloudy; cold winters with frequent rain in lowlands and snow in mountains; cool summers with occasional showers
Terrain: in the west and south mostly mountains (Alps; along the eastern and northern margins mostly flat or gently sloping
ElevationNatural resources: iron ore, petroleum, timber, magnesite, aluminum, lead, coal, lignite, copper, hydropower
Land useArable land: 17%
Permanent crops: 1%
Meadows and pastures: 24%
Forest and woodland: 39%
Other: 19%
Irrigated land: 40 km² (1989)
Major riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazardsGeographytop of pagePopulation: 7,915,145 (July 1993 est.)
Growth rate: 0.55% (1993 est.)
NationalityNoun: Austrian(s)
Adjective: Austrian
Ethnic groups: German 99.4%, Croatian 0.3%, Slovene 0.2%, other 0.1%
Languages: German
Religions: Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant 6%, other 9%
Demographic profileAge structureDependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rate: 0.55% (1993 est.)
Birth rate: 11.54 births/1000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate: 10.42 deaths/1000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate: 4.42 migrant(s)/1000 population (1993 est.)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent issues: population is concentrated on eastern lowlands because of steep slopes, poor soils, and low temperatures elsewhere
Current issues note:landlocked; strategic location at the crossroads of central Europe with many easily traversable Alpine passes and valleys; major river is the
Danube
Air pollutantsSex ratioMothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 7.3 deaths/1000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birthTotal population: 76.4 years
Male: 73.18 years
Female: 79.8 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.47 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracy: age 15 and over can read and write (1974)
Total population: 99%
Male: NA%
Female: NA%
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry nameConventional long form: Republic of Austria
Conventional short form: Austria
Local short form: Oesterreich
Government type: federal republic
Capital: Vienna
Administrative divisions:
9 states (bundeslander, singular - bundesland);
Burgenland, Karnten, Niederosterreich, Oberosterreich, Salzburg, Steiermark,
Tirol, Vorarlberg, Wien
Dependent areasIndependence: 12 November 1918 (from Austro-Hungarian Empire)
National holiday: National Day, 26 October (1955)
Constitution: 1920; revised 1929 (reinstated 1945)
Legal system: civil law system with Roman law origin; judicial review of legislative acts by a Constitutional Court; separate administrative and civil/penal supreme courts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
International law organization participationCitizenshipSuffrage: 19 years of age, universal; compulsory for presidential elections
Executive branch: president, chancellor, vice chancellor, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: bicameral Federal Assembly (Bundesversammlung) consists of an upper council or Federal Council (Bundesrat) and a lower council or National Council (Nationalrat)
Judicial branch: Supreme Judicial Court (Oberster Gerichtshof) for civil and criminal cases, Administrative Court (Verwaltungsgerichtshof) for bureaucratic cases, Constitutional Court (Verfassungsgerichtshof) for constitutional cases
Political parties and leadersInternational organization participation:
AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE, CEI,
CERN, COCOM (cooperating country), CSCE, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, ESA, FAO, G-9, GATT,
IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, MINURSO, MTCR, NAM (guest),
NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNDOF, UNFICYP,
UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNOSOM, UNTAC, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representationIn the us chief of mission: Ambassador Friedrich HOESS
In the us chancery: 3,524 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20,008-3,035
In the us telephone: (202) 895-6,700
In the us fax: (202) 895-6,750
In the us consulates general: Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Roy Michael HUFFINGTON
From the us chancery: Boltzmanngasse 16, A-1091, Unit 27,937, Vienna
From the us mailing address: APO AE 9,222
From the us telephone: 43 (1) 31-339
From the us fax: 43 (1) 310-0682
From the us consulate general: Salzburg
Flag description
: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and red
National symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy overview: Austria boasts a prosperous and stable socialist market economy with a sizable proportion of nationalized industry and extensive welfare benefits. Thanks to an excellent raw material endowment, a technically skilled labor force, and strong links to German industrial firms, Austria occupies specialized niches in European industry and services (tourism, banking) and produces almost enough food to feed itself with only 8% of the labor force in agriculture. Increased export sales resulting from German unification, continued to boost Austria's economy through 1991. However, Germany's economic difficulties in 1992 slowed Austria's GDP growth to 2% from the 3% of 1991. Austria's economy, moreover, is not expected to grow by more than 1% in 1993, and inflation is forecast to remain about 4%. Unemployment will likely remain at current levels at least until 1994. Living standards in Austria are comparable with the large industrial countries of Western Europe. Problems for the l990s include an aging population, the high level of subsidies, and the struggle to keep welfare benefits within budgetary capabilities. The continued opening of Eastern European markets, however, will increase demand for Austrian exports. Austria, a member of the European Free Trade Association services to the EFTA countries, and Austrians plan to hold a national referendum within the next two years to vote on EC membership.
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rate: 1.8% (1992)
Real gdp per capita: $18,000 (1992)
Gross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture products: accounts for 3.2% of GDP (including forestry; principal crops and animals - grains, fruit, potatoes, sugar beets, sawn wood, cattle, pigs, poultry; 80-90% self-sufficient in food
Industries: foods, iron and steel, machines, textiles, chemicals, electrical, paper and pulp, tourism, mining, motor vehicles
Industrial production growth rate: growth rate 2.0% (1991)
Labor force: 3.47 million (1989)
By occupation services: 56.4%
By occupation industry and crafts: 35.4%
By occupation agriculture and forestry: 8.1%
Note:an estimated 200,000 Austrians are employed in other European countries
foreign laborers in Austria number 177,840; about 6% of labor force (1988)
Unemployment rate: 6.4% (1992 est.)
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudget: revenues $47.8 billion; expenditures $53.0 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992 est.)
Taxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal year: calendar year owned (0.760-, 1.435- and 1.000-meter gauge; 5,394 km 1.435-meter standard gauge of which 3,154 km is electrified and 1,520 km is double tracked; 339 km 0.760-meter narrow gauge of which 84 km is electrified
Inflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExports: $43.5 billion (1992 est.)
Commodoties: machinery and equipment, iron and steel, lumber, textiles, paper products, chemicals
Partners: EC 65.8% (Germany 39%), EFTA 9.1%, Eastern Europe/former USSR 9.0%, Japan 1.7%, US 2.8% (1991)
Imports: $50.7 billion (1992 est.)
Commodoties: petroleum, foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, vehicles, chemicals, textiles and clothing, pharmaceuticals
Partners: EC 67.8% (Germany 43.0%), EFTA 6.9%, Eastern Europe/former USSR 6.0%, Japan 4.8%, US 3.9% (1991)
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt externalStock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: Austrian schillings (S) per US$1 - 11.363 (January 1993), 10.989 (1992), 11.676 (1991), 11.370 (1990), 13.231 (1989), 12.348 (1988)
top of pageElectricityProduction: 17,600,000 kW capacity; 49,500 million kWh produced, 6,300 kWh per capita (1992)
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephonesTelephone systemBroadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresPercent of gdp: exchange rate conversion - $1.7 billion, 0.9% of GDP (1993 est.)
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports: 55
Usable: 55
With permanentsurface runways: 20
With runways over 3659 m: 0
With runways 2440-3659 m: 6
With runways 1220-2439 m: 4
HeliportsPipelines: crude oil 554 km; natural gas 2,611 km; petroleum products 171 km
RailwaysRoadwaysWaterways: 446 km
Merchant marine:
29 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 154,159 GRT/256,765
DWT; includes 23 cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo, 1 oil tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 3 bulk
Ports and terminalsAustria - Transnational issues 1993
top of pageDisputes international: none
Refugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs: transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin transiting the Balkan route