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. 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 somewhat altered the meaning of this neutrality. A prosperous, democratic country, Austria entered the EU Economic and Monetary Union in 1999.

Geographic coordinates: 47 20 N, 13 20 E

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 83,871 km²
Land: 82,445 km²
Water: 1,426 km²
Comparative: about the size of South Carolina; slightly more than two-thirds the size of Pennsylvania

Land boundaries
Total: 2,524 km
Border countries: (8) 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: 38.4% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land arable land: 16.5% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent crops: 0.8% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent pasture: 21.1% (2018 est.)
Forest: 47.2% (2018 est.)
Other: 14.4% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land: 382 km² (2016)

Major watersheds area km²: Atlantic Ocean drainage: Rhine-Maas (198,735 km²), (Black Sea) Danube (795,656 km²)

Total water withdrawal
Municipal: 720 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Industrial: 2.7 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Agricultural: 720 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total renewable water resources: 77.7 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Natural hazards: landslides; avalanches; earthquakes

Population
Distribution: the northern and eastern portions of the country are more densely populated; nearly two-thirds of the populace lives in urban areas: 8,940,860 (2023 est.)
Growth rate: 0.31% (2023 est.)
Below poverty line: 13.3% (2018 est.)

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.)
Note: data represent population by country of birth

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 samples:

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.)
Note: data on Muslim is a 2016 estimate; data on other/none/unspecified are from 2012-2018 estimates

Age structure
0-14 years: 14.08% (male 645,660/female 613,399)
15-64 years: 65.11% (male 2,914,056/female 2,907,233)
65 years and over: 20.81% (2023 est.) (male 820,022/female 1,040,490)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 51.1
Youth dependency ratio: 21.7
Elderly dependency ratio: 29.4
Potential support ratio: 3.4 (2021 est.)

Median age
Total: 44.8 years (2023 est.)
Male: 43.5 years
Female: 46.2 years

Population growth rate: 0.31% (2023 est.)

Birth rate: 9.4 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate: 9.9 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Net migration rate: 3.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 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)

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
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
International agreements signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Antarctic-Environmental Protection

Air pollutants
Particulate matter emissions: 11.51 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 61.45 megatons (2016 est.)
Methane emissions: 6.34 megatons (2020 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 (2023 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 29.7 years (2020 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio: 5 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 3.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
Male: 3.6 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 2.8 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 82.5 years (2023 est.)
Male: 79.9 years
Female: 85.2 years

Total fertility rate: 1.51 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 79% (2019)
Note: percent of women aged 16-49

Drinking water source
Improved urban: 100% of population
Improved rural: 100% of population
Improved total: 100% of population
Unimproved urban: 0% of population
Unimproved rural: 0% of population
Unimproved total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

Current health expenditure: 11.5% of GDP (2020)

Physicians density: 5.29 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

Hospital bed density: 7.3 beds/1,000 population (2018)

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 20.1% (2016)

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

Tobacco use
Total: 26.4% (2020 est.)
Male: 27.7% (2020 est.)
Female: 25% (2020 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: NA

Education expenditures: 5.1% of GDP (2020 est.)

Literacy
Total population: NA
Male: NA
Female: NA

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 16 years
Male: 16 years
Female: 16 years (2020)

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 11.4% (2021 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 11.5%
Rate ages 15 24 female: 11.3%

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, in fact, of all the Germans; 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 origin of the name is disputed but may derive from early Celtic settlements of the area; a plausible reconstructed Celtic name from several centuries B.C. is Vedunia (meaning "forest stream"), which in Old High German became uuenia (wenia), and later wien (its current German form) in New High German; another possibility is that the name stems from the Roman settlement Vindobona, established around 15 B.C., and its Celtic-derived name (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

Legal system: civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts by the Constitutional Court

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); note - President Alexander VAN DER BELLEN reelected to a second six-year term on 9 October 2022
Head of government: Chancellor Karl NEHAMMER (since 6 December 2021)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the chancellor and appointed by the president
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); election last held on 9 October 2022; (next election to be held in 2,028); 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:

Judicial branch
Highest courts: 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:

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 Petra SCHNEEBAUER (since 19 APRIL 2023)
In the us chancery: 3,524 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20,008-3,035
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 895-6,700
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 895-6,750
In the us email address and website:
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Victoria Reggie KENNEDY (since 12 January 2022)
From the us embassy: Boltzmanngasse 16, 1090, Vienna
From the us mailing address: 9,900 Vienna Place, Washington DC 20,521-9,900
From the us telephone: [43] (1) 31,339-0
From the us FAX: [43] (1) 310-06-82
From the us email address and website:

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 symbols: eagle, edelweiss, Alpine gentian; national colors: red, white

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:

Economy 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:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real gdp growth rate:

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 52.1% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 19.5% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 23.5% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 1.6% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 54.2% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -50.7% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 1.3% (2017 est.)
Industry: 28.4% (2017 est.)
Services: 70.3% (2017 est.)

Agriculture 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

Industrial production growth rate: 6.77% (2021 est.)

Labor force: 4.661 million (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate:

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 11.4% (2021 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 11.5%
Rate ages 15 24 female: 11.3%

Population below poverty line: 13.3% (2018 est.)

Gini index
Coefficient distribution of family income: 30.2 (2019 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10%: 2.8%
Highest 10%: 23.5% (2012 est.)

Budget
Revenues: $218.48 billion (2019 est.)
Expenditures: $215.485 billion (2019 est.)
Surplus  or deficit: -0.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues: 24.19% (of GDP) (2020 est.)

Public debt:
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

Revenue
From forest resources: 0.07% of GDP (2018 est.)
From coal: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:

Current account balance:

Exports:
Note: Data are in current year dollars and do not include illicit exports or re-exports.
Partners: Germany 28%, United States 7%, Italy 6%, Switzerland 5% (2019)
Commodities: vaccines and cultures, cars, packaged medicines, vehicle parts, broadcasting equipment (2021)

Imports:
Partners: Germany 39%, Italy 7%, Czechia 5% (2019)
Commodities: cars, vehicle parts, broadcasting equipment, refined petroleum, packaged medical supplies (2019)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

Debt external:

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Access electrification-total population: 100% (2021)
Installed generating capacity: 28.376 million kW (2020 est.)
Consumption: 69,905,200,000 kWh (2020 est.)
Exports: 22,918,265,000 kWh (2020 est.)
Imports: 24.522 billion kWh (2020 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 3.192 billion kWh (2020 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 17.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources solar: 2.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources wind: 9.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 62.9% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources biomass and waste: 7.4% of total installed capacity (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.)

Refined petroleum
Products production: 186,500 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Products exports: 49,960 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Products imports: 135,500 bbl/day (2017 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.)

Energy consumption per capita: 171.299 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 3,544,263 (2022 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 43 (2021 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 10,882,217 (2021 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 122 (2021 est.)

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)

Internet
Country code: .at
Users total: 8.277 million (2021 est.)
Users percent of population: 93% (2021 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 2.606 million (2020 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 29 (2020 est.)

Military expenditures:

Military and security forces: Austrian Armed Forces (Bundesheer): Land Forces, Air Forces, Cyber Forces, Special Forces, Militia (reserves)space programs

Terrorist groups
Terrorist groups: 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 terrorist organizations

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

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: OE

Airports: 50 (2021)
With paved runways: 24
With paved runways civil airports: 5
With paved runways military airports: 1
With paved runways joint use (civil-military) airports: 0
With paved runways other airports: 18
With paved runways note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
With unpaved runways: 28
With unpaved runways note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control

Heliports: 1 (2021)

Pipelines: 1,888 km gas, 594 km oil, 157 km refined products (2017)

Railways
Total: 6,123 km (2022) 3,523 km electrified

Roadways
Total: 137,039 km (2018)
Paved: 137,039 km (2018) (includes 2,232 km of expressways)

Waterways: 358 km (2011)

Merchant marine
Total: 1 (2022)
By type: other 1

Ports and terminals
River ports: Enns, Krems, Linz, Vienna (Danube)

Disputes international: none identified

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees country of origin: 68,700 (Syria), 43,725 (Afghanistan), 10,110 (Iraq), 8,684 (Somalia), 7,294 (Iran), 6,124 (Russia) (mid-year 2022); 81,870 (Ukraine) (as of 4 December 2023)
Stateless persons: 3,219 (2022)

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and South American cocaine destined for Western Europe; increasing consumption of European-produced synthetic drugs