Austria
Few places match Austria's #5 ranking in renewable energy. With 43.3%, the numbers speak for themselves. See if you can spot its other strengths.
Austria is a country in Europe with a population of 9.17M and an area of 83,871 km². Life expectancy is 81.5 years.
At a Glance
The numbers that define this country
Life Satisfaction
7.62How satisfied people are with their lives, rated on a scale from 0 to 10.
University Enrollment Rate
91.7%Total university and college enrollment as a percentage of the typical college-age population.
GDP Per Capita
$63.3KGDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
Human Development Index
0.93The Human Development Index (HDI), combining life expectancy, education, and income into a single score from 0 to 1.
GDP Per Capita (PPP)
71.6KGDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
Internet Users (%)
95.0%The percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
Where They Stand Out
Global rankings worth knowing
🍻Beer Consumption
5.88How many liters of beer the average adult (15+) drinks per year.
🌱Electricity Access (%)
100.0%The percentage of the population with access to electricity.
🌍Border Countries Count
8.00Number of neighboring border countries from CIA World Factbook.
❤️Hospital Beds (per 1,000)
7.10The number of hospital beds available per 1,000 people.
🚀R&D Spending (% GDP)
3.2%Spending on research and development as a percentage of GDP.
Did You Know?
Facts that catch players off guard
Ranks #3 globally in beer consumption
Beer Consumption: 5.88
How many liters of beer the average adult (15+) drinks per year.
Our World in Data 2023Ranks #7 globally in electricity access (%)
Electricity Access (%): 100.0%
The percentage of the population with access to electricity.
World Bank 2023Ranks #6 globally in border countries count
Border Countries Count: 8.00
Number of neighboring border countries from CIA World Factbook.
Only ranks #181 in merchant ships
Merchant Ships: 1.00
Merchant marine fleet size from CIA World Factbook.
Ranks #8 globally in hospital beds (per 1,000)
Hospital Beds (per 1,000): 7.10
The number of hospital beds available per 1,000 people.
World Bank 2023Surprised? See how you stack up.
Play NowHow Austria Compares
Country vs continent vs world averages
GDP per Capita
Above avgGDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
World Bank 2023Life Expectancy
Above avgHow many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
World Bank 2023Human Development Index
Above avgThe Human Development Index (HDI), combining life expectancy, education, and income into a single score from 0 to 1.
Our World in Data 2023Internet Users
Above avgThe percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
World Bank 2023Think you can guess which countries rank higher?
Test Your IntuitionAbout Austria
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
- 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
- Natural Hazards
- landslides; avalanches; earthquakes
- Size Comparison
- about the size of South Carolina; slightly more than two-thirds the size of Pennsylvania
- 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.)
- 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.)
- 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.)
- Major Cities
- 1.975 million VIENNA (capital) (2023)
- Government Type
- federal parliamentary republic
- Capital
- Vienna
- Capital Coordinates
- 48 12 N, 16 22 E
- Capital Timezone
- UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Official Name
- Republic of Austria
- Name Origin
- 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
- 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 Symbols
- eagle, edelweiss, Alpine gentian
- National Anthem
- "Bundeshymne" (Federal Hymn)
- UNESCO Heritage
- 12 (11 cultural, 1 natural)
- 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
- Industries
- construction, machinery, vehicles and parts, food, metals, chemicals, lumber and paper, electronics, tourism
- Agricultural Products
- milk, sugar beets, maize, wheat, barley, potatoes, pork, grapes, triticale, soybeans (2023)
- Export Partners
- Germany 25%, USA 9%, Italy 7%, Switzerland 5%, Hungary 4% (2023)
- Export Commodities
- cars, packaged medicine, vaccines, vehicle parts/accessories, nitrogen compounds (2023)
- Import Partners
- Germany 34%, China 7%, Italy 7%, Switzerland 5%, Czechia 4% (2023)
- Import Commodities
- cars, garments, vaccines, vehicle parts/accessories, refined petroleum (2023)
- Military Forces
- Austrian Armed Forces (Bundesheer): Land Forces, Air Force, Cyber Forces, Special Operations Forces, Militia (reserves) (2025)
- Military Service
- 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)
- Energy Mix
- 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.)
- 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)
- Space Program
- established a national space program in 2002; develops, builds, operates, and tracks satellites, including remote sensing and research/scientific satellites; member of the ESA; works closely with ESA and EU member states and the commercial sector to develop a range of space capabilities and technologies, including applications for satellite payloads, space flight, and space research; participates in a range of ESA/EU programs, including Space Surveillance and Tracking (SST), Copernicus Earth observation, and Galileo global navigation satellite system; also cooperates with other foreign space agencies and industries, including those of China, India, Russia, and the US (2025)
Deep Dive
78 of 156 metricsEvery stat we track, organized by category
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Share something surprising about Austria!
How satisfied people are with their lives, rated on a scale from 0 to 10.
Frequently Asked Questions about Austria
Austria has a population of 9.17M, ranking #100 globally by population.
Austria is located in Europe. It has an area of 83,871 km².
Life expectancy in Austria is 81.5 years, ranking #39 globally.
Austria's GDP per capita (PPP) is 71.6K, ranking #24 globally.
Austria ranks particularly high in Life Satisfaction (#8), University Enrollment Rate (#14), GDP Per Capita (#22).
Austria has an HDI of 0.930, ranking #22 globally. The HDI combines life expectancy, education, and income indicators.
Austria has a population density of 110.7 people per km², ranking #96 globally.
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