Due to immigration

Styrian population reaches record level

The Styrian population is becoming increasingly diverse (symbolic image).

(Bild: classen rafael/EyeEm/stock.adobe.com)

Exactly 1,269,801 people were living in Styria at the beginning of the year - the highest figure ever recorded in this country, and it continues to rise. The reason for this is immigration, without which the Styrian population would have long since shrunk. Graz even recorded the largest increase in population nationwide.

The Styrian population continues to grow - and there is no end in sight. According to state statistics, the population has now reached a new record high: as of January 1, 2024, exactly 1,269,801 people were registered in Styria, and as of July 1, 2024, the figure was 1,270,220. In 2023, the number grew by 0.4 percent - in Graz, the largest absolute increase nationwide was even recorded (+ 4270 people).

Syrians at the forefront of immigration
However, the population is not only growing, it is also becoming more diverse: According to Styrian state statistics, the increase is due to a "clearly positive migration balance". A total of 7832 foreign citizens came to Styria last year. With over 2000 people, Syrians were by far the most common immigrants - followed by Croats, Turks and Germans. Compared to 2022, significantly fewer Ukrainians came to Styria.

57% of the 179,682 foreigners living in Styria come from EU countries - with a total of 86,254 people, almost half of them live in Graz.

Martin Mayer, Leiter des Referats Statistik und Geoinformation

One thing is certain: without the immigration of recent years, the population in Styria would have been in sharp decline for over 40 years. The overall proportion of foreigners is 14.2 percent - which is still the fourth lowest in the country. "With a total of 86,254 people, almost half of them live in Graz," explains Martin Mayer, Head of the Statistics and Geoinformation Department.

It is also striking that the population is getting older. There are more and more senior citizens and at the same time fewer and fewer children and young people. At the beginning of the year, the average age was 44.6 years. The districts of Bruck-Mürzzuschlag and Leoben have the oldest resident populations at 47.3 years each. According to the statistics, most men live in Weiz, while most women live in Voitsberg. Incidentally, the latter are in the majority nationwide at 50.6 percent.