No country in the Balkans

Where Austria’s inhabitants come from

Austria's population is diverse, which also brings some advantages.

(Bild: APA/HERBERT PFARRHOFER)

Austria has always been home to many nations. Even today, we are a country of diverse cultures. Contrary to many clichés, however, the largest group of immigrants does not come from the Balkans, but from a neighboring country.

Austria celebrates its national holiday and is rightly proud of its history and traditions. People like to reminisce about the glorious past. But what does the Austria of today look like? Every year on National Day, the Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF) publishes a report with "Figures, data and facts on migration and integration" in Austria. This survey is already available to the "Krone".

More than two million not born here
As of January 1, 2024, 2.038 million people with a foreign place of birth were living in Austria. This corresponds to 22.3 percent of the total population. In comparison: in 2014, the figure was 16.6 percent. It is particularly striking that Vienna dominates as a center of attraction - almost 40 percent of all migrants living in Austria reside in the federal capital.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV)

Largest group our northern neighbor
The largest group of immigrants comes from Germany: just under 265,000 people born in Germany were living in Austria at the start of 2024. This is followed by people from Bosnia and Herzegovina (178,900) and Turkey (165,300). More people from Romania, Serbia and Hungary also moved to Austria.

It is interesting to look at the proportions in relation to the total population: Vienna is far ahead here with 40.2%, followed by Vorarlberg (23.2%) and Salzburg (21.7%).

Language as the basis for better income
The integration of migrants is reflected in indicators such as the unemployment rate. In 2023, the unemployment rate among foreigners was 9.6 percent, significantly higher than the rate among Austrians (5.3 percent). A clear indication of the existing challenges in the labor market.

Differences are also noticeable in the education sector: 27% of pupils in Austria speak a first language other than German. The proportion is particularly high in special schools and polytechnic schools, while it is comparatively low in grammar schools.

Still some catching up to do in terms of income
This is also reflected in incomes: while the average net annual income of Austrian citizens was 30,900 euros, it was only 25,400 euros for foreign nationals. Migrants from "older" EU countries even earned slightly more on average than the Austrian average. The labor market and education therefore remain construction sites.