The population of Austria is increasing... thanks to foreigners!
Austria is experiencing a continuous decline in the number of births, with the birth balance remaining negative for the fifth consecutive year. According to official statistics from Statistik Austria, the number of deaths in 2024 exceeded the number of live births by 11,248 people, leading to a natural decrease in the population. However, the population increased slightly by 0.4% due to international migration, bringing the total population on January 1, 2025, to 9,197,213, with foreigners making up about 20%.
The increase in the population came as a result of net migration, with about 50,000 more people entering the country than leaving it. A positive surplus in the number of births was recorded only in three states: Wien (Vienna) with 2,153, Vorarlberg with 277, and Tirol with 108.
In 2024, the country witnessed the lowest number of births since 2009, with 77,238 children born, a decrease of 0.5% compared to 2023. The fertility rate also declined to a historic low of 1.31 children per woman. In contrast, 88,486 people died during the same year, which is 1.4% less than the previous year.
The average life expectancy at birth for men is 79.8 years, and for women, it is 84.3 years, with a slight increase compared to 2023. There is still a disparity between the western and eastern states in favor of the west in terms of life expectancy.
Net migration in 2024 was largely distributed among citizens of countries outside the European Union, with arrivals from third countries such as Syria (10,415 people), Ukraine (7,460), and China (2,301) making up the majority of migration, accounting for 68%. Meanwhile, arrivals from EU and EFTA countries were mostly from Germany (7,566), Hungary (4,359), and Croatia (1,601).
Migration has primarily focused on the young age group of 15 to 29 years, which saw an increase of 30,036 non-Austrian individuals. At the beginning of 2025, the number of non-Austrian citizens reached 1,855,419, an increase of 54,553 from the previous year. Wien topped the list of states in terms of the percentage of foreigners at 36.4%, while the lowest percentage was in Burgenland at 11.5%.