Immigration report in Austria: Low labor market participation among Syrian, Afghan, and Iraqi women
A new statistical report in Austria reveals that more than one-fifth of women residing in the country were born abroad, a clear indication of the demographic shifts linked to immigration in recent years. According to the Austrian Press Agency (APA) , this data appears in a report titled “Women – Figures and Data on Immigration and Integration,” published by the Austrian Integration Fund.
According to the report, the number of women born outside Austria at the beginning of 2025 was approximately 1,064,000, representing 22.8 percent of the total number of women in the country. The report indicates that this percentage has risen significantly over the past ten years, recording an increase of 61.7 percent compared to 2015.
Of the women born abroad, 54.2 percent were from EU or EFTA countries plus the UK, while 45.8 percent were born in countries outside the EU. Germany tops the list of countries from which women immigrated to Austria with 140,800 women, followed by Bosnia and Herzegovina with 91,100 women, and then Türkiye with about 79,100 women.
The list also includes Romania with approximately 77,100 women and Serbia with approximately 75,800 women. Recent years have seen a significant increase in the number of women coming from Ukraine, with their number reaching about 56,000 women, in addition to 35,500 women from Syria and 17,500 women from Afghanistan.
The report also indicates that 65.6 percent of foreign women residing in Austria have lived in the country for at least five years, while 34.4 percent have lived there for less than five years. Also, about 15 percent of foreign women residing in Austria were born primarily within the country, although their origins are from other countries.
Interestingly, the number of foreign-born women in Austria has become slightly greater than the number of foreign-born men, with 1,064,000 women compared to 1,021,000 men. Regarding asylum applications, approximately 16,300 asylum applications were registered in 2025, representing a decrease of approximately 35.8 percent compared to 2024.
Despite this decrease, the proportion of women among asylum seekers remained relatively high, reaching 41.4 percent in 2025. Women also accounted for 54.1 percent of positive asylum decisions during the same year. Women from Afghanistan received the largest number of positive asylum decisions, with 2,700 cases, followed by Syrian women with 610 cases, and then Somali women with 390 cases.
The report also shows clear differences in the labor market between Austrian women and women of immigrant origin. In 2024, the percentage of women participating in the labor market in Austria within the age group between 16 and 64 years was about 70.7 percent.
Among women with an immigrant background, the figure was 64.3 percent, compared to 73.7 percent among Austrian women. The differences are even more apparent when looking at the country of origin, with the participation rate of women coming from EU or EFTA countries reaching about 74.7 percent. In contrast, the labor market participation rate for women coming from Türkiye reached about 56 percent.
Among women from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq, the labor force participation rate has dropped to only about 24.3 percent. Foreign-born women also recorded a higher unemployment rate than Austrian women, with their unemployment rate in 2025 reaching about 11.4 percent, compared to 5.4 percent among Austrian women. The highest unemployment rates were recorded among Syrian women at 43.9 percent, followed by Somali women at 40.2 percent, and then Afghan women at 36.7 percent.
Regarding education, the report shows that women from EU, EFTA and UK countries have high percentages of university degrees, reaching 35.4 percent in 2024. In contrast, 55.8 percent of women coming from Türkiye and 32.1 percent of women coming from the former Yugoslavia countries have only a compulsory education certificate.
The report also shows a clear improvement among the second generation of immigrants compared to the first generation, as the percentage of those with only compulsory education decreased from 24.8 percent in the first generation to 15.6 percent in the second generation.