A 10% increase in Austrian citizenship grants in 2024: Syrians, Turks, and Afghans at the forefront.
Statistik Austria announced that a total of 21,891 people obtained Austrian citizenship in 2024, an increase of 9.8% compared to 2023. Among these, 40.5% (8,855 people) were residing outside Austria at the time of granting citizenship. Descendants of victims of the Nazi regime made up a significant proportion of the new citizens, with more than 40% granted citizenship under this right, marking an increase of 10.3% compared to the previous year. Israel had the largest share of this group, with 5,088 Israelis obtaining Austrian citizenship, followed by 1,894 people from the United States and 908 from the United Kingdom.
Among the residents in Austria, Syrians topped the list with 2,241 individuals obtaining citizenship, followed by Turks (1,389), Afghans (1,056), Bosnians (814), and Iranians (653). The percentage of women among the naturalized individuals was 50%, while one-third of the naturalized individuals were under the age of 18.
In terms of geographic distribution, the Austrian states recorded varying increases in the number of naturalized citizens, with Upper Austria experiencing the highest growth rate (+39.7%), followed by Styria (+19.5%) and Salzburg (+15.8%). In contrast, naturalization rates in Vienna decreased by 6% and in Burgenland by 1.7%. More than 75% of naturalization applications in 2024 were made based on clear legal rights, reflecting the continued upward trend in granting citizenship after the slight decline recorded in 2023.