Once the center of power for the large Austro-Hungarian Empire, Austria was reduced to a small republic after its defeat in World War I. Following annexation by Nazi Germany in 1938 and subsequent occupation by the victorious Allies in 1945, Austria's status remained unclear for a decade. A State Treaty signed in 1955 ended the occupation, recognized Austria's independence, and forbade unification with Germany. A constitutional law that same year declared the country's "perpetual neutrality" as a condition for Soviet military withdrawal. The Soviet Union's collapse in 1991 and Austria's entry into the European Union in 1995 have altered the meaning of this neutrality. A prosperous, democratic country, Austria entered the EU Economic and Monetary Union in 1999.
Geography
- Location
Central Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia
- Geographic coordinates
- Area 114/257
total: 83,871 sq km
land: 82,445 sq km
water: 1,426 sq km
- Area - comparative
about the size of South Carolina; slightly more than two-thirds the size of Pennsylvania
- Land boundaries
total: 2,524 km
border countries (8): Czech Republic 402 km, Germany 801 km, Hungary 321 km, Italy 404 km, Liechtenstein 34 km, Slovakia 105 km, Slovenia 299 km, Switzerland 158 km
- Coastline
0 km (landlocked)
- Maritime claims
none (landlocked)
- Climate
temperate; continental, cloudy; cold winters with frequent rain and some snow in lowlands and snow in mountains; moderate summers with occasional showers
- Terrain
mostly mountains (Alps) in the west and south; mostly flat or gently sloping along the eastern and northern margins
- Elevation
mean elevation:
elevation extremes:
lowest point: Neusiedler See 115 m
highest point: Grossglockner 3,798 m
- Natural resources
oil, coal, lignite, timber, iron ore, copper, zinc, antimony, magnesite, tungsten, graphite, salt, hydropower
- Land use
agricultural land: 38.4%
arable land 16.5%; permanent crops 0.8%; permanent pasture 21.1%
forest: 47.2%
other: 14.4% (2011 est.)
- Irrigated land
1,170 sq km (2012)
- Total renewable water resources
77.7 cu km (2011)
- Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)
total: 3.66 cu km/yr (18%/79%/3%)
per capita: 452.4 cu m/yr (2008)
- Natural hazards
landslides; avalanches; earthquakes
- Environment - current issues
some forest degradation caused by air and soil pollution; soil pollution results from the use of agricultural chemicals; air pollution results from emissions by coal- and oil-fired power stations and industrial plants and from trucks transiting Austria between northern and southern Europe
- Environment - international agreements
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
- Geography - note
landlocked; strategic location at the crossroads of central Europe with many easily traversable Alpine passes and valleys; major river is the Danube; population is concentrated on eastern lowlands because of steep slopes, poor soils, and low temperatures elsewhere
People and Society
- Nationality
noun: Austrian(s)
adjective: Austrian
- Ethnic groups
Austrians 91.1%, former Yugoslavs 4% (includes Croatians, Slovenes, Serbs, and Bosniaks), Turks 1.6%, German 0.9%, other or unspecified 2.4% (2001 census)
- Languages
German (official nationwide) 88.6%, Turkish 2.3%, Serbian 2.2%, Croatian (official in Burgenland) 1.6%, other (includes Slovene, official in South Carinthia, and Hungarian, official in Burgenland) 5.3% (2001 est.)
- Religions
Catholic 73.8% (includes Roman Catholic 73.6%, other Catholic .2%), Protestant 4.9%, Muslim 4.2%, Orthodox 2.2%, other 0.8% (includes other Christian), none 12%, unspecified 2% (2001 est.)
- Population 95/238
8,665,550 (July 2015 est.)
- Age structure
0-14 years: 14.05% (male 622,856/female 594,349)
15-24 years: 11.55% (male 510,614/female 490,390)
25-54 years: 42.98% (male 1,861,777/female 1,862,705)
55-64 years: 12.51% (male 535,691/female 548,022)
65 years and over: 18.92% (male 706,288/female 932,858) (2015 est.)
- Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 49.2%
youth dependency ratio: 21.2%
elderly dependency ratio: 28%
potential support ratio: 3.6% (2015 est.)
- Median age
total: 43.6 years
male: 42.5 years
female: 44.6 years (2015 est.)
- Population growth rate 153/233
0.55% (2015 est.)
- Birth rate 204/224
9.41 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)
- Death rate 58/225
9.42 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)
- Net migration rate 24/222
5.56 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)
- Urbanization
urban population: 66% of total population (2015)
rate of urbanization: 0.4% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
- Major urban areas - population
VIENNA (capital) 1.753 million (2015)
- Sex ratio
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2015 est.)
- Mother's mean age at first birth
28.5 (2011 est.)
- Maternal mortality rate 178/184
4 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)
- Infant mortality rate 206/224
total: 3.45 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 3.82 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.06 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)
- Life expectancy at birth 22/224
total population: 81.39 years
male: 78.76 years
female: 84.15 years (2015 est.)
- Total fertility rate 203/224
1.46 children born/woman (2015 est.)
- Contraceptive prevalence rate
69.6%
note: percent of women aged 18-46 (2008/09)
- Health expenditures 11/191
11% of GDP (2013)
- Physicians density
4.83 physicians/1,000 population (2011)
- Hospital bed density
7.6 beds/1,000 population (2011)
- Drinking water source
improved:
urban: 100% of population
rural: 100% of population
total: 100% of population
unimproved:
urban: 0% of population
rural: 0% of population
total: 0% of population (2015 est.)
- Sanitation facility access
improved:
urban: 100% of population
rural: 100% of population
total: 100% of population
unimproved:
urban: 0% of population
rural: 0% of population
total: 0% of population (2015 est.)
- HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
NA
- HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
NA
- HIV/AIDS - deaths
NA
- Obesity - adult prevalence rate 93/191
20.1% (2014)
- Education expenditures 44/173
5.8% of GDP (2011)
- School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
total: 16 years
male: 15 years
female: 16 years (2012)
- Unemployment, youth ages 15-24 108/134
total: 9.2%
male: 8.9%
female: 9.4% (2013 est.)
Government
- Country name
conventional long form: Republic of Austria
conventional short form: Austria
local long form: Republik Oesterreich
local short form: Oesterreich
etymology: the name Oesterreich means "eastern realm" or "eastern march" and dates back to the 10th century; the designation refers to the fact that Austria was the easternmost extension of Bavaria, and in fact of all the Germans; the word Austria is a Latinization of the German name
- Government type
federal republic
- Capital
name: Vienna
geographic coordinates: 48.12° N, 16.22° E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
- Administrative divisions
9 states (Bundeslaender, singular - Bundesland); Burgenland, Kaernten (Carinthia), Niederoesterreich (Lower Austria), Oberoesterreich (Upper Austria), Salzburg, Steiermark (Styria), Tirol (Tyrol), Vorarlberg, Wien (Vienna)
- Independence
12 November 1918 (republic proclaimed); notable earlier dates: 976 (Margravate of Austria established); 17 September 1156 (Duchy of Austria founded); 11 August 1804 (Austrian Empire proclaimed)
- National holiday
National Day, 26 October (1955); note - commemorates the passage of the law on permanent neutrality
- Constitution
several previous; latest adopted 1 October 1920, revised 1929, replaced May 1934 (authoritarian-corporate constitution), replaced by German Weimar constitution in 1938 following German annexation; latest reinstated 1 May 1945 (1920 constitution with 1929 revisions); amended many times, last in 2015 (2015)
- Legal system
civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts by the Constitutional Court
- International law organization participation
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
- Citizenship
citizenship by birth: no
citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Austria
dual citizenship recognized: no
residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years
- Suffrage
16 years of age; universal
- Executive branch
chief of state: President Heinz FISCHER (since 8 July 2004)
head of government: Chancellor Werner FAYMANN (SPOe) (since 2 December 2008); Vice Chancellor Michael SPINDELEGGER (OeVP) (since 21 April 2011)
cabinet: Council of Ministers chosen by the president on the advice of the chancellor
elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 6-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 25 April 2010 (next to be held on 25 April 2016); chancellor appointed by the president but determined by the majority coalition parties in the Federal Assembly; vice chancellor appointed by the president on the advice of the chancellor
election results: Heinz FISCHER reelected president; percent of vote - Heinz FISCHER (SPOe) 79.3%, Barbara ROSENKRANZ (FPOe) 15.2%, Rudolf GEHRING 5.4%
- Legislative branch
description: bicameral Federal Assembly or Bundesversammlung consists of the Federal Council or Bundesrat (62 seats; members appointed by state parliaments with each state receiving 3 to 12 seats in proportion to its population; members serve 5- or 6-year terms) and the National Council or Nationalrat (183 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms)
elections: National Council - last held on 29 September 2013 (next to be held by September 2018)
election results: National Council - percent of vote by party - SPOe 26.8%, OeVP 24.0%, FPOe 20.5%, Greens 12.4%, Team Stronach 5.7%, NEOS 5.0%, other 5.6%; seats by party - SPOe 52, OeVP 47, FPOe 40, Greens 24, Team Stronach 11, NEOS 9
- Judicial branch
highest court(s): Supreme Court of Justice or Oberster Gerichtshof (consists of 85 judges organized into 17 senates or panels of 5 judges each); Constitutional Court or Verfassungsgerichtshof (consists of 20 judges including 6 substitutes; Administrative Court or Verwaltungsgerichtshof - 2 judges plus other members depending on the importance of the case)
judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges nominated by executive branch departments and appointed by the president; judges serve for life; Constitutional Court judges nominated by several executive branch departments and approved by the president; judges serve for life; Administrative Court judges recommended by executive branch departments and appointed by the president; terms of judges and members determined by the president
subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal (4); Regional Courts (20); district courts (120); county courts
- Political parties and leaders
Alliance for the Future of Austria or BZOe [Gerald GROSZ]
Austrian People's Party or OeVP [Reinhold MITTERLEHNER]
Communist Party of Austria or KPOe [Mirko MESSNER]
Freedom Party of Austria or FPOe [Heinz Christian STRACHE]
The Greens [Eva GLAWISCHNIG]
NEOS - The New Austria [Matthias STROLZ]
Social Democratic Party of Austria or SPOe [Werner FAYMANN]
"Team Stronach" [Frank STRONACH]
- Political pressure groups and leaders
Austrian Trade Union Federation or OeGB (nominally independent but primarily Social Democratic)
Federal Economic Chamber (OeVP-dominated)
Labor Chamber or AK (Social Democratic-leaning think tank)
OeVP-oriented Association of Austrian Industrialists or IV
Roman Catholic Church, including its chief lay organization, Catholic Action
other: three composite leagues of the Austrian People's Party or OeVP representing business, labor, farmers, and other nongovernment organizations in the areas of environment and human rights
- International organization participation
ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CD, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, G-9, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, Schengen Convention, SELEC (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
- Flag description
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and red; the flag design is certainly one of the oldest - if not the oldest - national banners in the world; according to tradition, in 1191, following a fierce battle in the Third Crusade, Duke Leopold V of Austria's white tunic became completely blood-spattered; upon removal of his wide belt or sash, a white band was revealed; the red-white-red color combination was subsequently adopted as his banner
- National symbol(s)
golden eagle, edelweiss, Alpine gentian; national colors: red, white
- National anthem
name: "Bundeshymne" (Federal Hymn)
lyrics/music: Paula von PRERADOVIC/Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART or Johann HOLZER (disputed)
note: adopted 1947; the anthem is also known as "Land der Berge, Land am Strome" (Land of the Mountains, Land on the River); Austria adopted a new national anthem after World War II to replace the former imperial anthem composed by Franz Josef HAYDN, which had been appropriated by Germany in 1922 and was thereafter associated with the Nazi regime; a gendered version of the lyrics was adopted by the Austrian Parliament in fall 2011 and became effective 1 January 2012
Economy
- Economy - overview
Austria, with its well-developed market economy, skilled labor force, and high standard of living, is closely tied to other EU economies, especially Germany's. Its economy features a large service sector, a relatively sound industrial sector, and a small, but highly developed agricultural sector. Economic growth was anemic at less than 0.5% in 2013 and 2014, and growth in 2015 reached 0.8%. Austria's 5.8% unemployment rate, while low by European standards, is at an historic high for Austria. Without extensive vocational training programs and generous early retirement, the unemployment rate would be even higher. Public finances have not stabilized even after a 2012 austerity package of expenditure cuts and new revenues. On the contrary, in 2014, the government created a "bad bank" for the troubled nationalized "Hypo Alpe Adria" bank, pushing the budget deficit up by 0.7% of GDP to 2.1% and public debt to 83.4% of the GDP. Although Austria's fiscal position compares favorably with other euro-zone countries, it faces several external risks, such as Austrian banks' continued exposure to Central and Eastern Europe, repercussions from the Hypo Alpe Adria bank collapse, political and economic uncertainties caused by the European sovereign debt crisis, the current crisis in Russia/Ukraine, the recent appreciation of the Swiss Franc, and political developments in Hungary.
- GDP (purchasing power parity) 47/230
$403.8 billion (2015 est.)
$400.7 billion (2014 est.)
$399.3 billion (2013 est.)
note: data are in 2015 US dollars
- GDP (official exchange rate)
$372.6 billion (2015 est.)
- GDP - real growth rate 187/225
0.8% (2015 est.)
0.4% (2014 est.)
0.3% (2013 est.)
- GDP - per capita (PPP) 27/230
$47,500 (2015 est.)
$47,100 (2014 est.)
$46,900 (2013 est.)
note: data are in 2015 US dollars
- Gross national saving 55/179
24% of GDP (2015 est.)
23.5% of GDP (2014 est.)
24.2% of GDP (2013 est.)
- GDP - composition, by end use
household consumption: 53.2%
government consumption: 19.6%
investment in fixed capital: 22.1%
investment in inventories: 0.8%
exports of goods and services: 52.2%
imports of goods and services: -47.9%
(2015 est.)
- GDP - composition, by sector of origin
agriculture: 1.4%
industry: 27.9%
services: 70.7% (2015 est.)
- Agriculture - products
grains, potatoes, wine, fruit; dairy products, cattle, pigs, poultry; lumber
- Industries
construction, machinery, vehicles and parts, food, metals, chemicals, lumber and wood, paper and paperboard, communications equipment, tourism
- Industrial production growth rate 141/202
1.1% (2015 est.)
- Labor force 95/233
3.827 million (2015 est.)
- Labor force - by occupation
agriculture: 5.5%
industry: 26%
services: 68.5% (2012 est.)
- Unemployment rate 64/207
5.8% (2015 est.)
5.6% (2014 est.)
- Population below poverty line
4.2% (2013 est.)
- Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: 4%
highest 10%: 22% (2011 est.)
- Distribution of family income - Gini index 135/144
26.3 (2007)
31 (1995)
- Budget
revenues: $189.2 billion
expenditures: $196.8 billion (2015 est.)
- Taxes and other revenues 14/219
50.8% of GDP (2015 est.)
- Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) 77/220
-2.1% of GDP (2015 est.)
- Public debt 29/176
83.4% of GDP (2015 est.)
84.6% of GDP (2014 est.)
note: this is general government gross debt, defined in the Maastricht Treaty as consolidated general government gross debt at nominal value, outstanding at the end of the year; it covers the following categories of government liabilities (as defined in ESA95): currency and deposits (AF.2), securities other than shares excluding financial derivatives (AF.3, excluding AF.34), and loans (AF.4); the general government sector comprises the sub-sectors of central government, state government, local government and social security funds; as a percentage of GDP, the GDP used as a denominator is the gross domestic product in current year prices
- Fiscal year
calendar year
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 66/226
0.9% (2015 est.)
1.5% (2014 est.)
- Commercial bank prime lending rate 181/184
1.9% (31 December 2015 est.)
2.15% (31 December 2014 est.)
- Stock of narrow money 22/192
$185.8 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$191.8 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
note: see entry for the European Union for money supply for the entire euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 18 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money circulating within their own borders
- Stock of broad money 26/193
$428.9 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
$439.3 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
- Stock of domestic credit 27/191
$474.9 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$507.3 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
- Market value of publicly traded shares 43/121
$106 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
$82.37 billion (31 December 2011)
$67.68 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
- Current account balance 27/197
$6.137 billion (2015 est.)
$3.228 billion (2014 est.)
- Exports 32/224
$141.4 billion (2015 est.)
$164.3 billion (2014 est.)
- Exports - commodities
machinery and equipment, motor vehicles and parts, paper and paperboard, metal goods, chemicals, iron and steel, textiles, foodstuffs
- Exports - partners
Germany 30.4%, Italy 6.5%, France 5%, US 4.7%, Switzerland 4.5%, Slovakia 4.2% (2014)
- Imports 30/223
$139.8 billion (2015 est.)
$167.5 billion (2014 est.)
- Imports - commodities
machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, metal goods, oil and oil products; foodstuffs
- Imports - partners
Germany 41.9%, Italy 6.5%, Switzerland 4.6%, Czech Republic 4.3%, Netherlands 4.1% (2014)
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 55/170
$24.94 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
$23.29 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
- Debt - external 20/206
$820 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
$812 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
- Stock of direct foreign investment - at home 21/120
$327.9 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$318.4 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
- Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad 20/105
$375.5 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$366.3 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
- Exchange rates
euros (EUR) per US dollar -
0.89 (2015 est.)
0.75 (2014 est.)
0.76 (2013 est.)
0.78 (2012 est.)
0.72 (2011 est.)
Energy
- Electricity - production 40/220
68.02 billion kWh (2013 est.)
- Electricity - consumption 39/219
69.01 billion kWh (2013 est.)
- Electricity - exports 10/218
17.69 billion kWh (2013 est.)
- Electricity - imports 8/219
24.96 billion kWh (2013 est.)
- Electricity - installed generating capacity 36/214
22.98 million kW (2012 est.)
- Electricity - from fossil fuels 194/214
20.8% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)
- Electricity - from nuclear fuels 45/214
0% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)
- Electricity - from hydroelectric plants 27/214
67.2% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)
- Electricity - from other renewable sources 29/212
12% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)
- Crude oil - production 74/214
17,250 bbl/day (2014 est.)
- Crude oil - exports 97/214
0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
- Crude oil - imports 37/214
158,800 bbl/day (2013 est.)
- Crude oil - proved reserves 80/215
47.5 million bbl (1 January 2015 est.)
- Refined petroleum products - production 55/214
194,600 bbl/day (2013 est.)
- Refined petroleum products - consumption 46/212
260,700 bbl/day (2014 est.)
- Refined petroleum products - exports 57/214
48,820 bbl/day (2013 est.)
- Refined petroleum products - imports 46/213
121,300 bbl/day (2013 est.)
- Natural gas - production 61/216
1.244 billion cu m (2014 est.)
- Natural gas - consumption 50/215
7.764 billion cu m (2014 est.)
- Natural gas - exports 36/215
2.373 billion cu m (2014 est.)
- Natural gas - imports 26/214
10.17 billion cu m (2014 est.)
- Natural gas - proved reserves 81/212
9.656 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)
- Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy
NA Mt (2012 est.)
Communications
- Telephones - fixed lines 45/219
total subscriptions: 3.27 million
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 38 (2014 est.)
- Telephones - mobile cellular 71/217
total: 13 million
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 150 (2014 est.)
- Telephone system
general assessment: highly developed and efficient
domestic: fixed-line subscribership has been in decline since the mid-1990s with mobile-cellular subscribership eclipsing it by the late 1990s; the fiber-optic net is very extensive; all telephone applications and Internet services are available
international: country code - 43; satellite earth stations - 15; in addition, there are about 600 VSATs (very small aperture terminals) (2007)
- Broadcast media
Austria's public broadcaster, Osterreichischer Rundfunk (ORF), was the main broadcast source until commercial radio and TV service was introduced in the 1990s; cable and satellite TV are available, including German TV stations (2008)
- Radio broadcast stations
FM 65 (plus several hundred repeaters), shortwave 1 (2009)
- Television broadcast stations
9 (2010)
- Internet country code
.at
- Internet hosts 30/232
3.512 million (2012)
- Internet users 53/217
total: 7.2 million
percent of population: 83.7% (2014 est.)
Transportation
- Airports 90/236
52 (2013)
- Airports - with paved runways
total: 24
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 13 (2013)
- Airports - with unpaved runways
total: 28
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 24 (2013)
- Heliports
1 (2013)
- Pipelines
gas 4,736 km; oil 663 km; refined products 157 km (2013)
- Railways 29/136
total: 5,267.7 km
standard gauge: 5,267.7 km 1.435-m gauge (3,556.4 km electrified) (2014)
- Roadways 39/223
total: 124,508 km
paved: 124,508 km (includes 1,719 km of expressways) (2012)
- Waterways 89/107
358 km (2011)
- Merchant marine 134/156
registered in other countries: 3 (Cyprus 1, Kazakhstan 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1) (2010)
- Ports and terminals
river port(s): Enns, Krems, Linz, Vienna (Danube)
Military and Security
- Military branches
Land Forces (KdoLdSK), Air Forces (KdoLuSK)
- Military service age and obligation
registration requirement at age 17, the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; 18 is the legal minimum age for compulsory military service (6 months), or optionally, alternative civil/community service (9-12 months); males 18 to 50 years old in the militia or inactive reserve are subject to compulsory service; in a January 2012 referendum, a majority of Austrians voted in favor of retaining the system of compulsory military service (with the option of alternative/non-military service) instead of switching to a professional army system (2015)
- Military expenditures 115/132
0.55% of GDP (2015 projected)
0.62% of GDP (2014)
0.63% of GDP (2013)
0.68% of GDP (2012)
0.7% of GDP (2011)
Transnational Issues
- Disputes - international
none
- Refugees and internally displaced persons
refugees (country of origin): 11,906 (Afghanistan); 19,577 (Russia) (2014)
stateless persons: 570 (2014)
- Illicit drugs
transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and South American cocaine destined for Western Europe; increasing consumption of European-produced synthetic drugs