About a year ago, the Austrian government reintroduced “Bundesschätze” (federal bonds) – giving private investors an easy, fee-free way to buy government bonds starting at just €100. Since then, 110,000 accounts have been opened, and around €4 billion has been invested, the Ministry of Finance announced on Sunday. The bonds, issued by the Austrian Treasury (OeBFA), have terms ranging from one month to ten years.

Current interest rates range from 1.75 to 2.75 percent. One-month bonds currently offer 2 percent, twelve-month bonds 1.60 percent, and ten-year bonds 2.75 percent. Green federal bonds pay 1.75 percent for six months and 2.15 percent for four years.

Investors can purchase the bonds digitally using ID Austria via www.bundesschatz.at, but offline options are also available. Initially, accounts could only be opened online, drawing criticism from Austria’s Pensioners’ Association. However, 98 percent of all accounts have been opened digitally so far. The average age of digital users is 48, while analog users average 68 years.

Successful Relaunch After Previous Discontinuation

Federal bonds were originally offered from 2002 to 2020 but were discontinued during the low-interest rate era. Now, the current investment volume has already doubled the previous all-time high over 18 years, said Markus Stix, managing director of the OeBFA. He emphasized the product’s broad appeal: “Bundesschatz stands for maximum security, fair and transparent interest rates, and equal treatment of all customers. That’s the key to its great success.”

Finance Minister Markus Marterbauer (SPÖ) also commented that he is a satisfied customer and praised the ease of the digital account setup. Finance State Secretary Barbara Eibinger-Miedl (ÖVP) noted that “state-run financial products can be innovative, safe, and user-friendly.” She added that this is the first Austrian financial product to use ID Austria, enabling account setup in just 60 seconds—simple, digital, and efficient.