
According to the Verkehrsclub Österreich (VCÖ), the gap between urban and rural car ownership is growing. In all state capitals, except for the relatively sparsely populated Eisenstadt, the ratio between population and the number of cars has decreased. Meanwhile, in nearly all rural districts, the ratio has increased, based on 2023 data from Statistics Austria.
Vienna’s Margareten district has the lowest number of cars per 1,000 inhabitants, with 260 cars (down from 267 in 2022). The district of Waidhofen an der Thaya in Lower Austria has the highest number, with 767 cars (up from 760 in 2022). In Vienna, four other districts—Rudolfsheim-Fünfhaus, Brigittenau, Josefstadt, and Neubau—also have fewer than 300 cars per 1,000 residents.
VCÖ Calls for Political Action
Outside of the capital, Innsbruck has the lowest number of cars with 437 per 1,000 inhabitants, followed by Graz (470), Linz (502), and Salzburg (511). The national average for car ownership is 566 cars per 1,000 inhabitants. Only a few other areas, such as Dornbirn (524) and Bregenz (540) in Vorarlberg, and Bludenz (547), have lower rates.
The VCÖ urges the federal and regional governments to improve public mobility options. “A lower car ownership rate today is a sign that the population has access to a more diverse range of mobility options, and that important everyday destinations are easily accessible on foot or by bicycle, such as shops, schools, healthcare, and recreational facilities. Instead of being reliant on cars, people have more freedom to choose their mode of transport,” said VCÖ expert Michael Schwendinger. However, he noted that this is not the case in many regions and needs to be addressed.