The proportion of foreign nationals in Austria has risen to 20.2% (1,855,624 people), as the country’s population increased by 39,464 at the start of 2025, bringing the total to 9,198,214, according to Statistik Austria.
In 2023, foreigners made up 19.7% of the population.
Vienna recorded the highest proportion of foreign nationals in 2024, at 36.4%, followed by Vorarlberg (20.9%) and Salzburg (20.8%). Carinthia had the lowest share of foreign nationals, at 13.6%.
Population Growth Slows Compared to Previous Years
The population growth rate in 2025 was slower than in previous years. In 2023, the increase was 53,978 people, or 0.6%.
“Vienna had the highest percentage population growth of all federal states, with an increase of 1.1%, while the population in Carinthia grew only slightly by 0.1%, and in Burgenland, it even decreased slightly,” said Tobias Thomas, Director-General of Statistik Austria.
Vienna had 2,028,399 residents at the start of the year. Vorarlberg (0.4%) saw an increase that mirrored the national average, while Upper Austria (0.3%) and Salzburg, Lower Austria, Tyrol, and Styria (each 0.2%) experienced slightly lower rises. Carinthia’s population grew by just 0.1%, and Burgenland saw a small decline of -0.04%.
Regional Changes in Population
At the regional level, 57 political districts experienced population increases. The highest growth was seen in St. Pölten (1.5%), Wiener Neustadt (1.4%), Vienna (1.1%) and Graz (0.9%).
However, 37 districts recorded a decline. The most significant drop occurred in the small statutory city of Rust, which saw a decrease of -2.5%. Other notable declines were seen in Bruck-Mürzzuschlag (-1.0%), Güssing (-0.8%), and Gmünd, Lilienfeld, Murau, Hermagor, and Waidhofen an der Thaya, each of which recorded a -0.6% fall.
Mixed Trends Across Vienna’s Districts
Within Vienna, seven districts saw population declines, while 16 experienced increases. The largest gains were in Donaustadt (3.3%), Leopoldstadt (2.4%), Liesing (2.0%) and Floridsdorf (1.8%). In contrast, the biggest declines were in the First District (-1.5%), Josefstadt (-1.0%) and Mariahilf (-0.9%).
