| indicator | value | unit |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 8.9 | mil. |
| Visitors per year | 18.9 | mil. |
| Renewable energy | 29.5 | % |
Austria performs well in many dimensions of well-being relative to other countries in the Better Life Index. Austria outperforms the average in jobs, health, environmental quality, social connections, safety and life satisfaction. These assessments are based on available selected data.
Money, while it cannot buy happiness, is an important means to achieving higher living standards. In Austria, the average household net-adjusted disposable income per capita is USD 37 001 a year, more than the OECD average of USD 30 490 a year.
In terms of employment, about 72% of people aged 15 to 64 in Austria have a paid job, above the OECD employment average of 66%. Some 76% of men are in paid work, compared with 68% of women. In Austria, 5% of employees work very long hours in paid work, below the OECD average of 10%, with 8% of men working very long hours in paid work compared with 2% of women.
Good education and skills are important requisites for finding a job. In Austria, 86% of adults aged 25-64 have completed upper secondary education, higher than the OECD average of 79%. However, completion varies between men and women, as 88% of men have successfully completed high school compared with 83% of women. In terms of the quality of the education system, the average student scored 491 in reading literacy, maths and science in the OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). This score is higher than the OECD average of 488. On average in Austria, girls outperformed boys by 4 points, slightly below the average OECD gap of 5 points.
In terms of health, life expectancy at birth in Austria is around 82 years, one year higher than the OECD average of 81 years. Life expectancy for women is 84 years, compared with 80 for men. The level of atmospheric PM2.5 – tiny air pollutant particles small enough to enter and cause damage to the lungs – is 12.2 micrograms per cubic meter, below the OECD average of 14 micrograms per cubic meter. In Austria,92% of people say they are satisfied with the quality of their water, higher than the OECD average of 84%.
Concerning the public sphere, there is a strong sense of community and high levels of civic participation in Austria, where 92% of people believe that they know someone they could rely on in time of need, slightly more than the OECD average of 91%.Voter turnout, a measure of citizens' participation in the political process, was 76% during recent elections, higher than the OECD average of 69%. Social and economic status can affect voting rates; voter turnout for the top 20% of the population is an estimated 78% and for the bottom 20% it is an estimated 65%.
When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, Austrians gave it a 7.2 grade on average, higher than the OECD average of 6.7.
For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.
OECD’s periodic surveys of the Austrian economy. Each edition surveys the major challenges faced by the country, evaluates the short-term outlook, and makes specific policy recommendations. Special chapters take a more detailed look at specific challenges. Extensive statistical information is included in charts and graphs.
Read this reportLiving in satisfactory housing conditions is one of the most important aspects of people's lives. Housing is essential to meet basic needs, such as shelter, but it is not just a question of four walls and a roof. Housing should offer a place to sleep and rest where people feel safe and have privacy and personal space; somewhere they can raise a family. All of these elements help make a house a home. And of course there is the question whether people can afford adequate housing.
Housing costs take up a large share of the household budget and represent the largest single expenditure for many individuals and families, by the time you add up elements such as rent, gas, electricity, water, furniture or repairs. In Austria, households on average spend about 21% of their gross adjusted disposable income on keeping a roof over their heads, slightly above the OECD average of 20%.
In addition to housing costs it is also important to examine living conditions, such as the average number of rooms shared per person and whether households have access to basic facilities. The number of rooms in a dwelling, divided by the number of persons living there, indicates whether residents are living in crowded conditions. Overcrowded housing may have a negative impact on physical and mental health, relations with others and children's development. In addition, dense living conditions are often a sign of inadequate water and sewage supply. In Austria, the average home contains 1.6 rooms per person, slightly less than the OECD average of 1.7 rooms per person. In terms of basic facilities, 99.3% of dwellings in Austria contain private access to an indoor flushing toilet, more than the OECD average of 97%.
Good housing
People in Austria enjoy a relatively high standard of housing. With about 1.6 rooms per person, living space requirements are well met and only 1% of the population live in dwellings without basic sanitary facilities.
Housing is also affordable due to sizeable housing subsidies, a large social and co-operative housing market and widespread rent control in the private market. People spend about 21% of their disposable income on housing, in line with the OECD average. However, people below the relative poverty threshold are significantly more likely to live in overcrowded places, face insufficient housing quality and/or are overburdened by housing costs and the population with a migrant background appears to be particularly disadvantaged. However, some improvements in the living conditions of immigrants have taken place recently, for example thanks to better access to social housing.
While money may not buy happiness, it is an important means to achieving higher living standards and thus greater well-being. Higher economic wealth may also improve access to quality education, health care and housing.
Household net adjusted disposable income is the amount of money that a household earns each year after taxes and transfers. It represents the money available to a household for spending on goods or services. In Austria, the average household net adjusted disposable income per capita is USD 37 001 a year, higher than the OECD average of USD 30 490.
Household net wealth is the total value of a household's financial and non-financial worth, such as money or shares held in bank accounts the principal residence, other real estate properties, vehicles, valuables and other non-financial assets (e.g other consumer durables). In Austria, the average household net wealth is estimated at USD 309 637, lower than the OECD average of USD 323 960.
For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.
Having a job brings many important benefits, including: providing a source of income, improving social inclusion, fulfilling one's own aspirations, building self-esteem and developing skills and competencies. In Austria, 72% of the working-age population aged 15 to 64 has a paid job. This figure is higher than the OECD employment average of 66%.
Unemployed persons are defined as those who are not currently working but are willing to do so and are actively searching for work. Long-term unemployment can have a large negative effect on feelings of well-being and self-worth and result in a loss of skills, further reducing employability. In Austria, the percentage of the labour force that has been unemployed for a year or longer is currently at 1.3%, the same as the OECD average.
The wages and other monetary benefits that come with employment are an important aspect of job quality. Austrians earn USD 53 132 per year on average, more than the OECD average of USD 49 165.
Another essential factor of employment quality is job security, in terms of expected loss of earnings when someone becomes unemployed. This includes how likely you are to lose your job, how long you are likely to remain unemployed and how much financial assistance you can expect from government. Workers facing a high risk of job loss are more vulnerable, especially in countries with smaller social safety nets. In Austria, workers face an expected 2.3% loss of earnings if they become unemployed, lower than the OECD average of 5.1%.
For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.
Vocational education and training
The Austrian Vocational Education and Training (VET) system has attained substantial achievements in international comparison.
It is highly diverse with many different programmes and institutions offering access to different social groups, and with range of options for students to access higher education. Highly structured professional examinations offer higher earnings and more senior positions to those acquiring skills on the job. Social partners are also included in the VET system, through the Economic Chamber and the Chamber of Labour, as active members of many commissions and co-ordination councils. This has led student numbers to continue to grow in VET colleges and Universities of Applied Sciences (UASs) have built a high reputation amongst students, employers and the general public.
In order to remain attractive to students, and to respond to increasing demand for flexibility and adaptation, VET programmes should seek to provide skills that go beyond those required for a specific occupation, and also ensure better transitions to higher education. In this regard, the system of modular apprenticeships and VET colleges should be developed further.
Humans are social creatures. The frequency of our contact with others and the quality of our personal relationships are thus crucial determinants of our well-being. A strong social network, or community, can provide emotional support during both good and bad times as well as provide access to jobs, services and other material opportunities. In Austria, 92% of people believe that they know someone they could rely on in a time of need, slightly more than the OECD average of 91%.
A weak social network can result in limited economic opportunities, a lack of contact with others, and eventually, feelings of isolation. Socially isolated individuals face difficulties integrating into society as a contributing member and fulfilling personal aspirations.
Better Policies for Better Lives
Language services helping minorities
Language can serve as an important barrier to migrants in need of basic services. Legal and administrative requirements and language can be particularly challenging, even for those that speak the receiving country’s language, in part because social networks often help ensure the diffusion of such knowledge.
Foreign nationals and refugees in need of interpretation services in Innsbruck, Austria can rely on “video remote interpreting” at public service offices. The project provides interpreting services in 14 languages, including: Turkish, Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian, Russian, Arabic, Polish, Romanian, Bulgarian, Czech, Slovakian, Hungarian, Slovenia and sign language. This service helps reduce reliance on families and friends to act as interpreters and increases the quality and reliability of interactions since the interpreters are professionals. In Innsbruck, these interpreters may be of use to foreign nationals which amount to 21.8% of the local population and help another 28% of people from migration backgrounds. Within 120 seconds of a request, a pool of 750 staff can be reached to provide interpretation services via video conferencing.
First piloted in 2015, this interpretation service has resulted in an increase in the number of processed requests and applications. It also resulted in a reduction in the number of errors and misunderstandings related language barriers in dealing with public legal and administrative issues.
A well-educated and well-trained population is essential for a country's social and economic well-being. Education plays a key role in providing individuals with the knowledge, skills and competences needed to participate effectively in society and in the economy. Having a good education greatly improves the likelihood of finding a job and earning enough money.
Austrians can expect to go through 17 years of education between the ages of 5 and 39, similar to the OECD average of 18 years.
Graduating from upper secondary education has become increasingly important in all countries, as the skills needed in the labour market are becoming more knowledge-based. High-school graduation rates therefore provide a good indication of whether a country is preparing its students to meet the minimum requirements of the job market. In Austria, 86% of adults aged 25-64 have completed upper secondary education, higher than the OECD average of 79%.
But graduation rates, while important, speak little to the quality of education received. The OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) reviews the extent to which students have acquired some of the knowledge and skills that are essential for full participation in modern societies. In 2018, PISA focused on examining students’ reading ability, skills in maths and level in sciences, as research shows that these skills are more reliable predictors of economic and social well-being than the number of years spent in school.
The average student in Austria scored 491 in reading literacy, maths and sciences, above the OECD average of 488. The best-performing school systems manage to provide high-quality education to all students.
Helping youth stay in school
Austria's Youth Coaching programme helps kids stay in school and re-engages those who have already left. Youth Coaches help participants set targets and offer support services such as consultations and educational counselling. External experts such as social workers and psychologists are also consulted when necessary. These support services are available to young people in their ninth school year, youth not in employment, education or training (NEETs) under the age of 19, and young people with a disability or special educational needs under the age of 25. The programme is organised in a three-step process that must be completed within one year.
Though still in its trial phase, Youth Coaching is functioning as a useful hub for carers. Of the participants in the programme, only 7% have dropped out and 85% have successfully achieved outcomes in line with their goals. More harmonisation of the programme and better outreach methods are needed to improve the programme.
The quality of our local living environment has a direct impact on our health and well-being. Outdoor air pollution is one important environmental issue that directly affects the quality of people's lives. Despite national and international interventions and decreases in major pollutant emissions, the health impacts of urban air pollution continue to worsen, with air pollution set to become the top environmental cause of premature mortality globally by 2050. Air pollution in urban centres, often caused by transport and the use of small-scale burning of wood or coal, is linked to a range of health problems, from minor eye irritation to upper respiratory symptoms in the short-term and chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma, cardiovascular diseases and lung cancer in the long-term. Children and the elderly may be particularly vulnerable.
PM2.5 – tiny particulate matter small enough to be inhaled into the deepest part of the lung – is monitored in OECD countries because it can harm human health and reduce life expectancy. In Austria, PM2.5 levels are 12.2 micrograms per cubic meter, lower than the OECD average of 14 micrograms per cubic meter, but nonetheless higher than the annual guideline limit of 10 micrograms per cubic meter set by the World Health Organization.
Access to clean water is fundamental to human well-being. Despite significant progress in OECD countries in reducing water pollution, improvements in freshwater quality are not always easy to discern. In Austria, 92% of people say they are satisfied with water quality, higher than the OECD average of 84%.
Adapting to climate change in the Alps
The Alps are particularly sensitive to climate change. Warming since pre-industrial times in the European Alpine Region has been two and a half times the global average. Austria's tourism income accounts for 4.5% of the national economy, and half of that is from winter tourism. With climate change, the natural snow-reliability of the Austrian ski areas will decrease substantially.
The Austrian ski industry is already investing heavily in measures to increase the reliability of its ski runs. The primary tool has been the use of snow machines to provide adequate cover. However, as temperatures (or humidity, or both) increase, so do the volumes of water and energy required, and the costs. Ultimately, rising temperatures could increasingly disadvantage Austrian ski slopes relative to Alpine countries with access to higher slopes, though opportunities may arise from increased summer tourism.
Trust in government is essential for social cohesion and well-being. High voter turnout is a measure of citizens' participation in the political process. In the most recent elections for which data are available, voter turnout in Austria was 76% of those registered. This figure is higher than the OECD average of 69%.
Broader public engagement in the decision-making process is also important for holding the government to account and maintaining confidence in public institutions. The formal process for public engagement in developing laws and regulations is one way to measure the extent to which people can become involved in government decisions on key issues that affect their lives. In Austria, the level of stakeholder engagement in developing regulations is 1.3 (on a scale between 0 and 4); lower than the OECD average of 2.1.
For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.
Most OECD countries have enjoyed large gains in life expectancy over the past decades, thanks to improvements in living conditions, public health interventions and progress in medical care. Life expectancy at birth in Austria stands at 82 years, one year above the OECD average of 81 years. Higher life expectancy is generally associated with higher health care spending per person, although many other factors have an impact on life expectancy (such as living standards, lifestyle, education and environmental factors).
When asked, "How is your health in general?" just above 71% of people in Austria reported to be in good health, higher than the OECD average of 68%. Despite the subjective nature of this question, answers have been found to be a good predictor of people's future health care use. Gender, age and social status may affect answers to this question.
Elderly care services
Long-term care is a major policy priority in Austria. Increasing longevity and declining fertility rates are expected to double old-age dependency ratios to reach 50% by 2060. This requires diversity in care options to help families, particularly women, better manage work and care responsibilities. Today, nearly four fifths of the elderly are cared for in family environments.
Families receive support through long-term care cash benefits, care leave and 24-hour care aid. Recent reforms have streamlined the process of receiving long-term care cash benefits. It is expected these changes will increase procedural transparency, ensure inter-regional equity among dependents and improve efficiency and financial sustainability.
Complementary services such as nursing homes and post-hospital care are also available. They are offered by public and private providers, on a non-profit or commercial basis, and publicly subsidised at differing degrees. Alternative living facilities and case and care management arrangements need to be developed to meet a growing demand for care. Currently, residential care facilities and alternative living facilities are not a sufficient substitute or complement to home care for those in need.
Happiness or subjective well-being can be measured in terms of life satisfaction, the presence of positive experiences and feelings, and the absence of negative experiences and feelings. Such measures, while subjective, are a useful complement to objective data to compare the quality of life across countries.
Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their life as a whole rather than their current feelings. When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, Austrians on average gave it a 7.2 grade, higher than the OECD average of 6.7.
Personal security is a core element for the well-being of individuals. Do you feel safe out walking, alone at night, for example? In Austria, about 86% of people say that they feel safe walking alone at night, more than the OECD average of 74%.
The homicide rate (the number of murders per 100 000 inhabitants) is a more reliable measure of a country's safety level because, unlike other crimes, murders are usually always reported to the police. According to the latest OECD data, Austria's homicide rate is 0.5, lowesr than the OECD average of 2.6.
Finding a suitable balance between work and life is a challenge for all workers, especially working parents. The ability to successfully combine work, family commitments and personal life is important for the well-being of all members in a household. Governments can help to address the issue by encouraging supportive and flexible working practices, making it easier for parents to strike a better balance between work and home life.
An important aspect of work-life balance is the amount of time a person spends at work. Evidence suggests that long work hours may impair personal health, jeopardise safety and increase stress. In Austria, almost 5% of employees work very long hours in paid work, much less than the OECD average of 10%.
The more people work, the less time they have to spend on other activities, such as time with others, leisure activities, eating or sleeping. The amount and quality of leisure time is important for people's overall well-being, and can bring additional physical and mental health benefits. In Austria, full-time workers devote 60% of their day on average, or 14.5 hours, to personal care (eating, sleeping, etc.) and leisure (socialising with friends and family, hobbies, games, computer and television use, etc.) – less than the OECD average of 15 hours.
Better childcare
Affordable high quality childcare helps families balance work-family obligations. Austria has created a budget of EUR 440 million for 2014-17 to increase the quality of childcare and meet the European Union Barcelona enrolment rate targets. Early results include an increase of the enrolment rate of children up to age 3 by 25% and the target for children aged 3 to 6 years old has already been achieved. Länder and municipalities subsidise the operating expenses of public and private childcare providers. Several Länder help families by offering free full-time childcare while others adjust fees to the income level of parents. A pilot project in 70 locations has also put value on improving the quality of education for young children by integrating the curriculum across the last kindergarten year and the first two years of primary school. This project is being expanded to the entire country over 2016/17.