65 years and over: 15% (male 478,071; female 786,776) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.09% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 9.62 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 10.04 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: 1.32 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.61 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 5.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 77.48 years male: 74.31 years female: 80.82 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.37 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Austrian(s) adjective: Austrian
Ethnic groups: German 99.4%, Croatian 0.3%, Slovene 0.2%, other 0.1%
Religions: Roman Catholic 78%, Protestant 5%, other 17%
Languages: German
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99% (1974 est.)
male: NA%
female: NA%
Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Austria
conventional short form: Austria
local long form: Republik Oesterreich
local short form: Oesterreich
Data code: AU
Government type: federal republic
Capital: Vienna
Administrative divisions: 9 states (bundeslaender, singular—bundesland); Burgenland, Kaernten, Niederoesterreich, Oberoesterreich, Salzburg, Steiermark, Tirol, Vorarlberg, Wien
Independence: 1156 (from Bavaria)
National holiday: National Day, 26 October (1955)
Constitution: 1920; revised 1929 (reinstated 1 May 1945)
Legal system: civil law system with Roman law origin; judicial review of legislative acts by the Constitutional Court; separate administrative and civil/penal supreme courts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal; compulsory for presidential
elections
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Thomas KLESTIL (since 8 July 1992)
head of government: Chancellor Viktor KLIMA (since 28 January 1997);
Vice Chancellor Wolfgang SCHUESSEL (since 22 April 1995)
cabinet: Council of Ministers chosen by the president on the advice
of the chancellor
elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term;
presidential election last held 19 April 1998 (next to be held in
the spring of 2004); chancellor chosen by the president from the
majority party in the National Council; vice chancellor chosen by
the president on the advice of the chancellor
election results: Thomas KLESTIL reelected president; percent of
vote—Thomas KLESTIL 63%, Gertraud KNOLL 14%, Heide SCHMIDT 11%,
Richard LUGNER 10%, Karl NOWAK 2%
Legislative branch: bicameral Federal Assembly or
Bundesversammlung consists of Federal Council or Bundesrat (64
members; members represent each of the states on the basis of
population, but with each state having at least three
representatives; members serve a four- or six-year term) and the
National Council or Nationalrat (183 seats; members elected by
direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: National Council—last held 17 December 1995 (next to be
held in the fall of 1999)
election results: National Council—percent of vote by party—SPOe
38.3%, OeVP 28.3%, FPOe 22.1%, LF 5.3%, Greens 4.6%, other 1.4%;
seats by party—SPOe 71, OeVP 53, FPOe 40, LF 10, Greens 9
Judicial branch: Supreme Judicial Court or Oberster Gerichtshof;
Administrative Court or Verwaltungsgerichtshof; Constitutional Court
or Verfassungsgerichtshof
Political parties and leaders: Social Democratic Party of Austria
caucus floor leader and Alexander VAN DER BELLEN, party spokesman];
Political pressure groups and leaders: Federal Chamber of Trade and Commerce; Austrian Trade Union Federation (primarily Socialist) or OeGB; three composite leagues of the Austrian People's Party or OeVP representing business, labor, and farmers; OeVP-oriented League of Austrian Industrialists or VOeI; Roman Catholic Church, including its chief lay organization, Catholic Action
International organization participation: AfDB, AsDB, Australia
Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CCC, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE,
EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 9, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU,
ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol,
IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MTCR, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS
(observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO,
UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UNTSO,
UNU, UPU, WCL, WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Helmut TUERK
chancery: 3524 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008–3035
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Kathryn Walt HALL
embassy: Boltzmanngasse 16, A-1091, Vienna
mailing address: use embassy street address
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top),
white, and red
Economy
Economy—overview: Austria has a well-developed market economy with a high standard of living. As a member of the European Monetary Union (EMU), Austria's economy is closely integrated with other EU member countries, especially with Germany. Austria's membership in the EU has drawn an influx of foreign investors attracted by Austria's access to the single European market. Through privatization efforts, the 1996–98 budget consolidation programs, and austerity measures, Austria brought its total public sector deficit down to 2.5% of GDP in 1997 and public debt—at 66% of GDP in 1997—more or less in line with the 60% of GDP required by the EU's Maastricht criteria. Cuts mainly affect the civil service and Austria's generous social system, the two major causes of the government deficit. To meet increased competition