Population forecasts

Population growth will be accompanied by ageing

Children and youngsters under 15 years are projected to account for a slightly smaller proportion of the total population, namely 13 per cent in 2050 as compared to 15 per cent in 2008. The majority of the provinces will follow this trend, except Vienna, where rising proportions are expected. As the “baby-boom generation” (those born between 1955 and 1970) will reach the retirement age after 2015, the size of the elderly population (ages 60 and over) is projected to increase in all of the nine provinces. Thus for Austria as a whole, the proportion of the elderly population will grow from 23 per cent in 2008 to 34 per cent by 2050. By then, Burgenland and Carinthia (each 39 per cent) and Styria (37 per cent) are expected to remain the “oldest” regions while the western part of Austria (Tyrol and Vorarlberg) as well as Vienna will still rank as the “youngest” regions. Vienna will hold a share of 29 per cent elderly people by 2050. The average age of Austria’s population will significantly increase over the next decades from 41.1 (2008) to 46.8 years (2050).

Please consult our German website for tables and charts containing further information.