Federal tax revenue is divided between the federal government, the federal provinces and the municipalities via the fiscal equalization system (FAG). The exact population number is essential for this process, as the financial resources are paid out to the municipalities per resident with their main place of residence.
Under Art. 11 (8) of the Fiscal Equalisation Law 2024 (FAG 2024), Statistics Austria is required to determine the total population on 31 October each year for the fiscal equalisation. The Central Residence Register provides the basis for the population statistics. In census years, Statistics Austria performs a residence analysis to identify potential "dead entries" and exclude them from the census. Between census years, a mathematical model replaces the residence analysis. In addition to the statistics on the population under Art. 11 (8) FAG 2024, Statistics Austria compiles a quarterly population count, which is also based on the Central Residence Register.