Austrian citizenship was granted to a total of 10 606 persons in 2019 (including 106 non-residents). Compared to 2018 (9 450 cases), this means an increase of 12.2%.
Among people acquiring Austrian citizenship in 2019, 3 668 persons or 34.6% were less than 18 years old. 3 781 people were between the age of 30 and 44 (35.6%), followed by those below 15 years (3 060 or 28.9%). In general, teenagers and young adults aged 15 to 29 (23.6%) were more likely to receive Austrian citizenship as people aged 45 and more (11.9%).
In 2019, Austrian citizenship was awarded to 3 727 people already born in Austria (35.1%). Among people naturalised in 2019, the largest groups were former citizens of Bosnia-Herzegovina (1 183), Serbia (1 008), Turkey (912), Kosovo (688) and the Russian Federation (464).
In the 1980s, on average 7 800 persons acquired Austrian
citizenship every year. As a consequence of the growing number of foreign
citizens residing in Austria, this number rose sharply in the mid
There are two factors mainly responsible for the reduction of naturalisations: firstly, the amendments to the Citizenship Act which came into force on 23 March 2006, on 1 January 2010 and on 1 August 2013, respectively, introducing stricter requirements for the acquisition of Austrian citizenship. Secondly, immigration numbers have dropped since 1993 and as a consequence the number of persons eligible for naturalisation (for example those with at least ten years of uninterrupted main residence in Austria - § 10 para. 1 Citizenship Act) have also decreased over the past ten years. While 10 638 persons became Austrian citizens on these legal grounds in 2005 (30.0% of all naturalisations), the figure fell to 1 254 in 2019 (11.8%).
Please consult our German website for tables and charts containing further information.