Austria now has almost 2 million foreign-born residents
As of January 1st, 2023, Austria was home to 1.976 million individuals born outside the country.
That's according to an analysis conducted by the Integration Fund and widely reported by Austrian media.
In 2022, Austria experienced a record level of immigration, with 261,900 newcomers (compared to 101,700 in 2021). Of these new arrivals, 55.6 percent came from countries outside the EU, while 100,700 were nationals of other EU or EFTA states, including individuals from the United Kingdom.
These immigrants now constitute 21.7% of the country's total population, marking a 16.4% increase since 2018.
The countries of Germany, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Turkey were the most common places of birth among these residents. The federal state with the highest proportion of its population born abroad was Vienna, at 39.3%.
READ ALSO: Growing number of Austrians see immigration negatively
The record numbers are also occurring at a time when a growing number of Austrians - across the political spectrum - see immigration in a negative light, even as the country experiences a continuing shortage of skilled labour.
In addition, although immigration is at a record high, the number of people getting Austrian citizenship has dropped considerably. The first six months of 2023 saw an 18.3 percent drop in people becoming Austrian - mostly due to fewer applications from abroad through routes to Austrian citizenship by descent or by restoration.
There was, however, a very small increase of about 1.5 percent in people naturalising as Austrian - which is normally possible after ten years of residence and renunciation of any previous citizenships the naturalising person might hold.
READ ALSO: Why are fewer people getting Austrian citizenship in 2023?
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That's according to an analysis conducted by the Integration Fund and widely reported by Austrian media.
In 2022, Austria experienced a record level of immigration, with 261,900 newcomers (compared to 101,700 in 2021). Of these new arrivals, 55.6 percent came from countries outside the EU, while 100,700 were nationals of other EU or EFTA states, including individuals from the United Kingdom.
These immigrants now constitute 21.7% of the country's total population, marking a 16.4% increase since 2018.
The countries of Germany, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Turkey were the most common places of birth among these residents. The federal state with the highest proportion of its population born abroad was Vienna, at 39.3%.
READ ALSO: Growing number of Austrians see immigration negatively
The record numbers are also occurring at a time when a growing number of Austrians - across the political spectrum - see immigration in a negative light, even as the country experiences a continuing shortage of skilled labour.
In addition, although immigration is at a record high, the number of people getting Austrian citizenship has dropped considerably. The first six months of 2023 saw an 18.3 percent drop in people becoming Austrian - mostly due to fewer applications from abroad through routes to Austrian citizenship by descent or by restoration.
There was, however, a very small increase of about 1.5 percent in people naturalising as Austrian - which is normally possible after ten years of residence and renunciation of any previous citizenships the naturalising person might hold.
READ ALSO: Why are fewer people getting Austrian citizenship in 2023?
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