Austria economy at a glance

Latest figures for Austria: inflation, growth, interest rates, jobs, bond yields, debt and taxes. Updated 6 November 2026. Open Austria on the interactive map →

Key figures

Indicator	Latest	Period	Previous
Inflation (consumer prices, year on year)	3.5%	October 2026	3.6% September 2026
Core inflation (excluding food and energy)	2.9%	October 2026	3.0% September 2026
Real GDP growth (year on year)	0.6%	Q3 2026	0.8% Q2 2026
Policy rate (European Central Bank)	2.50%	November 2026	2.50% October 2026
Unemployment rate	6.3%	September 2026	6.7% August 2026
10-year government bond yield	3.69%	September 2026	3.41% August 2026
Manufacturing PMI (UniCredit Bank Austria Manufacturing PMI (S&P Global))	55.9	October 2026	54.9 September 2026
Retail sales (year on year)	−0.5%	September 2026	0.6% August 2026
Industrial production (year on year)	−0.7%	August 2026	−2.1% July 2026
Wages (year on year)	3.3%	Q2 2026	3.7% Q1 2026
House prices (year on year)	5.1%	Q2 2026	2.8% Q1 2026
Stock market (ATX)	6,511	November 2026	+30.0% over 12 months

Questions and answers

What is the inflation rate in Austria?

Austria's annual inflation rate was 3.5% in October 2026, down from 3.6% in September 2026.

What is the interest rate in Austria?

The European Central Bank deposit facility rate is 2.50% (as of November 2026). The next rate decision is due on 17 December 2026.

How fast is Austria's economy growing?

Austria's real GDP grew 0.6% year on year in Q3 2026. The IMF's October 2026 World Economic Outlook forecasts growth of 0.6% in 2026 and 0.9% in 2027.

What is the unemployment rate in Austria?

Austria's unemployment rate was 6.3% in September 2026, down from 6.7% in August 2026.

What is Austria's 10-year government bond yield?

Austria's 10-year government bond yield averaged 3.69% in September 2026.

How much government debt does Austria have?

Austria's government debt is about 80.7% of GDP (latest annual figure), with a budget deficit of 4.1% of GDP.

What is Austria's credit rating?

Austria's sovereign credit ratings: S&P AA+, Moody's Aa1, Fitch AA.

What is the VAT rate in Austria?

Austria's standard VAT rate is 20% (2026 rules).

What is the corporate tax rate in Austria?

Austria's corporate income tax rate is 23.0% (2026 rules).

Who leads Austria?

Austria is led by Federal Chancellor Christian Stocker (ÖVP), heading an ÖVP–SPÖ–NEOS coalition; Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen (head of state). Next election: Presidential election due in autumn 2028; next National Council (legislative) election due by autumn 2029.

Outlook

WIFO (0.9% in 2026, 1.3% in 2027) and IHS (0.8%, 1.0%) expect a modest, industry-led recovery helped by stronger German and East European demand, while the IMF is more cautious at 0.6% and 0.9%. The main downside risks they cite are a longer energy-price shock from the Iran war, which led both institutes to raise their 2026 inflation forecasts to 3.1–3.3% and implies falling real wages, a possible AI-driven market correction, and a deficit stuck near 4% of GDP that needs about EUR 9bn more consolidation. The upside is a faster pick-up in exports and industrial orders, which the September PMI of 54.9 already signals.

Why Austria matters for the world economy

Austria is deeply woven into German industrial supply chains: Germany buys almost 30% of its goods exports, so Austrian machinery, car-parts and steel output mirrors the German cycle and feeds the factory networks of Czechia, Hungary, Slovakia and Poland. Its banks, notably Erste Group and Raiffeisen Bank International, are among the largest lenders across Central and Eastern Europe, which makes Austria a channel for credit conditions and financial stress in that region. As an energy importer at the heart of the Central European gas network, it also passes on the current oil and gas price shock, and Vienna is now pushing with its neighbours to soften EU carbon costs for heavy industry.

Politics

Stocker's three-party coalition of conservatives, social democrats and liberals, formed in March 2025 after the far-right FPÖ won the 2024 election but failed to build a government, is focused on fiscal repair. Austria is under the EU excessive deficit procedure, and the 2027/28 double budget presented in June 2026 aims to bring the deficit below 3% of GDP by 2028, but WIFO and IHS still see a deficit of about 4% of GDP in 2026. Abroad, the government has sided with the 'frugal' net payers seeking a smaller 2028–34 EU budget and is leading a Central European push to soften EU carbon costs for energy-intensive industry.

System: Federal parliamentary republic.

Economy and taxes

GDP: US$580 billion
Population: 9.2 million
Government debt: 80.7% of GDP
Budget balance: −4.1% of GDP
Current account: 2.6% of GDP
Exports: 54.7% of GDP
Main exports: Machinery and mechanical equipment, motor vehicles and parts, pharmaceuticals, electrical equipment, iron, steel and metal products, paper and wood products, food and beverages
Top export markets: Germany (29.6%), United States (6.7%), Italy (6.6%), Switzerland (5.4%), Poland (3.8%)
IMF growth forecast: 0.6% in 2026, 0.9% in 2027
IMF inflation forecast: 3.1% in 2026, 3.3% in 2027
Currency: EUR
Freelancer tax: A self-employed person earning the average wage (EUR 65,961 a year) pays about 38.8% of it in income tax and social contributions (2026 rules)
Top income tax rate: 55.0%
Gold reserves: 280.1 tonnes (July 2026)
Energy self-sufficiency: 28% (2024)

Recent news

4 November 2026 Austrian inflation stays at 3.6% in October as energy costs rise further Statistics Austria
Statistics Austria's flash estimate puts October inflation at 3.6%, the same as in September, with the EU-harmonised rate at 3.5%. Energy prices rose 16.5% on the year despite an extended fuel price brake, while services inflation, the main driver, eased slightly to 4.1%.
30 October 2026 Austrian economy returns to growth with a 0.2% rise in the third quarter APA (via trend)
WIFO's flash estimate shows real GDP grew 0.2% from the second quarter, when output fell, and 0.6% from a year earlier. Trade and investment gave slight support and most services did well, but industry was subdued and construction stayed weak.
26 October 2026 Stocker threatens to veto the EU's next seven-year budget Euronews
In an interview with Germany's WELT, the chancellor said Austria has a 'pain threshold' and will not approve the roughly EUR 2tn 2028–34 EU budget if it is crossed. All 27 leaders must agree, so one veto blocks the deal; they failed to agree at their 16 October summit.
22 October 2026 Government unveils a stricter social-assistance model tied to work and integration Federal Chancellery of Austria
The new model cuts benefits by at least a quarter for people who can work but refuse to, pays recognised refugees a third less during an integration phase of up to three years, and sets a five-year wait for other non-EU nationals. Ministers say help will go to those who really need it.
16 October 2026 Austrian harmonised inflation jumps back to 3.6% in September Eurostat
Eurostat's final data show Austria's HICP rate rising from 2.9% in August to 3.6%, just under the euro-area rate of 3.8%, as higher energy costs fed through. A year earlier the rate had been 3.9%.
14 October 2026 WIFO and IHS see growth below 1% and raise inflation forecasts Tiroler Tageszeitung / APA
Austria's two main institutes forecast 2026 growth of 0.9% (WIFO) and 0.8% (IHS), with industry and exports doing the lifting, but raised inflation forecasts to 3.3% and 3.1%. Both expect the budget deficit to stay near 4% of GDP, well above the EU limit.

Headlines and summaries are compiled daily from the linked reports with AI assistance.