eurel     Sociological and legal data on religions in Europe and beyond
You are here : Home » Austria » Social and religious data » Religious belonging and religious demography

Religious belonging and religious demography

Religious belonging according to the 2021 survey

In 2021, Statistics Austria conducted a voluntary survey on religious affiliation on behalf of the Federal Chancellery. 6.9 million people in Austria - that is 77.6 % of the population - profess (...)

In 2021, Statistics Austria conducted a voluntary survey on religious affiliation on behalf of the Federal Chancellery. 6.9 million people in Austria - that is 77.6 % of the population - profess a religion, around 2.0 million (22.4 %) do not feel they belong to any religious community. Around 6.1 million persons in Austria declared their faith in Christianity in 2021. This corresponds to a share of around 68.2% of the total population. 4.9 million people (55% of the total of the population) were members of the Roman Catholic Church in 2021, around 340,300 people or 3.8 % were Protestant (A.B. and H.B.). 436,700 people, or 4.9 % of the population, were members of the Orthodox Church. 745,600 people (8.3% of the population) felt they belonged to Islam, 26,600 (0.3%) to Buddhism and 10,100 (0.1%) to Hinduism.
The proportion of people who did not feel they belonged to any religious community in 2021 was Vienna (34.1%), followed by Styria (22.6%) and Lower Austria (20.5%). Lower Austria (20.5%), Carinthia (16.5%) and Burgenland (16.8%) had the lowest percentage of people without a religious affiliation.

In 1951, almost 90 % of the population were members of the Roman Catholic Church. By 2021 there was a decline of 34 percent points. While the number of people of Protestant and Old Catholic faiths also declined significantly during this period, there was a significant increase in the number of members of the Orthodox churches and Islam. Whereas in 1971 (earlier data are not available), only 22,300 people (0.3% of the population) professed the Islamic faith, by 2021 this figure had risen by around 720,000. The number of Orthodox believers in Austria has increased in the past 20 years from 179,500 in 2001 (first data point) to 436,700 by 2021.

Sources and further information: Statistics Austria 2022: Religious denomination.

D 6 September 2023    ARobert Wurzrainer

Religious belonging according to the 2001 census

According to the census of 2001, about 73,7% of the Austrian population is Catholic whereof 99,9 % are members of the Roman Catholic Church, which is hence Austria’s largest religious community. (...)

According to the census of 2001, about 73,7% of the Austrian population is Catholic whereof 99,9 % are members of the Roman Catholic Church, which is hence Austria’s largest religious community. Only 2,7% of the 710,926 foreigners living in Austria share this denomination with the Austrian citizens.

The second largest religious community in Austria is the Protestant Church (Lutheran and Reformed) with about 4,7% adherents among the Austrian population. Next on the ladder are the Muslims with about 4,2%, whereof 71,7% are other than Austrian citizens. About 35,7% of the Muslims living in Austria have their main residence in Vienna. 2,2% of the Austrian population are members of one of the different Orthodox Churches, whereof 77,2% do not have the Austrian citizenship.

The religious community with the highest share of foreign citizens is the Serbian Orthodox Church, which counts 0,92% of the Austrian population as members.

In this census about 12% of the Austrian population declared themselves non-denominational and about 2% did not give a statement about their religious denomination at all.
Other religious communities, such as Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Old Catholic Church, the Buddhist or the Jewish Religious Society are smaller than 1%.

In all Austrian länder the percentage of Roman Catholics is around 80% (from 74,4% in Salzburg to 83,4% in Tyrol), just in Vienna this rate is much lower with a share of only 49,2%. Conversely, 41,3% of those people, who declared themselves non-denominational, live in the Austrian capital.

D 20 July 2012    ANora Dim AWolfgang Wieshaider

CNRS Unistra Dres Gsrl

Follow us:
© 2002-2024 eurel - Contact