A total of 19,939 people became Austrian citizens last year, showing a downward trend in naturalizations, as 3.2 per cent fewer people obtained Austrian citizenship.
According to Statistics Austria, the number of naturalised citizens dropped from 20,606 recorded in 2022 to 19,939 – 40.3 per cent of which were people living abroad.
The results indicate that the interest in becoming an Austrian citizen is dimming down, while the Director of Statistics Austria also lays down the main reason for this outcome.
The decline is mainly due to the fact that naturalisations of victims of National Socialism and their descendants fell by 17.7 per cent to 7,975.
9.2% More Migrants Living in the Country Became Austrian Citizens in 2023
A total of 1,094 people residing in Austria obtained citizenship last year, representing a 9.2 per cent increase in this category, with the surge being evident across all seven provinces.
The number of naturalised people was the highest in Burgenland province, up by 44.9 per cent, totalling 297 naturalisations, followed by Styria (1,309), Upper Austria (1,808), Tyrol (913), Salzburg (530) and Vorarlberg (677). On the other hand, Lower Austria has the most concentrated number of naturalised population in the country – a total of 2,031.
More than three-quarters of all naturalisations in 2023 were based on a legal entitlement, representing 15,304 people. Of these, 5,822 people were naturalised after at least six years of being residents in Austria and meeting certain criteria such as proven knowledge of German and sustainable integration, birth in Austria, EEA citizenship or entitlement to asylum.
In addition, 21 were politically persecuted persons, and 7,954 were descendants of politically persecuted persons, and 670 were naturalised on the basis of marriage to an Austrian citizen. Another 430 obtained Austrian citizenship after residing in the country for more than 15 years.
One-fifth of New Austrian Citizens Were Israeli Nationals
Israel was the main country of origin for all naturalised persons in 2023, representing 4,255 or 21.3 per cent of all naturalised persons in 2023, followed by the United States (1,620) and the United Kingdom (1,094).
The data also reveals that 50.3 per cent of all naturalised people were women, while a third were minors under 18 years of age (32.7 per cent).
More than one-third (38.6 per cent) of naturalised people living in Austria were nationals of Syria (1,865), Türkiye (1,141), Bosnia and Herzegovina (803) and Afghanistan (788).
Naturalisation rates among non-Austrian citizens residing in the country increased by 9.2 per cent, totalling 11,898 persons, while 19.2 per cent of these people were born in Austria.
The ratio of naturalisations compared to the number of non-Austrian citizens living in Austria stood at 0.7 per cent, the same as in 2022.
On the other hand, the number of people who lived abroad and obtained Austrian citizenship in 2023 were mainly able to do so due to being persons politically persecuted under National Socialism or their descendants. A total of 7,955 people, 98.9 per cent of whom were residing outside Austria, became Austrian citizens last year.
