Austria is a European federal state, one of the richest in the world. The area of the country is almost 84 thousand square kilometers. The largest cities are Vienna, Innsbruck, Graz, Salzburg and Linz. German is the state language. The population of Austria, according to the latest data, is about 8.4 million people.
City dwellers
The last census in the country was conducted in 2009. According to its results, it turned out that more than 25 percent of the inhabitants of the state live in its capital, Vienna. In principle, there are no large cities, with the exception of the above, in the country. About 77 percent of Austrians live in them. The rest of the population of Austria lives in small towns and cities. In this regard, the state can hardly be called the country of the townspeople.
National and religious composition
Almost 99 percent of the country's inhabitants are Austrians. The remaining share falls on Slovenes, Hungarians, Croats, Czechs, Turks, Jews and Gypsies. The Slovenian minority was territorially concentrated in such federal lands as Carinthia and Styria, while the Croats with the Hungarians mainly settled in the eastern regions of the state.
In terms of religion, about 85 percent of the locals are Catholics. In addition, Orthodoxy, Judaism, Islam and Protestantism are widespread in the state.
Resettlement
The population of Austria is very unevenly populated. The reason for this is primarily due to the fact that a significant part of the country is a mountainous area. High-quality soil in the country is not enough, and therefore the rural population mainly lives in separate yards or farms. The number of people in alpine areas is constantly decreasing due to difficult living conditions. It should be noted that at an altitude of more than one thousand meters above sea level, less than 2 percent of Austrians live.
Density
The average population density in Austria is 90 people per square kilometer. This indicator is significantly higher in other developed European countries - the UK, Germany and the Netherlands. As noted above, the country's population is distributed extremely unevenly. In this regard, the density indicator for each square kilometer in areas adjacent to Vienna reaches 200 inhabitants, while in the Alps it reaches 20. As for the state’s capital itself, this indicator is the largest in the country - up to 4 thousand people per square kilometer.
Duration and standard of living
The population of Austria boasts one of the highest living standards on the planet and its long average life. In particular, women live for about 80 years, and men for about 74. First of all, this is due to a well-developed healthcare system: any local hospital can provide qualified medical care. It is eloquent that the state allocates about 4.5 thousand US dollars annually for each of its inhabitants. Serious infectious diseases (including HIV) are almost eradicated here.
Customs and traditions
The population of Austria is very religious. The country celebrates large church holidays, especially Christmas and Easter, which are usually celebrated in the family circle. The Austrians themselves have an excellent sense of humor and are happy to welcome guests. Of great importance to them are customs associated with coffee. Among the inhabitants of the country, visits to the so-called coffee houses, which are considered to be peculiar cultural institutions, are widespread. During a feast, the Austrians are not accepted to talk about personal life, family, religion, business and politics.