Decline in the year 2023

Just under 20,000 people received citizenship

(Bild: picturedesk.com)

Last year, 19,939 people were granted Austrian citizenship. This represents an overall decrease of 3.2 percent compared to 2022. 

The decline is mainly due to the lower number of naturalizations of victims of National Socialism and their descendants (minus 17.7 percent), explained Statistics Austria Director General Tobias Thomas. If one only looks at those residing in Austria, there was an increase of 9.2 percent compared to the previous year.

Most of them come from Syria
Around a fifth of the 11,898 people residing in Austria were born here (3836 or 19.2 percent). Every second person was a woman (50.3 percent), a third were under 18 years of age (32.7 percent). The four largest countries of origin were Syria (1865), Turkey (1141), Bosnia-Herzegovina (803) and Afghanistan (788).

The number of naturalizations of people persecuted by the Nazi regime and their descendants amounted to a total of 7975 people in 2023. Of these, 98.9 percent live abroad. The following three countries led the way: Israel (4255), the United States (1620) and the United Kingdom (1094).

Entitlement to citizenship
More than three quarters of all naturalizations in 2023 were based on a legal claim (15,304 people or 76.8 percent). This includes 5822 people who have resided in Austria for at least six years and have reasons worthy of special consideration, 21 politically persecuted persons and their 7954 descendants and 430 people due to at least 15 years of residence in Austria and sustainable integration.

1002 persons were granted citizenship on a discretionary basis, including 940 persons after at least ten years of residence. A total of 3633 people were naturalized under the title of extension of conferral.