State comparison

Upper Austria in second place for cultural funding

The Capital of Culture Bad Ischl Salzkammergut 2024 is an international flagship(Bild: LiveBild)

Every euro invested in culture comes back many times over - according to studies, the cultural sector in Austria generates around 9.8 billion euros. However, the federal government provides varying amounts of funding to the provinces - Upper Austria receives only meagre support. Governor Thomas Stelzer appeals for this to change.

"Upper Austria is a land of culture - the cultural diversity in our state is an important building block for our economic success," says Governor Thomas Stelzer.

This is why culture in Upper Austria is also funded accordingly, as a new study - commissioned by the City of Innsbruck and carried out by the Center for Public Administration Research KDZ - on cultural funding in 2022 shows: According to this study, Upper Austria is in second place behind Vienna (EUR 182) in terms of state funding with EUR 117 net per inhabitant.

Federal funding for the federal states varies greatly
The federal government, on the other hand, only provides a small amount of cultural funding to Upper Austria, specifically EUR 5.8 per inhabitant. Together with Carinthia and Styria, Upper Austria brings up the rear, see chart. 

"This is no longer acceptable"

Landeshauptmann Thomas Stelzer.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/stock.adobe)

Top of the event league
"This is unacceptable and cannot continue. More must come from the federal government," criticizes Stelzer. Upper Austria has done its homework because it has enabled diversity for decades and plays in the top event league.

This is particularly evident this year with the Salzkammergut-Bad Ischl Capital of Culture, the KulturEXPO on the occasion of Anton Bruckner's 200th birthday. At the Venice Biennale, the Austria pavilion was designed by artist Anna Jermolaewa (who teaches at the Linz University of Art) and curator Gabriele Spindler (from Landes Kultur GmbH).

"There are also numerous other festivals, event series and exhibitions," says Stelzer, outlining the breadth of the event.

Governor Thomas Stelzer(Bild: Harald Dostal / 2024)

Culture increases the quality of life and brings a lot
Every euro invested in culture comes back many times over - according to studies, the cultural sector in Austria generates around 9.8 billion euros. Stelzer: "Art and culture are eminently important for the further development of Upper Austria as a location for work, business and innovation."