IFES Election Guide | Country Profile: Austria

Republic of Austria

9,131,760
Population (as of Jan. 1, 2023)

6,346,059
Registered Voters (as of Sept. 29, 2024)

72.32%
Average Turnout

16
Elections in our database

V-Dem* Score: 0.839
Regimes of the World Classification: Electoral Democracy
*Varieties of Democracy Electoral Democracy Index (2024)

CEDAW Status: Signed and Ratified
Signed Date: July 17, 1980
Ratified Date: March 31, 1982

SIGI* Score: 9.8
Level of Discrimination: Very Low
*Social Institutions and Gender Index (2023)

CRPD Status: Signed and Ratified
Signed Date: March 30, 2007
Ratified Date: Sept. 26, 2008

HDI* Score: 0.930
Category: Very High
*UNDP Human Development Index (2023)

Name	Official Name	Type
Austrian National Council	Nationalrat	Lower House
Austrian Federal Council	Bundesrat	Upper House
Austrian Presidency	None	Head of State

Description of government structure:

Chief of State: President Alexander VAN DER BELLEN (since 26 January 2017)
Head of Government: Chancellor Alexander SCHALLENBERG (since 10 January 2025)
Assembly: Austria has a bicameral Federal Assembly (Bundesversammlung) consisting of the Federal Council (Bundesrat) with 61 seats — 60 are currently filled — and the National Council (Nationalrat) with 183 seats.

Description of electoral system:

The President is elected by absolute majority vote through a two-round system to serve a 6-year term.
The Chancellor is appointed by the president.
In the Federal Council (Bundesrat) 61 members are indirectly elected by state parliaments. Members serve 5 or 6-year terms depending on their state of appointment.
In the National Council (Nationalrat) 183 members are directly elected by proportional representation vote from single-seat constituencies and serve 5-year terms.

* Members are elected by state councils to serve 5- or 6-year terms. Members represent each of the 9 states on the basis of population, and each state elects at least 3 representatives.

** There are 9 multi-member constituencies corresponding to each of the states. Each of these is subdivided into smaller, regional constituencies, of which there are 43 in total. Each party fields regional, state, and national lists of candidates. Each voter gets one ballot on which she votes for one party and may express candidate preferences within that party's regional and state-level lists. Seat allocation proceeds in three stages. First, regional seats are allocated (d'Hondt method). Second, provincial seat allocations are calculated, the sums of parties regional seats within each province are subtracted from these totals, and seats are allocated accordingly (d'Hondt method). Third, this process repeats at the national level (Hare method), where party lists are closed. Parties must win at least one seat each in a regional constituency to qualify for seats at the state and national levels. Additionally, any candidate who receives at least one-sixth of her party’s votes is automatically awarded a seat. There is a 4 percent threshold for parties to gain representation, although a party that fails to reach this mark may still gain representation if it wins at least one seat in a regional election.

IFES Resources:

Does IFES have a presence in Austria: No

Elections

2024-09-29
Austrian National Council
Votes 4,929,745
Registered 6,346,059
Turnout 77.68

2022-10-09
Austrian Presidency
Votes 4,148,082
Registered 6,363,336
Turnout 65.19

2019-09-29
Austrian National Council
Votes 4,835,469
Registered 6,396,812
Turnout 75.59

2017-10-15
Austrian National Council
Votes 5,120,881
Registered 6,400,993
Turnout 80.0

2016-12-04
Austrian Presidency
Votes 4,749,339
Registered 6,399,607
Turnout 74.21

2016-05-22
Austrian Presidency
Votes 4,643,154
Registered 6,382,507
Turnout 72.75

2016-04-24
Austrian Presidency
Votes 4,371,825
Registered 6,382,507
Turnout 68.5

2013-09-29
Austrian National Council
Votes 4,751,321
Registered 6,384,331
Turnout 74.42

2013-01-20
Referendum
Votes 3,344,940
Registered 6,378,478
Turnout 52.44

2010-04-25
Austrian Presidency
Votes 3,404,646
Registered 6,355,620
Turnout 53.57

2008-09-28
Austrian National Council
Votes 4,990,947
Registered 6,338,921
Turnout 78.73

2006-10-01
Austrian National Council
Votes 4,533,500
Registered 6,107,851
Turnout 74.22

2004-04-25
Austrian Presidency
Votes 4,267,612
Registered 6,030,877
Turnout 70.76

2002-11-24
Austrian National Council
Votes 4,982,261
Registered 5,912,592
Turnout 84.27

1999-10-03
Austrian National Council
Votes 4,695,192
Registered 5,838,373
Turnout 80.42

1998-04-19
Austrian Presidency
Votes 4,351,272
Registered 5,848,584
Turnout 74.4

Election For	Date	Votes	Registered Voters	Turnout
Austrian National Council	2024-09-29	4,929,745	6,346,059	77.68
Austrian Presidency	2022-10-09	4,148,082	6,363,336	65.19
Austrian National Council	2019-09-29	4,835,469	6,396,812	75.59
Austrian National Council	2017-10-15	5,120,881	6,400,993	80.0
Austrian Presidency	2016-12-04	4,749,339	6,399,607	74.21
Austrian Presidency	2016-05-22	4,643,154	6,382,507	72.75
Austrian Presidency	2016-04-24	4,371,825	6,382,507	68.5
Austrian National Council	2013-09-29	4,751,321	6,384,331	74.42
Referendum	2013-01-20	3,344,940	6,378,478	52.44
Austrian Presidency	2010-04-25	3,404,646	6,355,620	53.57
Austrian National Council	2008-09-28	4,990,947	6,338,921	78.73
Austrian National Council	2006-10-01	4,533,500	6,107,851	74.22
Austrian Presidency	2004-04-25	4,267,612	6,030,877	70.76
Austrian National Council	2002-11-24	4,982,261	5,912,592	84.27
Austrian National Council	1999-10-03	4,695,192	5,838,373	80.42
Austrian Presidency	1998-04-19	4,351,272	5,848,584	74.4

Voter Turnout

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