Description (en)
After the severe slump in economic development in 2009, the Austrian economy picked up in
2010 with a real growth rate of 2.1% and expanded in 2011 by 2.7% versus a year ago. Austria
profited from the positive economic growth position of Germany (+3.0%) and major trading
partners in Central and Eastern European countries.
The Austrian growth rate was clearly better than in the EU 27 (+1.5 percent) and the euroarea
(1.5 percent). A differentiation of core-periphery economic growth in Europe
developed in 2010 and became even more prominent in 2011. Fiscal problems and the debt
crisis resulted in an opening of the economic growth gap relative to the Southern European
countries, affecting Austria to some extent as Italy is a major trading partner. But a
comparatively strong economic growth performance of the Eastern European EU-MS and the
important trade linkages with them as well as the Near and Far East stabilised Austrian
economic growth.
In the course of 2011 economic growth in Austria slowed down, however, and the downward
slide continued in 2012, together with its major trading partners; accordingly, it is expected
that economic growth will not rise beyond 0.6% in 2012.
In Austria in 2011, economic growth was driven by rising exports of goods as well as domestic
demand. The value of exports increased by 7.5% in real terms, after 12.8% in 2010. A further
slowdown to 3.5% is expected in 2012.