Home

Austria vs. Germany

Economy

AustriaGermany
Economy - overview

Austria is a well-developed market economy with skilled labor force and high standard of living. It is closely tied to other EU economies, especially Germany's, but also the US', its third-largest trade partner. Its economy features a large service sector, a sound industrial sector, and a small, but highly developed agricultural sector.

Austrian economic growth strengthen in 2017, with a 2.9% increase in GDP. Austrian exports, accounting for around 60% of the GDP, were up 8.2% in 2017. Austria's unemployment rate fell by 0.3% to 5.5%, which is low by European standards, but still at its second highest rate since the end of World War II, driven by an increased number of refugees and EU migrants entering the labor market.

Austria's fiscal position compares favorably with other euro-zone countries. The budget deficit stood at a low 0.7% of GDP in 2017 and public debt declined again to 78.4% of GDP in 2017, after reaching a post-war high 84.6% in 2015. The Austrian government has announced it plans to balance the fiscal budget in 2019. Several external risks, such as Austrian banks' exposure to Central and Eastern Europe, the refugee crisis, and continued unrest in Russia/Ukraine, eased in 2017, but are still a factor for the Austrian economy. Exposure to the Russian banking sector and a deep energy relationship with Russia present additional risks.

Austria elected a new pro-business government in October 2017 that campaigned on promises to reduce bureaucracy, improve public sector efficiency, reduce labor market protections, and provide positive investment incentives.

The German economy - the fifth largest economy in the world in PPP terms and Europe's largest - is a leading exporter of machinery, vehicles, chemicals, and household equipment. Germany benefits from a highly skilled labor force, but, like its Western European neighbors, faces significant demographic challenges to sustained long-term growth. Low fertility rates and a large increase in net immigration are increasing pressure on the country's social welfare system and necessitate structural reforms.

Reforms launched by the government of Chancellor Gerhard SCHROEDER (1998-2005), deemed necessary to address chronically high unemployment and low average growth, contributed to strong economic growth and falling unemployment. These advances, as well as a government subsidized, reduced working hour scheme, help explain the relatively modest increase in unemployment during the 2008-09 recession - the deepest since World War II. The German Government introduced a minimum wage in 2015 that increased to $9.79 (8.84 euros) in January 2017.

Stimulus and stabilization efforts initiated in 2008 and 2009 and tax cuts introduced in Chancellor Angela MERKEL's second term increased Germany's total budget deficit - including federal, state, and municipal - to 4.1% in 2010, but slower spending and higher tax revenues reduced the deficit to 0.8% in 2011 and in 2017 Germany reached a budget surplus of 0.7%. A constitutional amendment approved in 2009 limits the federal government to structural deficits of no more than 0.35% of GDP per annum as of 2016, though the target was already reached in 2012.

Following the March 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, Chancellor Angela MERKEL announced in May 2011 that eight of the country's 17 nuclear reactors would be shut down immediately and the remaining plants would close by 2022. Germany plans to replace nuclear power largely with renewable energy, which accounted for 29.5% of gross electricity consumption in 2016, up from 9% in 2000. Before the shutdown of the eight reactors, Germany relied on nuclear power for 23% of its electricity generating capacity and 46% of its base-load electricity production.

The German economy suffers from low levels of investment, and a government plan to invest 15 billion euros during 2016-18, largely in infrastructure, is intended to spur needed private investment. Domestic consumption, investment, and exports are likely to drive German GDP growth in 2018, and the country's budget and trade surpluses are likely to remain high.

GDP (purchasing power parity)$498.78 billion (2019 est.)

$491.803 billion (2018 est.)

$479.433 billion (2017 est.)

note: data are in 2010 dollars
$4,482,448,000,000 (2019 est.)

$4,457,688,000,000 (2018 est.)

$4,401,873,000,000 (2017 est.)

note: data are in 2010 dollars
GDP - real growth rate1.42% (2019 est.)

2.58% (2018 est.)

2.4% (2017 est.)
0.59% (2019 est.)

1.3% (2018 est.)

2.91% (2017 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)$56,188 (2019 est.)

$55,631 (2018 est.)

$54,496 (2017 est.)

note: data are in 2010 dollars
$53,919 (2019 est.)

$53,768 (2018 est.)

$53,255 (2017 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars
GDP - composition by sectoragriculture: 1.3% (2017 est.)

industry: 28.4% (2017 est.)

services: 70.3% (2017 est.)
agriculture: 0.7% (2017 est.)

industry: 30.7% (2017 est.)

services: 68.6% (2017 est.)
Population below poverty line13.3% (2018 est.)14.8% (2018 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage sharelowest 10%: 2.8%

highest 10%: 23.5% (2012 est.)
lowest 10%: 3.6%

highest 10%: 24% (2000)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)1.5% (2019 est.)

2% (2018 est.)

2% (2017 est.)
1.4% (2019 est.)

1.7% (2018 est.)

1.5% (2017 est.)
Labor force3.739 million (2020 est.)44.585 million (2020 est.)
Labor force - by occupationagriculture: 0.7%

industry: 25.2%

services: 74.1% (2017 est.)
agriculture: 1.4%

industry: 24.2%

services: 74.3% (2016)
Unemployment rate7.35% (2019 est.)

7.7% (2018 est.)
4.98% (2019 est.)

5.19% (2018 est.)
Distribution of family income - Gini index29.7 (2017 est.)

30.5 (2014)
31.9 (2016 est.)

30 (1994)
Budgetrevenues: 201.7 billion (2017 est.)

expenditures: 204.6 billion (2017 est.)
revenues: 1.665 trillion (2017 est.)

expenditures: 1.619 trillion (2017 est.)
Industriesconstruction, machinery, vehicles and parts, food, metals, chemicals, lumber and paper, electronics, tourismamong the world's largest and most technologically advanced producers of iron, steel, coal, cement, chemicals, machinery, vehicles, machine tools, electronics, automobiles, food and beverages, shipbuilding, textiles
Industrial production growth rate6.5% (2017 est.)3.3% (2017 est.)
Agriculture - productsmilk, maize, sugar beet, wheat, barley, potatoes, pork, triticale, grapes, applesmilk, sugar beet, wheat, barley, potatoes, pork, maize, rye, rapeseed, triticale
Exports$270.888 billion (2019 est.)

$263.145 billion (2018 est.)

$249.312 billion (2017 est.)
$2,004,158,000,000 (2019 est.)

$1,984,745,000,000 (2018 est.)

$1,937,273,000,000 (2017 est.)
Exports - commoditiescars, packaged medical supplies, vehicle parts, medical vaccines/cultures, flavored water (2019)cars and vehicle parts, packaged medicines, aircraft, medical cultures/vaccines, industrial machinery (2019)
Exports - partnersGermany 28%, United States 7%, Italy 6%, Switzerland 5% (2019)United States 9%, France 8%, China 7%, Netherlands 6%, United Kingdom 6%, Italy 5%, Poland 5%, Austria 5% (2019)
Imports$253.276 billion (2019 est.)

$247.225 billion (2018 est.)

$235.385 billion (2017 est.)
$1,804,453,000,000 (2019 est.)

$1,759,299,000,000 (2018 est.)

$1,695,300,000,000 (2017 est.)
Imports - commoditiescars, vehicle parts, broadcasting equipment, refined petroleum, packaged medical supplies (2019)cars and vehicle parts, packaged medicines, crude petroleum, refined petroleum, medical cultures/vaccines (2019)
Imports - partnersGermany 39%, Italy 7%, Czechia 5% (2019)Netherlands 9%, China 8%, France 7%, Belgium 6%, Poland 6%, Italy 6%, Czechia 5%, United States 5% (2019)
Debt - external$688.434 billion (2019 est.)

$686.196 billion (2018 est.)
$5,671,463,000,000 (2019 est.)

$5,751,408,000,000 (2018 est.)
Exchange rateseuros (EUR) per US dollar -

0.82771 (2020 est.)

0.90338 (2019 est.)

0.87789 (2018 est.)

0.885 (2014 est.)

0.7634 (2013 est.)
euros (EUR) per US dollar -

0.82771 (2020 est.)

0.90338 (2019 est.)

0.87789 (2018 est.)

0.885 (2014 est.)

0.7634 (2013 est.)
Fiscal yearcalendar yearcalendar year
Public debt78.6% of GDP (2017 est.)

83.6% of GDP (2016 est.)

note: this is general government gross debt, defined in the Maastricht Treaty as consolidated general government gross debt at nominal value, outstanding at the end of the year; it covers the following categories of government liabilities (as defined in ESA95): currency and deposits (AF.2), securities other than shares excluding financial derivatives (AF.3, excluding AF.34), and loans (AF.4); the general government sector comprises the sub-sectors of central government, state government, local government and social security funds; as a percentage of GDP, the GDP used as a denominator is the gross domestic product in current year prices
63.9% of GDP (2017 est.)

67.9% of GDP (2016 est.)

note: general government gross debt is defined in the Maastricht Treaty as consolidated general government gross debt at nominal value, outstanding at the end of the year in the following categories of government liabilities (as defined in ESA95): currency and deposits (AF.2), securities other than shares excluding financial derivatives (AF.3, excluding AF.34), and loans (AF.4); the general government sector comprises the sub-sectors of central government, state government, local government and social security funds; the series are presented as a percentage of GDP and in millions of euros; GDP used as a denominator is the gross domestic product at current market prices; data expressed in national currency are converted into euro using end-of-year exchange rates provided by the European Central Bank
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold$21.57 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$23.36 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$200.1 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$173.7 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
Current Account Balance$12.667 billion (2019 est.)

$5.989 billion (2018 est.)
$280.238 billion (2019 est.)

$297.434 billion (2018 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)$445.025 billion (2019 est.)$3,860,923,000,000 (2019 est.)
Credit ratingsFitch rating: AA+ (2015)

Moody's rating: Aa1 (2016)

Standard & Poors rating: AA+ (2012)
Fitch rating: AAA (1994)

Moody's rating: Aaa (1986)

Standard & Poors rating: AAA (1983)

Credit ratings prior to 1989 refer to West Germany.
Ease of Doing Business Index scoresOverall score: 78.7 (2020)

Starting a Business score: 83.2 (2020)

Trading score: 100 (2020)

Enforcement score: 75.5 (2020)
Overall score: 79.7 (2020)

Starting a Business score: 83.7 (2020)

Trading score: 91.8 (2020)

Enforcement score: 74.1 (2020)
Taxes and other revenues48.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)45% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)-0.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)1.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24total: 8.5%

male: 9.2%

female: 7.8% (2019 est.)
total: 5.8%

male: 6.6%

female: 4.8% (2019 est.)
GDP - composition, by end usehousehold consumption: 52.1% (2017 est.)

government consumption: 19.5% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital: 23.5% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories: 1.6% (2017 est.)

exports of goods and services: 54.2% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services: -50.7% (2017 est.)
household consumption: 53.1% (2017 est.)

government consumption: 19.5% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital: 20.4% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories: -0.5% (2017 est.)

exports of goods and services: 47.3% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services: -39.7% (2017 est.)
Gross national saving28.5% of GDP (2019 est.)

26.9% of GDP (2018 est.)

26.3% of GDP (2017 est.)
28.5% of GDP (2019 est.)

28.7% of GDP (2018 est.)

28.4% of GDP (2017 est.)

Source: CIA Factbook