Austria's Religious Landscape: A Comprehensive Overview

Austria has a rich religious history, with the country's culture being greatly influenced by centuries-old traditions of Roman Catholicism. However, in recent decades, Austria has seen a decline in religious affiliation, particularly among the younger generation. While the country still has a high tolerance for religious freedom, with legislation rooted in secularism, it is worth exploring how religious Austria is today and how this has changed over time.

Religious freedom in Austria

Austria has a long history of religious diversity, and religious freedom is a constitutional right in the country. The country's constitutional documents provide for freedom of religious belief and affiliation and prohibit religious discrimination. Every resident in Austria has the right to join or leave any church or religious community by free choice or to abstain from belonging to any of them. The law prohibits public incitement to hostile acts against religious groups, and citizens can sue the government for constitutional violations of religious freedom.

Austria's religious landscape has changed significantly over the past century, largely due to historical events and immigration. Since the fall of the Habsburg monarchy at the end of World War I, there has been a decline in Christianity (except Orthodox churches) and a rise in other religions, particularly in Vienna. Between the censuses of 1971 and 2021, Christianity declined from 93.8% to 68.2% of the Austrian population, with Catholicism dropping from 87.4% to 55.2%. During the same period, Islam grew from 0.2% to 8.3%, and the proportion of people with no religious affiliation increased from 4.3% to 22.4%.

Austria has a long history of religious diversity, dating back to its time as a monarchy neighbouring the Ottoman Empire. In 1781, Emperor Joseph II issued a Patent of Tolerance, allowing other confessions limited freedom of worship. In 1867, religious freedom was declared a constitutional right in Cisleithania, recognising the presence of various Christian denominations and Jews in the monarchy. In 1912, Islam was officially recognised in Austria after the annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which brought a substantial number of Muslims into the country.

Today, Austria continues to promote religious freedom and protect religious minorities, both domestically and internationally. The country has established dialogue platforms, such as the Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs' interreligious dialogue platform, and actively participates in initiatives like the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations. The Austrian government also works closely with religious groups to address issues such as discrimination, integration of refugees, and combating terrorism.

Austria's religious demographics

Austria has a long history of religious freedom, which is guaranteed in its constitution. The country is officially secular, and its legal system is religiously neutral. However, Austrian culture is heavily influenced by centuries-old Roman Catholicism, which remains the predominant religion.

Since the fall of the Habsburg monarchy at the end of World War I, there has been a decline in Christianity (except for Orthodox churches) and a proliferation of other religions, particularly in Vienna. This decline has been particularly pronounced since the 1970s. Between the censuses of 1971 and 2021, Christianity declined from 93.8% to 68.2% of the Austrian population. During the same period, the proportion of people who did not affiliate with or belong to any religion grew from 4.3% to 22.4%.

Roman Catholicism is the largest religion in Austria, representing 55.2% of the total population in 2021, down from 64.1% in 2011 and 73.8% in 2001. The Catholic Church's influence has been on a decline since the end of World War II, and younger Austrians tend to be less devout than older generations. Many Austrians continue to practise Catholic traditions that mark significant life events, such as baptism, confirmation, marriage, and funerals. However, most Austrians who identify as Catholic do not necessarily hold Catholic beliefs on central social and moral issues.

Islam is the second-largest religion in Austria, with 8.3% of the population identifying as Muslim in 2021, up from 6% in 2015 and 0.2% in 1971. The Muslim community has been present in Austria for over a century, and the country was one of the first in Europe to officially recognise Muslims as a religious community in 1912. The number of Muslims in Austria has increased in recent decades due to immigration, particularly from Turkey, the former Yugoslavia, and the Balkans.

Eastern Orthodox Christians make up 4.9% of the population, with the Serbs being the largest group. The presence of Eastern Orthodox Christians in Austria dates back to the country's proximity to the Ottoman Empire and has been bolstered by immigration from the former Yugoslavia.

Austria also has small but notable populations of Jews, Buddhists, Jehovah's Witnesses, and other Christian and non-Christian religious groups, including Pagans. The Jewish community, which numbered around 200,000 in 1938, was almost wiped out during World War II through emigration and the Holocaust. Today, the Jewish population in Austria is estimated to be around 7,000, mostly comprising post-war immigrants from Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

Austria's laws protect religious freedom and prohibit religious discrimination. The country has a two-tier system for recognising churches and religious communities, with 16 legally recognised religious societies and 10 state-registered confessional communities as of 2006.

The decline of Catholicism in Austria

Austria has long been a predominantly Christian country, with 68.2% of the population identifying as such in the 2021 national survey. However, this number has been declining since the 1970s, with Christianity dropping from 93.8% in the 1971 census to 68.2% in 2021. The number of Catholics in Austria has also been declining, with a decrease from 87.4% in 1971 to 55.2% in 2021. In 2017, Catholicism was the largest religion in Austria, representing 57.9% of the total population. This decline in Catholicism is part of a broader trend of religious change in Austria, driven by historical events, immigration, and other factors.

The decline in Catholicism can be attributed to various reasons, including the revelation of past mistreatment of children by Catholic religious leaders, which has led to a loss of trust in the Church. Additionally, the younger generation tends to be less devout than the older generation, with many young Austrians withdrawing their membership from the Catholic Church due to the 'Kirchensteuer' (church tax), which amounts to about 1.1% of their annual taxable income. The Austrian Church has also been facing a decline in the number of priests, with 3,320 priests in 2023, a drop from 3,403 in 2022.

The rivalry for power between the Habsburg rulers and the subject nobles during the Reformation and Counter-Reformation also played a role in the decline of Catholicism. The nobles promoted the growth of Protestantism by encroaching upon the administration of parishes, confiscating Church property, and replacing Catholic pastors with Evangelical preachers. This led to a significant increase in the number of Protestants in Austria, with almost half of the population converting to Lutheranism by 1545. However, the Counter-Reformation, led by the Habsburgs, successfully restored Catholicism as the dominant religion, and Protestantism was nearly wiped out.

In recent years, Austria has seen an increase in the number of Muslims and Serbian Orthodox Christians due to immigration, primarily from Turkey and the former Yugoslavia. The Muslim community in Austria has been present for over a century, with a substantial number of Muslims living in Austrian territory after the annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Austrian Jewish community, on the other hand, was significantly reduced during World War II, with about 65,000 Jewish Austrians killed in the Holocaust and more than 2/3 of the population emigrating between 1938 and 1941.

The Austrian bishops' conference has acknowledged the decline in the number of Catholics, citing an unfavorable ratio between baptisms and deaths, as well as "church exits." The number of Catholics fell by 1.99% in 2023, with 85,163 people formally leaving the Church, and a decrease in baptisms linked to a decline in birth rates. Despite the decline, Catholicism remains the predominant religion in Austria, with 80.9% of Christians identifying as Catholic in the 2021 census.

Islam in Austria

Islam has a long history in Austria, dating back to 1525 when the Ottoman sultans tried to invade the Austrian Empire. Although these attempts failed, Islam influenced Austrian culture significantly, and numerous Austrians converted to Islam. In 1867, a law was passed that guaranteed respect for all religions throughout the empire, giving Muslims the right to establish mosques and practice their religion. In 1878, immigration to Austria from Turkey and Eastern European countries increased, assimilating Islamic populations into the Austrian-Hungarian Empire. In 1904, Bosnian Muslim students in Vienna established the first Muslim association in Austria, the "Islamite Academic Association "Zvijezda"". In 1908, after the annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Austria officially recognised Islam as a religion. In the interwar period, Muslim faith associations were set up to organise remaining and new Muslims in the country.

Substantive Muslim immigration to Austria began in the 1960s when Gastarbeiter from Yugoslavia and Turkey moved to the country. Many Muslim refugees of the Yugoslav Wars also moved to Austria during the 1990s. In the 2010s, Austria granted the status of a recognised religious community to Alevism and passed a new Islam law, which gave Muslims additional rights, such as the right to halal food and pastoral care in the military. However, it also illegalised foreign funding of mosques and the paying of salaries to imams. In recent years, there has been a rise in anti-Muslim sentiment in Austria, with the Freedom Party (FPÖ) engaging in political campaigns that scapegoat Muslims and criticise Islamic culture. The Austrian People's Party (OVP), led by Sebastian Kurz, has also been accused of implementing anti-Muslim policies and threatening Muslims' civil rights. In 2020, Austrian police carried out a substantial operation targeting Muslim civil society organisations in what became known as Operation Luxor.

Judaism in Austria

Austria has a long history of Judaism, with the first Jews immigrating to the country following Roman legions after the Roman occupation of Israel. The earliest surviving evidence of a Jewish presence in what is now Austria dates back to the 3rd century CE, with the discovery of a gold scroll amulet inscribed with the words of the Jewish prayer Shema Yisrael.

Over the centuries, the Jewish community in Austria has experienced periods of prosperity and religious freedom, as well as persecution and antisemitism. In the 12th century, two synagogues existed in Vienna, and the city became a centre for Jewish scholarly endeavours, with a prominent school of Talmudic studies. However, under the control of the Catholic House of Habsburg in 1282, the atmosphere became highly anti-Semitic, and Jews were barred from owning real estate, farming, and practicing most trades, leading them to engage primarily in commerce and money lending.

The 15th century saw a low point for Austrian Jews, with false accusations, expulsions, and murders. A brief period of relative tolerance followed under Frederick III, who allowed Jews to settle in Styria and Carinthia. The 17th century saw the establishment of a Sabbatean movement in Austria, and in the 18th century, Emperor Joseph II issued a Patent of Tolerance, allowing limited freedom of worship for confessions other than Catholicism.

By 1938, there were around 200,000 Jews in Austria, mainly residing in Vienna, but the Holocaust during World War II drastically reduced this number. Mass emigration, deportations, and murders left only 8,140 Jews in Austria by the 2001 census. Today, the Jewish population in Austria is estimated to be around 10,300, with 33,000 when including those with at least one Jewish grandparent. The large majority of the current Jewish population are post-war immigrants, particularly from Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

Jewish life in Austria today is marked by educational institutions, youth organizations, and cultural institutions. There are Jewish kindergartens, primary and high schools, as well as universities with institutes for Jewish studies. Youth organizations such as B'nai Akiva, Hashomer Hatzair, and the Austrian Jewish Students Union provide opportunities for Jewish youth to connect and engage with their culture. Additionally, there are several Jewish museums, libraries, and synagogues in the country, showcasing the rich history and contributions of the Jewish community to Austrian society.

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