Vienna continues to grow but at a slower pace

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Vienna: Vienna continues to grow steadily but at a comparatively moderate rate in the coming years. According to current forecasts, at least the figures of the past decades will no longer be reached. Since the 1990s, the federal capital has gained 500,000 inhabitants. The curve will flatten out over the next 30 years, i.e., until 2053. During this period, Vienna is expected to grow by around 300,000 people.

The Danube metropolis only recently passed the two million population mark. According to the latest calculations, it will be well over that in 2053. Ramon Bauer, head of Vienna’s Department of Statistics (MA 23), told APA that the population would be 2,292,000.

The previous all-time high will be equalled even earlier. This is expected to happen as early as 2030—the highest level dates back to 1910, when there were 2,083,630 people in Vienna.

The population is getting older
Although immigration gains from people born abroad are predicted to continue in the coming years, they will be lower, according to MA 23’s assumption. However, the proportion of Viennese born abroad will continue to rise compared to 2023 (39.3%) to 44.2% by 2053. The joyous birth balance, recorded since 2004, will also contribute to this growth.

As Vienna has a relatively young age structure, the peak birth rate from the 1950s could even be exceeded by the beginning of the 2050s. According to the forecast, life expectancy will also likely continue to rise. In 30 years, it will probably have climbed to 85.2 years for women and 81.7 years for men. This corresponds to an increase of three and four years, respectively, compared to 2022.
According to state statistics, this is also one of the reasons why Vienna’s population will demographically get a little older again. At the same time, the proportion of the population of working age is likely to decline.

In the rural districts, Vienna will grow above all where there is space. According to the forecast, some of them will see substantial gains. Donaustadt is seen as the frontrunner here. By 2043, i.e., in the next 20 years, 46 percent more people will live there. But there are also losers in purely statistical terms: the population will shrink in the city center and Josefstadt. (APA, 14.11.2023)