Press release: 12.410-001/21

Regional foreign trade first half of 2020: most Austrian federal states with strong declines

Vienna, 2021-01-04 – In the first half year of 2020, eight out of nine Austrian federal states registered decreases in their foreign trade values, according to preliminary results by Statistics Austria.

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic led to a significant decline in the overall Austrian foreign trade values (imports -12.6% and exports -11.7%). The strongest reduction on the export side was registered in Styria (-21.9% or -€2.93 bn), followed by Upper Austria (-13.9% or -€2.77 bn) and Lower Austria (-14.5% or -€1.69 bn). Vienna was the only federal state that was able to record an increase on the export side (+0.5% or +€0.06 bn). In terms of imports, Lower Austria (-€2.28 bn), Vienna (-€2.13 bn) and Upper Austria (-€2.03 bn) recorded the highest absolute declines. Styria (-18.2%), Lower Austria (-16.5%) and Salzburg (-16.5%) recorded the strongest relative decreases compared to the previous period. Tyrol was the only federal state to achieve a positive import development (+4.7% or +€0.27 bn). Five of the nine federal states showed a foreign trade surplus for the reference period. Upper Austria had the largest surplus (€4.02 bn), followed by Styria (€2.18 bn) and Vorarlberg (€1.17 bn). Vienna displayed the highest trade deficit (-€6.57 bn).

The exports of goods from Austria amounted to a total of €68.51 bn in the first half of 2020. With more than one quarter, Upper Austria had the largest share in the overall Austrian exports (€17.20 bn, 25.1%). Styria was the federal state with the second highest export values (€10.44 bn or 15.2%), closely followed by Vienna (€10.41 bn or 15.2%) and Lower Austria (€9.95 bn or 14.5%). In the first half year of 2020, the imports of Austria totalled €69.65 bn. With a value of €16.98 bn, Vienna had the highest share on the import side (24.4%), followed by Upper Austria (€13.17 bn or 18.9%) and Lower Austria (€11.52 bn or 16.5%). In terms of trade intensity (sum of imports and exports), Upper Austria, Vienna and Lower Austria were the federal states with the highest foreign trade values.

For more detailed information please refer to the German version.