Press release: 12.566-157/21

Regional foreign trade year 2020: most Austrian federal states with declines

Vienna, 2021-07-15 – In the year 2020, most Austrian federal states had to register a decrease 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 -8.6% and exports -7.5%). The strongest relative reduction on the export side was registered in Styria (-14.2% or -€3.69 bn), followed by Upper Austria (-8.3% or -€3.32 bn) and Carinthia (-7.8% or -€0.58 bn). Tyrol (-1.7% or -€0.22 bn) and Vorarlberg (-2.6% or -€0.28 bn) recorded smaller declines compared to the other federal states. In terms of imports, Lower Austria (-€3.43 bn), Vienna (-€3.13 bn) and Styria (-€2.41 bn) recorded the highest absolute declines. Burgenland (-13.8%), Lower Austria (-12.7%) and Styria (-12.3%) recorded the strongest relative decreases compared to the previous period. Tyrol was the only federal state to achieve a positive development (+0.8% or +€0.10 bn). Five of the nine federal states showed a foreign trade surplus for the reference period. Upper Austria had the largest surplus (€9.35 bn), followed by Styria (€5.08 bn) and Vorarlberg (€2.78 bn). Vienna displayed the highest trade deficit (-€15.88 bn).

The exports of goods from Austria amounted to a total of €141.93 bn. in the year 2020. With more than one quarter, Upper Austria had the largest share in the overall Austrian exports (€36.67 bn, 25.8%). Styria was the federal state with the second highest export values (€22.26 bn or 15.7%), followed by Lower Austria (€20.82 bn or 14.7%) and Vienna (€19.43 bn or 13.7%). Overall imports of Austria totalled €144.20 bn. With a value of €35.30 bn, Vienna had the highest share on the import side (24.5%), followed by Upper Austria (€27.31 bn or 18.9%) and Lower Austria (€23.67 bn or 16.4%). 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.