Tirol ranks fourth in study of clear official writing

Tyrol ranked fourth among Austria’s federal states for the clarity of official communications, while a press release from the state contained the study’s longest sentence, at 50 words, ORF reported.

The Austrian Institute for Systemic Communication and Media Design examined 651 official statements from the federal states and parliament. Carinthia, Vienna and Salzburg scored higher than Tyrol.

Across Austria, 55 percent of the texts were judged difficult to understand. Sentences averaged 17 words, and one in seven contained more than 25 words.

The study also assessed common bureaucratic phrases. The expression “as part of” appeared in 151 of the 651 statements. The institute recommends shorter sentences, concrete verbs and simpler wording. It plans to update the clarity index regularly.