Carinthia’s population is set to shrink by 40,000 by 2050

Carinthia is projected to lose about 40,000 residents by 2050, according to data published by the state statistics office and reported by ORF. The figures cover population, health, income and spending.

The state had around 570,000 residents at the start of this year. By 2050, the figure is expected to fall to about 530,000, including just under 300,000 people of working age. The number of pensioners is also projected to decline, as some members of the large birth cohorts will no longer be alive. Carinthia’s population trend is weaker than that of other Austrian states, while Vienna is projected to record the strongest growth.

On several health measures, Carinthia fares better than the Austrian average, with fewer people who are overweight, fewer with depression and slightly lower levels of chronic illness. But life expectancy is about 79 years, below that in western Austria.

Income figures vary depending on the measure used by Statistics Austria. Pensioners in Carinthia receive around 27,300 euros, well below the national average, while employees are slightly below average. Public-sector employees, by contrast, are well above average and among the top earners.

Residents’ spending is above the Austrian average, at around 2,900 euros per person each month. Housing and energy account for nearly 24 percent, transport for 16 percent and food for 12 percent. Information and communication make up 2.7 percent of spending, while education accounts for 1.1 percent.

The state statistics office regularly publishes independent data on life in Carinthia. ORF said the European Union recently marked the Day of Statistics to highlight the value of objective data.