Young drivers lift driving licence numbers across Austria

Young people continued to drive demand for driving licences in 2025, with 168,000 licences issued across Austria, according to ORF. That was a six per cent increase on the previous year.

In Carinthia, around 12,000 driving licences were issued in 2025, three per cent more than in 2024. The total included 2,553 AM licences for mopeds, which are available to riders from the age of 15. Carinthia ranked in the middle of Austria’s provinces by this measure.

“Carinthia was, is and will remain a motorcycle and moped region,” said Alexander Vasta of the ÖAMTC driving training centre in St Veit. He said the number of people in Carinthia using motorised two wheelers had risen sharply over the past decade.

Demand for motorcycle licences grows

Carinthia recorded particularly strong demand for A1 licences for motorcycles with engines of up to 125 cubic centimetres, available from the age of 16. While the number of A1 licences rose by 10 per cent across Austria, Carinthia issued 404, more than Vorarlberg, Burgenland, Vienna, Salzburg and Tyrol.

Vasta said the number of young people obtaining moped or motorcycle licences was continuing to rise. He pointed to early independence and access to mobility as key benefits, particularly in rural areas where public transport networks were still inadequate.

Other advantages included easier parking and the absence of parking fees. Vasta also said driving school training had become more intensive and comprehensive, giving younger drivers a high level of road competence.

The L17 driving licence for cars also remained popular. Some 33,600 teenagers obtained one in 2025, an increase of six per cent.