Top 10 Facts about Austrian People

Top 10 Facts about Austrian People

If you plan to head to Vienna or Salzburg for your next vacation, you may want to know a little about the Austrian people before heading to this country. For those who love skiing and hiking, head to Tyrol for a great outdoor adventure. For a city getaway, walk around Vienna and explore the hundreds of Viennese coffee shops. 

If you want to explore a bit of Germanic culture combined with outdoor fun, city breaks, cultural attractions, beautiful architecture, and friendly people, heading to Austria for your next holiday is the ideal vacation spot! 

Let’s see the top 10 facts about Austrian people before you head to the home of the beautiful Alps, cakes, and beers.

Eco-friendly

Many Austrian communities and people focus on eco-friendly practices to make sure their country is a green place. Instead of using plastic utensils or bags at a grocery store, Austrians focus on composting, using paper or cardboard instead of plastic, and enjoy taking bicycles for public transportation instead of using their car to drive a few miles to their work. 

Love beer

This may not come as a shock to anyone, but Austrians love to drink beer. However, make sure that while in Austria, you drink only Austrian beer and not the neighboring German beer, or you may get a dirty look. Try the famed Pilsner from one of the many beer gardens in Vienna, or head to Vorarlberg to try the Frastanz beer from the local area. Wherever you go in Austria, make sure you try a sip – or a bottle – of a local beer to really drink like the native people.

Enjoy watching and playing soccer

One of the main sports in Austria is soccer. For both girls and boys, playing soccer is one of the most common sports while growing up, with children typically having a ‘summer’ sport and a ‘winter’ sport, which is typically snowboarding or skiing. There are numerous women’s and men’s soccer clubs around the country, with the men having multiple leagues and the women having one professional league, the Frauen Bundesliga. 

Much of the population lives in Vienna

Did you know that nearly 1/4 of the population lives in Vienna? Being the capital, the biggest city, and arguably one of the most livable cities in the world, it is no surprise that many Austrians either grow up here or flock here to find a job or go to university.

Skiing is the most popular sport

Skiing is by far the most popular sport in Austria for the winter months. Thousands of skiers of all ages hit the slopes nearly every single winter day during the snow season in Austria, with the country being home to some of the best and biggest mountain ranges and ski resorts.

Don’t break eye contact

When you make a toast with another person while drinking an alcoholic beverage, whether it be a glass of ice-cold Pilsner or a small cup of gluhwein, you need to make eye contact and hold it while you cheer with another person. If you break eye contact during the celebration, you will have bad luck – for how long, we don’t know exactly. 

Only 20% of women are overweight

One of the healthiest countries in the world – despite their heavy and meat-centric food – only 20% of women are overweight, which is one of the lowest rates out of the entire world. In comparison, 50% of men are overweight, showing an extreme discrepancy between males and females in Austrian society.

Although traditional Austrian food is not known for being nutritious, it might be due to the high levels of exercise in this country that Austrian women are fairly healthy.

Freedom of religion

Every child over the age of 14 has the right to choose their own religion. Despite this country known for being Catholic in history, Austria has evolved in the last centuries, choosing freedom of religion and choice over a Catholic mandate for the entire population.

You may find that older Austrian people are more likely to be Catholic, whereas the younger generation typically leans toward freedom of choice or spirituality.

High life expectancy

The average life expectancy for Austrian is 81 years, which is quite high compared to the rest of the world. Maybe with the combination of outdoor activities, cultural options, and social life, Austrians have a high life expectancy for both males and females.

One of the wealthiest countries

Austria is one of the wealthiest countries in the world, with males and females both making a high-income level compared to other countries around the world. Due to the high price of living in many Austrian cities and towns, the average salary is higher than in other European countries, making it easy for Austrians to afford to travel during the summer months.