Migration in Vorarlberg: New numbers show diversity and challenges

Migration in Vorarlberg: New numbers show diversity and challenges

In 2024, around 121,300 people with a migration background lived in Vorarlberg, which corresponds to a share of 29.9 % of the total population of around 406,000. The average of Austria is 27.8 % and illustrates a general increase in the proportion of the population with a migration background by 33 % in the past ten years, such as [OTS] (https://www.ots.at/presseaus-sung/ots_20250716_ots0045/Statistisches-jahration-migration-integration- Mehrs-als-25-million-Menschen-mümmigration-background-in-Oesterreich). This corresponds to around 2.509 million people across Austria, including 1.9 million of the first generation (born abroad) and 634,000 of the second generation (born in Austria).

The origin of the people with a migration background in Vorarlberg is complex. Over a third of this group comes from non-EU countries, while a quarter was born in Austria. Numerous migrants can be found in the cities of Bregenz, Dornbirn and Hohenems, where over 25 % of the population comes from abroad. The high proportion of people born in Austria also has many specific features, such as a high connection to Türkiye and the former Yugoslavia. According to [statistics.at] (https://www.statistik.at/statistiken/bevoelkung-und--s-sziales/bevoelkung/migration-und-einbuerlung/migration background), only 16.4 % of the people with a migration background are mostly German, while 45.1 % prefer their mother tongue.

education and professional opportunities

The educational and professional opportunities of people with a migration background are often limited. Only 23 % of migrants have a compulsory school leaving certificate, while 27 % have completed a university. In Vorarlberg, the average living space per person for migrants with 31 m² is significantly lower than that of the other population, which has an average of 53 m² per person. In addition, 61.2 % of the second generation have Austrian citizenship, in contrast to only 22 % of the first generation.

The employment rate of the people with a migration background in Austria was 69 % in 2024, while it was 76.4 % with the local population. This leads to an unemployment rate of 10.5 % for migrants, and Afghans, Syrians and Iraqi are particularly affected with an unemployment rate of up to 31.3 %. In the training measures, an increase has been recorded by 7.1 % to a total of 75,000 people since the previous year, which indicates a growing need for additional support.

asylum and immigration figures

In 2024 there were around 25,400 asylum applications in Austria. This number has dropped considerably compared to 2023 (59,200 applications). Syrians, Afghans and Turks mainly submitted applications for asylum, with 17,000 people received asylum, which is a slight decrease of 1.5 % compared to the previous year. Among the asylum entitled two thirds showed a need for literacy, which underlines the need for targeted integration measures.

In Vorarlberg, 6.8 people live in basic care per 1,000 inhabitants, which is one of the highest odds in Austria. Only Vienna recorded a higher rate per 1,000 with 15.3 people per 1,000. The challenges in integration are becoming increasingly clear, especially if the different backgrounds and educational levels of migrants are taken into account.