Austria's debts explode: reached 412.6 billion euros!

Austria's debts explode: reached 412.6 billion euros!

On March 31, 2025, the public debt in Austria is 412.6 billion euros. This represents an increase of 18.5 billion euros compared to the fourth quarter of 2024, as reported 5min.at . The debt rate, which expresses the ratio of debt and gross domestic product (GDP), rose from 81.8 % to 84.9 % in the first quarter of 2025 at the end of 2024. One main driver for this increase is the federal sector, which was only increasing by debt by 18.6 billion euros.

In addition, the public sector has a deficit of 8.9 billion euros in the first quarter of 2025, which corresponds to 7.5 % of the quarterly BIP. Compared to the previous year, in which a deficit of 6.4 billion euros or 5.4 % of the BIP was recorded, the increase is therefore significant.

Structure of debt

The composition of the debts will be presented as follows on March 31, 2025: 367 billion euros are on bonds, 43.7 billion euros on loans and 2 billion euros on deposits. According to the information from Statistics Austria , the criteria of the European system of overall accounts (ESVG 2010) back. Among other things, a consolidated debt is presented, which includes liabilities in cash and deposits as well as bonds and loans.

compliance with the Maastricht criteria is essential for the economic stability. Among other things, these stipulate that the public debt level must not exceed 60 % of the GDP. According to Bundesbank , all EU member states, including Austria, must have their deficit and debt data to the European Commission twice a year transmit.

public finances under pressure

The high debt is a central topic in the political discussion, especially since the liquidity requirement for the federal government has increased significantly. While the federal government recorded considerable debt, there was a short -term reduction in debt in the social security sector. However, this breakdown does not exceed the increase in the state and community sector.

Overall, it can be seen that Austria's public finances are in a tense situation that must take into account both current challenges and compliance with European guidelines. The increase in the debt rate could lead to additional economic measures in the upcoming quarters.