Austria (Republic of Austria)

Austria Republic of Austria
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	18th best
Capital	Vienna
Land Area	82 409km21
Location	Europe
Population	8.4m (2011)2
Life Expectancy	81.58yrs (2017)3
GNI	$43 609 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	AT, AUT, 405
Internet Domain	.at6
Currency	Euro (EUR)7
Telephone	+438

1. Overview
2. Austria National and Social Development
3. Population and Demographics
4. Gender Equality
5. Religion and Beliefs
6. The Internet
7. Public Health Issues
8. Politics and Freedom
9. More Charts and Comparisons to Other Countries
10. Links

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1. Overview

#germany

“Once the center of power for the large Austro-Hungarian Empire, Austria was reduced to a small republic after its defeat in World War I. Following annexation by Nazi Germany in 1938 and subsequent occupation by the victorious Allies in 1945, Austria's status remained unclear for a decade. A State Treaty signed in 1955 ended the occupation, recognized Austria's independence, and forbade unification with Germany. A constitutional law that same year declared the country's "perpetual neutrality" as a condition for Soviet military withdrawal. The Soviet Union's collapse in 1991 and Austria's entry into the European Union in 1995 have altered the meaning of this neutrality. A prosperous, democratic country, Austria entered the EU Economic and Monetary Union in 1999.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“Austria is a contrast of spectacular natural landscapes and elegant urban sleeves. One day you´re plunging into an alpine lake, the next you´re exploring a narrow backstreet of Vienna. [...] This is where the Habsburgs built their 600-year empire, and where past glories still shine in the resplendent baroque palaces and chandelier-lit coffee houses of Vienna, Innsbruck and Salzburg. [... W]hatever it does – mountains, classical music, new media, castles, cake, you name it – Austria does it exceedingly well. Beyond its grandiose cities, Austria´s allure lies outdoors. And whether you´re schussing down the legendary slopes of Kitzbühel, climbing high in the Alps of Tyrol or pedalling along the banks of the sprightly Danube (Donau), you´ll find the kind of inspiring landscapes that no well-orchestrated symphony, camera lens or singing nun could ever quite do justice.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Austria National and Social Development

UN HDI (2016) Lower is better Rank11
1	Norway	1
2	Australia	2
3	Switzerland	2
	...
21	France	21
22	Belgium	22
23	Finland	23
24	Austria	24
25	Slovenia	25
26	Italy	26
27	Spain	27
28	Czech Rep.	28
	World Avg	94.3
q=188.

Social & Moral Development Index Higher is better Points12
1	Iceland	84.1
2	Sweden	80.8
3	Norway	80.0
	...
15	Canada	75.9
16	Hong Kong	75.8
17	Taiwan	75.4
18	Austria	75.3
19	Japan	73.5
20	France	72.2
21	Spain	71.0
22	Estonia	70.7
	World Avg	54.5
q=198.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: What is the Best Country in the World? An Index of Morality, Conscience and Good Life.

3. Population and Demographics

Old-Age Dependency Ratio (2016) Lower is better Per 10013
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3	Chad	04.7
	...
172	Croatia	39.7
173	Malta	39.9
174	France	40.5
175	Austria	40.5
176	Greece	41.3
177	Spain	41.4
178	Netherlands	41.9
179	Slovenia	42.7
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Emigrants (2010) %14
1	Dominica	104.8
2	Palestine	68.4
3	Samoa	67.3
	...
83	Mali	7.6
84	UK	7.5
85	Honduras	7.5
86	Austria	7.1
87	Uzbekistan	7.0
88	Bolivia	6.8
89	Guinea-Bissau	6.8
90	Slovenia	6.5
	World Avg	11.5
q=192.

Fertility Rate (2013) 2.0 is best15
1	Korea, N.	2.00
2	Brunei	1.99
3	St Vincent & Grenadines	2.01
	...
105	Slovakia	1.36
106	Botswana	2.64
107	Kyrgyzstan	2.64
108	Austria	1.35
109	Egypt	2.65
110	Singapore	1.35
111	Saudi Arabia	2.67
112	Portugal	1.31
	World Avg	2.81
q=180.

Immigrants (2010) %14
1	Qatar	86.5
2	Monaco	71.6
3	UAE	70.0
	...
28	Cyprus	17.5
29	Gambia	16.6
30	Croatia	15.9
31	Austria	15.6
32	Spain	15.2
33	Belize	15.0
34	Latvia	15.0
35	Sweden	14.1
	World Avg	9.2
q=192.

Life Expectancy (2015) Higher is better Years16
1	Hong Kong	84.16
2	Japan	83.68
3	Italy	83.34
	...
16	Luxembourg	81.88
17	Norway	81.71
18	Netherlands	81.71
19	Austria	81.58
20	Andorra	81.46
21	Portugal	81.18
22	Germany	81.09
23	Greece	81.07
	World Avg	71.27
q=190.

Population (2012)17
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.3b
3	USA	315.8m
	...
90	Azerbaijan	9.4m
91	Benin	9.4m
92	Burundi	8.7m
93	Austria	8.4m
94	UAE	8.1m
95	Honduras	7.9m
96	Switzerland	7.7m
97	Israel	7.7m
	World Avg	36.0m
q=195.

Austria's population is predicted to rise to 8.59 million by 2030. This rise is despite a low fertility rate, meaning, that this country is helping to alleviate problems with growing population in neighbouring countries by accepting immigrants, very likely as a requirement of maintaining an active workforce. This country has a fertility rate of 1.35. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population is growing, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity, i.e., the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate, which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1.

• The Overpopulation of the Earth
• Abortion, Birth Control and Contraception: How Religion is Making Overpopulation Worse

4. Gender Equality

Gender Inequality (2015) Lower is better18
1	Switzerland	0.04
2	Denmark	0.04
3	Netherlands	0.04
	...
11	Singapore	0.07
12	Belgium	0.07
13	Luxembourg	0.07
14	Austria	0.08
15	Spain	0.08
16	Italy	0.08
17	Portugal	0.09
18	Canada	0.10
	World Avg	0.36
q=159.

Year Women Can Vote Lower is better Year19
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
8	Latvia	1918
9	Estonia	1918
10	Kyrgyzstan	1918
11	Austria	1919
12	Slovakia	1919
13	Belarus	1919
14	Germany	1919
15	Netherlands	1919
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

Gender inequality is not a necessary part of early human development. Although a separation of roles is almost universal due to different strengths between the genders, this does not have to mean that women are subdued, and, such patriarchialism is not universal in ancient history. Those cultures and peoples who shed, or never developed, the idea that mankind ought to dominate womankind, are better cultures and peoples than those who, even today, cling violently to those mores.

Austria is notable for its equality between the sexes and this has been a feature of the country's culture for quite some time.

See:

• "Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree (2007)

5. Religion and Beliefs

#buddhism #christianity #hinduism #islam #judaism

Disbelief In God (2007) Higher is better20
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
	...
24	Latvia	20
25	Ukraine	20
26	Mongolia	20
27	Austria	18
28	Slovakia	17
29	Switzerland	17
30	Belarus	17
31	Greece	16
	World Avg	9.9
q=137.

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below₂₁:

Christian	80.4%
Muslim	5.4%
Hindu	0.1%
Buddhist	0.2%
Folk Religion	0.1%
Jew	0.2%
Unaffiliated	13.5%

By adding up the Pew Forum data for the major monotheistic religions we can see that these make up 86% of the population. Yet there are simply too many who disbelieve in God for this to be true (18%). This is due to the so-called 'Census Effect', whereby many put down a religion for cultural reasons rather than because it reflects their beliefs. In highly Christian countries, as many as half of those who say they're a Christian lack any connection to a Church, and do not hold Christian beliefs (such as believing in God!).

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Roman Catholic 73.6%, Protestant 4.7%, Muslim 4.2%, other 3.5%, unspecified 2%, none 12% (2001 census)₂₂.

The International Humanist and Ethical Union produced a report in 2012 entitled "Freedom of Thought" (2012), in which they document bias and prejudice at the national level that is based on religion, belief and/or lack of belief. Their entry for Austria states:

“The constitution and other laws and policies protect freedom of religion or belief. There are some restrictions on speech that might offend religious feelings. Section 188 of the Austrian Criminal Code, called 'Vilification of Religious Teachings', criminalizes "Anyone who publicly disparages a person or thing that is the object of worship of a domestic church or religious society, or a doctrine, [or other] behavior is likely to attract legitimate offense..."₂₃

Cases of Discrimination

On Dec. 11, 2009, Catholic clerics in Vienna sued the cartoonist Manfred Deix for two drawings on the website NEWS.at which depict God and the EU prohibition against crucifixes in schools, respectively.

On Jan. 22, 2009, the Austrian politician Susanne Winter was sentenced at a court in Graz to pay a $24,000 fine for "humiliating a religion" by saying, among other things, that Muhammad was a pedophile.

On Dec. 11, 2010, 63-year-old Helmut G. was convicted for offending his Muslim neighbor by yodeling while lawn mowing. The neighbor claimed Helmet was trying to mock and imitate the Muezzin, the Muslim call to prayer.

On Jan. 15, 2011, Elizabeth Sabaditsch-Wolf was convicted of offending religion because she exclaimed, about the Prophet Muhammad's nine-year-old wife, "If that is not pedophilia, what is it?"

”

"Freedom of Thought" by IHEU (2012)₂₄

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems
• Secularisation Theory: Will Modern Society Reject Religion? What is Secularism?

6. The Internet

Internet Users (2016) Higher is better25
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
32	Singapore	83%
33	Slovakia	83%
34	Spain	82%
35	Austria	81%
36	Ireland	81%
37	Barbados	80%
38	Hungary	80%
39	Kuwait	80%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IPv6 Uptake (2017) Higher is better Ratio26
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
24	Czech Rep.	10.1
25	New Zealand	9.7
26	Romania	8.7
27	Austria	7.5
28	Hungary	7.4
29	Guatemala	6.9
30	Saudi Arabia	6.8
31	Vietnam	5.9
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

Internet access has become an essential research tool. It facilitates an endless list of life improvements, from the ability to network and socialize without constraint, to access to a seemingly infinite repository of technical and procedural information on pretty much any task. The universal availability of data has sped up industrial development and personal learning at the national and personal level. Individuals can read any topic they wish regardless of the locality of expert teachers, and, entire nations can develop their technology and understanding of the world simply because they are now exposed to advanced societies and moral discourses online. Like every communications medium, the Internet has issues and causes a small range of problems, but these are insignificant compared to the advantages of having an online populace.

7. Public Health Issues

Adolescent Birth Rate (2015) Lower is better Per 100018
1	Korea, N.	0.5
2	Korea, S.	1.6
3	Switzerland	2.9
	...
18	Germany	6.7
19	Maldives	6.7
20	Tunisia	6.8
21	Austria	7.1
22	China	7.3
23	Greece	7.5
24	Oman	8.1
25	Belgium	8.2
	World Avg	47.9
q=185.

Alcohol Consumption (2010) Lower is better Per Capita27
1	Libya	0.1
2	Pakistan	0.1
3	Kuwait	0.1
	...
152	Canada	10.2
153	Estonia	10.3
154	Kazakhstan	10.3
155	Austria	10.3
156	Greece	10.3
157	St Lucia	10.4
158	Switzerland	10.7
159	Namibia	10.8
	World Avg	6.2
q=191.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 (2015) Higher is better Avg %28
1	Hungary	99.0
2	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
84	Estonia	93.9
85	Korea, N.	93.8
86	Italy	93.8
87	Austria	93.8
88	Argentina	93.7
89	Bulgaria	93.7
90	Serbia	93.5
91	Egypt	93.4
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

Smoking Rates (2014) Lower is better29
1	Guinea	15
2	Solomon Islands	26
3	Kiribati	28
	...
164	Estonia	1 775
165	Ukraine	1 854
166	Jordan	1 855
167	Austria	1 988
168	Korea, S.	2 073
169	Greece	2 086
170	Azerbaijan	2 114
171	Kazakhstan	2 157
	World Avg	819
q=182.

Suicide Rate (2013) Lower is better Per 100k30
1	Haiti	0
2	Grenada	0
3	Egypt	0.1
	...
68	Suriname	28.7
69	Hong Kong	29.7
70	Poland	30.5
71	Austria	30.9
72	Uruguay	32.3
73	France	33.2
74	Moldova	35.7
75	Switzerland	36.2
	World Avg	20.93
q=91.

8. Politics and Freedom

Nominal Commitment to HR (2009) Higher is better Treaties31
1	Argentina	24
2	Chile	23
3	Costa Rica	23
	...
15	Denmark	22
16	Croatia	22
17	Belgium	22
18	Austria	22
19	Brazil	21
20	Montenegro	21
21	Guatemala	21
22	Mali	21
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom (2014) Lower is better Rank32
1	Hong Kong	1
2	Switzerland	2
3	New Zealand	3
	...
9	Finland	9
10	Netherlands	10
11	Luxembourg	11
12	Austria	11
13	Norway	13
14	Germany	13
15	Sweden	15
16	Malta	16
	World Avg	79.7
q=159.

Press Freedom (2013) Lower is better33
1	Finland	638
2	Netherlands	648
3	Norway	652
	...
9	Iceland	849
10	Sweden	923
11	Estonia	926
12	Austria	940
13	Jamaica	988
14	Switzerland	994
15	Ireland	1006
16	Czech Rep.	1017
	World Avg	3249
q=178.

9. More Charts and Comparisons to Other Countries