Austria in the OECD Average: Land of Cigarettes, Land of Alcohol

Austria remains a high-consumption country for nicotine and alcohol. This is shown in the report "Health at a Glance 2025" published on Thursday by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The proportion of Austrians who smoke daily is 20.6 percent, above the OECD average of 14.8 percent. The consumption of 11.3 liters of pure alcohol per capita per year is also higher than in most other member countries.

A Quarter of Austrians Exercise Too Little

The self-reported rate of overweight in Austria, on the other hand, was 17 percent, just below the OECD average of 19 percent. However, Austria is among the countries with the strongest increases in overweight and obesity among adolescents between 2014 and 2022. At least the domestic population exercises more than average, although nearly a quarter (23 percent) of adults do not exercise enough.

Suicide Prevention Weighs Positively

Life expectancy in this country is 81.9 years, 0.8 years above the OECD average. 8.4 percent of the population in Austria rate their health status as poor or very poor, which is the average of all OECD countries at 8.0 percent. The suicide rate in Austria, with 13 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, is slightly higher than the international comparison. However, the Austrian SUPRA program is highlighted in the report as a positive example of effective measures for suicide prevention.

Low Vaccination Rates in Austria, but a Leader in Examinations

Austria performs poorly in the vaccination rate against diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough - here 85 percent is achieved, while the country average is 93 percent and in Hungary even 100 percent. Only 24 percent of the domestic population aged 65 and over are vaccinated against influenza. In 2023, an average of 16 daily doses of antibiotics per 1,000 inhabitants were prescribed in OECD countries. Finland recorded the largest decline in antibiotic prescriptions over time, followed by Canada and Austria with nine daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants.

The 30-day mortality rate after an acute heart attack or stroke in Austria is slightly better than the OECD average, at six percent each. In terms of the number of joint replacement surgeries on hips and knees, the Alpine republic ranks among the top measured by population. In this country, an above-average number of examinations with diagnostic scanners such as CT, MRI, and PET devices are also conducted. Along with Luxembourg, Korea, France, and Portugal, Austria is among the countries where more than 370 such examinations per 1,000 inhabitants were recorded in 2023. The available number of these devices is also higher than the OECD average, with 57 per one million inhabitants.

(APA/Red)

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