Every Fifth Child in Austria with Foreign Citizenship

The number of children and adolescents in Austria with foreign citizenship has recently increased. In 2023, 21.5 percent of those under 18 did not have an Austrian passport, as a report from the Austrian Institute for Family Research shows. Last year, there was also an "all-time low in terms of birth rates," said Institute Director Wolfgang Mazal, who presented the figures with the responsible Minister Claudia Plakolm (ÖVP).

Increase in Children and Adolescents with Foreign Citizenship

Not only the number of children but also the desire to have children has decreased, said the expert at the press conference on Tuesday. In 2023, around 1.6 million children and adolescents lived in Austria. Between 2015 and 2023, there was "a bit of an upward trend among children under six and under 14 years," which leveled off in 2024.

The number of children and adolescents with Austrian citizenship has relatively decreased. In 2023, around 339,000 out of 1.6 million, and in 1985, 81,000 out of 1.8 million did not have Austrian citizenship. The increase in this group is noticeable in schools, Mazal noted. With the halt of family reunification, the government has already taken a step here, said Plakolm.

The Family Minister emphasized that Austria is a country that offers children and families social security and a perspective for the future. Additionally, the government continues to commit to financially supporting families with children. According to Mazal, spending on family benefits has "massively increased" in recent years - from around 3.0 billion euros in 1985 to 12.4 billion euros in 2023. Around 56,700 under-15s received minimum security in 2023, with around 40,400 of them in Vienna.

Suspension of Indexation of Family Benefits

Recently, the government suspended the indexation of family benefits for two years as part of budget consolidation. When asked, Mazal said he hoped it would remain a pause and not lead to abolition. He would have preferred a more consistent approach, as family allowance is not indexed, but care allowance is. Plakolm emphasized that no benefits for families were cut as part of the budget consolidation.

The report is also intended to shed light on the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Regarding the right to information enshrined in it, Mazal said that children use the internet "sensationally." In 2023, 100 percent of 16- to 19-year-olds reported having used the internet in the past three months.

In institutional childcare facilities, around 32.8 percent of children under three years old were cared for in 2023, with an additional 2.2 percent being cared for by day parents. Among three- to six-year-olds, 94.0 percent were in facilities, and 0.6 percent with day parents.

School Type and Citizenship

The choice of school type then differs significantly depending on citizenship. For example, 4.6 percent of children with Austrian citizenship, but 18.0 percent of those with a foreign passport attend the New Middle School (NMS). Mazal finds this worrying, stating that much needs to be done regarding educational affinity and success. The ratio is almost the same in general secondary schools (AHS), attended by 26.6 percent of young people with Austrian citizenship and 24.5 percent of those with other citizenships.

Relatively high, regardless of citizenship, is the rate of those who drop out of a school leading to a diploma. 28.6 percent of students who attended the ninth grade in 2018/19 dropped out prematurely. "This should be a major concern for all of us," said Mazal, who also sees a need for action here. The number of school dropouts has changed little in recent years.

The number of offenses related to visual child sexual abuse material has increased - from 465 in 2015 to 2,245 in 2023. Recently, 91.4 percent of cases were solved, but a high number of unreported cases must be assumed. "We will need to be more consistent here," said Plakolm.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.