Austrian Citizenships Decrease

Naturalizations declined sharply in 2010, falling more than 20%, or 1,800 over the previous year. Some 6,190 people acquired Austrian citizenship last year over 2009, according to Statistik Austia, with a total of 7,990 new citizens.

Since 2003, the number of naturalizations has steadily decreased from 45,112 in 2003 to only 6,190 in 2010 or by more than four-fifths in the past seven years.

"More restrictive regulations since 2006 and a reduction of immigration numbers after the peak in the early 1990s," are responsible for the change, according to Statistik Austia. 

The leading source country is Bosnia and Herzegovina with 1,279 people, 21% of the total naturalizations in 2010. Followed by the Turks with 937 people (15%) and the Serbs with 829 people (13%).  Only Vorarlberg and Kärnten have defied this trend in 2010, with an accession of 9.9% and a staggering 47.6% of new citizenships. On the other end lies Vienna with a minus of 38.5% and Lower Austria with minus 33.5%.