This Selected Issues paper for Austria looks at the fiscal burden facing Austria owing to aging, and the policy steps necessary to address it. It gives a short description of the Austrian pension, health care, and long-term care systems, and describes how aging will affect the costs of these...

The Austrian economy has been growing at an annual rate in excess of 3percent since mid-1999. Experience with deregulation in the telecommunications and electricity sectors is encouraged. With strong economic growth and expansionary monetary conditions from an Austrian perspective, Executive...

This Selected Issues paper focuses on the medium-term budgetary framework (MTBF) for Austria. Austria is part of a trend among many countries to consider some form of MTBF. This paper describes the proposed framework in Austria and assesses it in light of the experience of other countries. The...

The Austrian economy performed well, but long-term problems were unaddressed. Austria has weathered the slump well. The government's economic policy priorities and recent achievements have been commendable. Tax reform will help improve the economy's long-term growth potential. Successful reform...

Austria’s federal system comprises the federal government and nine provinces (Länder). The federal system is rather centralized by international standards, with the federal government (including social security funds) accounting for about 70 percent of general government spending, the...

This Selected Issues paper for Austria reports the impact of the government size, in addition to tax and expenditure composition, on real GDP growth. In addition to having a large public sector relative to the European Union (EU) 15 average, the composition of revenues is skewed, on the one...

This 2002 Article IV Consultation highlights that after decelerating sharply in 2001, economic growth in Austria is projected to strengthen gradually during 2002, parallel to the expected improvement in the global economic climate. Real GDP growth is projected to average 1 percent in 2002,...

Growth in the Austrian economy decelerated in mid-2000 in tandem with weaker activity in Europe after a vigorous expansion. Privatization of state holdings in commercial enterprises has continued, and liberalization of the electricity and gas markets is planned to be completed well ahead of EU...

Austria’s recession had limited effects on unemployment. Investment declined sharply but consumption helped cushion the recession, supported by tax cuts and various labor market measures together with large increases in real wages. Austria’s fiscal position has weakened significantly in...