Overall spending on Austrian imports expanded by 19.9% compared to $193.8 billion for 2018.
Year over year, the value of Austria’s import purchases grew by 5.7% from $219.8 billion in 2021.
Based on the average exchange rate for 2022, Austria uses the euro which depreciated by -12.1% against the US dollar since 2018 and fell by -12.3% from 2021 to 2022. The weaker European Union currency in 2022 made Austria’s imports paid for in stronger US dollars relatively more expensive when starting from euros.
Where Austria’s Imports Come From
The latest available country-specific data shows that over three-quarters (77.4%) of products imported by Austria were furnished by suppliers in: Germany (38.2% of the Austrian total), Italy (6%), Czech Republic (4.95%), Netherlands (4.88%), Switzerland (4.7%), mainland China (4.1%), Poland (3.2%), Hungary (2.5%), Slovakia (2.4%), Belgium (2.25%), France (2.17%) and United States of America (2.1%).
From a continental perspective, 84.9% of Austria’s total imports by value in 2022 were purchased from fellow European countries. Asian trade partners supplied 11.6% of imports to Austria while another 2.3% worth of goods originated from North America.
Smaller percentage came from Africa (0.8%), Latin America (0.4%) excluding Mexico and the Caribbean, and Oceania (0.1%) led by Australia and New Zealand.
Given Austria ‘s population of 9.025 million people, its total $232.4 billion in 2022 imports translates to roughly $25,700 in yearly product demand from every person in the landlocked Central European country. That dollar metric exceeds the average $24,500 per capita for 2021.
Austria’s Top 10 Imports
The following product groups represent the highest dollar value in Austria’s import purchases during 2022. Also shown is the percentage share each product category represents in terms of overall imports into Austria.
- Mineral fuels including oil: US$27.3 billion (11.8% of total imports)
- Machinery including computers: $27.1 billion (11.7%)
- Electrical machinery, equipment: $26 billion (11.2%)
- Vehicles: $19.4 billion (8.4%)
- Pharmaceuticals: $10.1 billion (4.4%)
- Plastics, plastic articles: $9.7 billion (4.2%)
- Gems, precious metals: $8.2 billion (3.5%)
- Articles of iron or steel: $7.1 billion (3%)
- Iron, steel: $7 billion (3%)
- Organic chemicals: $5.9 billion (2.5%)
Austria’s top 10 imports exceeds three-fifths (63.7%) of the overall value of its product purchases from other countries.
Mineral fuels including oil posted the fastest growth in value among the top 10 import categories, up 65.6% from 2021 to 2022. That product category was propelled by higher Austrian spending on imported electricity and refined petroleum oils.
In second place for Austria’s expanding import purchases was the gems and precious metals category (up 20.6%), trailed by Austrian imports of the metals iron and steel (up 10.2%).
Please note that the results listed above are at the 2-digit Harmonized Tariff System code level.
Information presented below is at the more granular 4-digit level.
Austria’s Top Fuel Imports
In 2022, Austrian importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of mineral fuels-related products.
- Processed petroleum oils: US$8.3 billion (up 92.3% from 2021)
- Electrical energy: $4.8 billion (up 110.5%)
- Crude oil: $3.8 billion (down -5.4%)
- Coal, solid fuels made from coal: $944.5 million (up 86.6%)
- Petroleum oil residues: $239.8 million (up 52%)
- Coke, semi-coke: $164.2 million (up 201.7%)
- Petroleum jelly, mineral waxes: $22.6 million (up 1.3%)
- Asphalt/petroleum bitumen mixes: $22.5 million (down -11.5%)
- Peat: $20.7 million (up 23.3%)
- Tar pitch, coke: $12.9 million (up 43.7%)
Among these import subcategories, Austrian purchases of coke and semi-coke (up 201.7%), electrical energy (up 110.5%), then processed petroleum oils (up 92.3%) grew at the fastest pace from 2021 to 2022.
The above amounts and the sole percentage gain within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported mineral fuels-related products among Austrian businesses and consumers.
Austria’s Top Machinery Imports
In 2022, Austrian importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of machinery including computers.
- Computers, optical readers: US$2.8 billion (down -4.3% from 2021)
- Piston engine parts: $1.9 billion (up 5.9%)
- Machinery parts: $1.5 billion (up 10.1%)
- Transmission shafts, gears, clutches: $1.3 billion (up 4.8%)
- Taps, valves, similar appliances: $1.3 billion (down -4.8%)
- Miscellaneous machinery: $1.1 billion (down -3.2%)
- Machinery for making semi-conductors: $1.1 billion (up 23.2%)
- Air or vacuum pumps: $1 billion (down -3.4%)
- Liquid pumps and elevators: $835.4 million (down -6.1%)
- Centrifuges, filters and purifiers: $828.8 million (down -6.2%)
Among these import subcategories, Austrian purchases of machinery for making semi-conductors (up 23.2%), machinery parts (up 10.1%), then piston engine parts (up 5.9%) grew at the fastest pace from 2021 to 2022.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported machinery among Austrian businesses and consumers.
Austria’s Top Electrical Imports
In 2022, Austrian importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of electrical goods including consumer electronics.
- Phone devices including smartphones: US$6.4 billion (up 2.9% from 2021)
- Insulated wire/cable: $2.2 billion (down -11%)
- Electrical converters/power units: $1.8 billion (up 40.8%)
- Integrated circuits/microassemblies: $1.5 billion (up 23.3%)
- Solar power diodes/semi-conductors: $1.49 billion (up 33.1%)
- Electric motors, generators: $1.41 billion (up 5.8%)
- Lower-voltage switches, fuses: $1.3 billion (down -1.6%)
- Electric storage batteries: $1.1 billion (up 41.3%)
- Electrical/optical circuit boards, panels: $894.8 million (down -3.6%)
- Electric water heaters, hair dryers: $861.5 million (up 2.5%)
Among these import subcategories, Austrian purchases of electric storage batteries (up 41.3%), electrical converters or power units (up 40.8%), then solar power diodes or semi-conductors: (up 33.1%) grew at the fastest pace from 2021 to 2022.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported electronics among Austrian businesses and consumers.
Austria’s Top Vehicles Imports
In 2022, Austrian importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of vehicles-related products.
- Cars: US$9 billion (down -5% from 2021)
- Automobile parts/accessories: $5.2 billion (down -13%)
- Tractors: $1 billion (down -1.7%)
- Motorcycles: $903.8 million (up 25.5%)
- Motorcycle parts/accessories: $884.4 million (up 4.3%)
- Trucks: $880.3 million (down -38%)
- Trailers: $587.6 million (down -3.5%)
- Bicycles, other non-motorized cycles: $348.8 million (up 30%)
- Public-transport vehicles: $230.9 million (up 17.9%)
- Special purpose vehicles: $151 million (up 17.5%)
Among these import subcategories, Austrian purchases of bicycles plus other non-motorized cycles (up 30%), motorcycles (up 25.5%), then public-transport vehicles (up 17.9%) grew at the fastest pace from 2021 to 2022.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported vehicles-related products among Austrian businesses and consumers.
See also Austria’s Top Trading Partners, Austria’s Top 10 Exports, Switzerland’s Top Trading Partners, Poland’s Top Trading Partners and Slovakia’s Top Trading Partners
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Country Profiles, Central Intelligence Agency. Accessed on May 25, 2023
International Monetary Fund, Exchange Rates selected indicators (Domestic Currency per U.S. dollar, period average). Accessed on May 25, 2023
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on May 25, 2023
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on May 25, 2023
Wikipedia, Austria. Accessed on May 25, 2023
