- Austrian citizenship grants surged by 21.2% in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the previous year.
- Naturalizations for domestic residents outpaced overall growth, increasing by a significant 42.4% year-on-year.
- Israelis formed the largest group of new citizens, followed closely by applicants from the United States and UK.
(AUSTRIA) – Statistics Austria reported that Austria granted citizenship to 6,641 people in the first quarter of 2026, up 21.2% from 5,479 in the same period of 2025.
The figures came in a bulletin released on May 5, 2026. Statistics Austria titled the release “21.2% more naturalisations in Q1 2026”.
Most of those who received Austrian citizenship in the quarter already lived in the country. Statistics Austria recorded 4,686 naturalised people living in Austria and 1,955 living abroad.
Growth among residents inside Austria outpaced the overall increase. Naturalisations of people already living in Austria rose 42.4% year on year.
A separate rise appeared among applicants with longer residence histories. People who had lived in Austria for at least 6 years accounted for 2,309 naturalisations, an increase of 40.8%.
Family-based extensions also made up a sizeable share of the quarter’s total. Austria recorded 1,578 naturalisations through extension to family members.
That group consisted of 230 spouses and 1,348 children. The figures point to family extension as a substantial channel within Austria’s naturalisations data for the opening months of the year.
Regional data showed the fastest increases in a handful of provinces. Styria registered 580 naturalisations, up 95.9%, while Carinthia recorded 198, up 86.8%.
Vienna posted 1,684 naturalisations, with a year-on-year increase of 78.2%. That gave the capital both a high volume and one of the sharpest percentage gains in the quarter.
By previous nationality, Israelis formed the largest group among those naturalised. Statistics Austria counted 900 people from Israel, equal to 13.6% of all naturalisations in the quarter.
People from the United States made up the next largest group at 615, or 9.3%. People from the United Kingdom followed with 237, representing 3.6%.
The first-quarter figures add up to a broad increase across several parts of Austria’s citizenship system, from long-term residents to family extensions and provincial totals. Statistics Austria published the numbers under the heading “21.2% more naturalisations in Q1 2026” on May 5, 2026.
