Data on homelessness and housing exclusion 2026: Austria

Summary of key data and information

	Summary of key data and information
Official statistical definition of homelessness (Table 1)	Registered homelessness is defined as the number of people who have a note of their status of homelessness (Vermerk des Obdachlosenstatus), which includes people living rough (ETHOS category 1) in the Central Population Register or people who are registered in accommodations for the homeless including people in emergency accommodation, people in accommodation for people experiencing homelessness, people in women’s shelters and residential care for older people experiencing homelessness (ETHOS categories 2, 3, 4, 7.1). (Note that homelessness data have been reported according to the ETHOS Light typology in Tables 2.1 and 2.2, below.)
Latest national estimates of homelessness (Table 2, Table 3)	21 073 individuals, representing 0.23% of the total population (2024)
	31.5% are women, 68.5% are men
	Flow count, based on the Register of Homelessness (Registrierte Obdach- und Wohnungslosigkeit), 2024
	ETHOS Light groups included	Included: ETHOS Light 1: Living on the streets, in public spaces ETHOS Light 2: Emergency accommodation (e.g. shelters) ETHOS Light 3: Accommodation for the homeless (e.g. hostels and women’s refuges) Not included: ETHOS Light 4: People in institutions ETHOS Light 5: People in non-conventional dwellings (e.g. caravans, cars or tents) ETHOS Light 6: Living temporarily with others in conventional housing (e.g. sofa-surfing)
	Notes: Each ETHOS Light group includes one or more sub-categories of living situations. ETHOS Light groups are considered as “included” in the data collection approach if at least one of the sub-categories is counted.
Legal framework to collect data on homelessness (Table 4)	There is no legal obligation to collect data on homelessness in Austria.
Homelessness Strategy (Table 5)	Austria does not have a national homelessness strategy, but regional and local strategies exist.
Approaches to collect data on homelessness (Table 6)	Key Figures on Living Conditions: Service centres providing accommodation report information on people experiencing homelessness and people self-register as being roofless (Table 6.1) Full Census and Administrative Data/Service based: The Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection retrieves information on registered homelessness from service centres providing accommodation to people experiencing homelessness (Table 6.2)

Table 1. Official statistical definition of homelessness

Statistical definition

Registered Homelessness

Registered homelessness is defined as the number of people who have a note of their status of homelessness (Vermerk des Obdachlosenstatus), which is regarded to represent people living rough (ETHOS category 1) in the Central Population Register or who are registered in accommodations for the homeless, including people in emergency accommodation, people in accommodation for people experiencing homelessness, people in women’s shelters and residential care for older people experiencing homelessness (ETHOS categories 2, 3, 4, 7.1).

Table 2. Data on people experiencing homelessness: Headline estimate, by living situation

Presented according to ETHOS Light Typology

Year	Headline estimate of homelessness (Individuals)1, 2	% of total population	ETHOS Light 1 People living rough	ETHOS Light 2 People in emergency accommodation	ETHOS Light 3 People in accommodation for the homeless	ETHOS Light 4 People living in institutions3	ETHOS Light 5 People living in unconventional dwellings	ETHOS Light 6 People staying with family/friends
2018	22 830	0.26%	12 449	10 381	Included under ETHOS Light 2	Not included	Not included	Not included
2022	19 805	0.22%	9 290	10 515	Included under EHTOS Light 2	Not included	Not included	Not included
2024	21 073	0.23%	10 726	10 797	Included under ETHOS Light 2	Not included	Not included	Not included
Metadata: Type of count: Flow Data are comparable across years: Yes Included in headline estimate: Children: Yes Temporary accommodation for: Asylum seekers: No Refugees: No Victims/survivors of domestic violence: No

Notes:

1. The headline estimate corresponds to the total number of registered homeless individuals (including self-registry and those registered in institutions providing accommodation for the homeless).

2. Each ETHOS Light group includes one or more sub-categories of living situations. ETHOS Light groups are considered as “included” in the data collection approach if at least one of the sub-categories is counted.

3. Women’s refuges (corresponding to ETHOS 4) and long-term accommodation for the elderly experiencing homelessness (which corresponds to ETHOS 7.1) are reported under ETHOS Light 2 and included in the headline estimate.

Source: OECD Questionnaire on Affordable and Social Housing (QuASH); Bundesministerium für Soziales, Gesundheit, Pflege und Konsumentenschutz (Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection) 2025; Registrierte Obdach- und Wohnungslosigkeit; Data

Source: Statistik Austria, Statistik des Bevölkerungsstands. Data presented in former QuASH reports slightly adapted after improvements of the database.

Table 3. Data on people experiencing homelessness: Headline estimate, by sub-group and living situation

Presented according to ETHOS Light Typology, 2024

	Single adults	Men	Women	Youth (aged below 18)	Older people (aged 65 and over)	Families with children (# of households)
Headline estimate of homelessness3	NA	14 440	6 630	2 100	1 790	NA
As percentage of total population experiencing homelessness	NA	68.50%	31.50%	10.00%	8.50%	NA
ETHOS Light 1: People living rough	NA	8 535	2 190	130	485	NA
ETHOS Light 2: People in emergency accommodation	NA	6 970	4 735	1 990	1 350	NA
ETHOS Light 3: People in accommodation for the homeless	NA	Included under ETHOS Light 2	Included under ETHOS Light 2	Included under ETHOS Light 2	Included under ETHOS Light 2	NA
ETHOS Light 4: People living in institutions	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
ETHOS Light 5: People living in unconventional dwellings	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
ETHOS Light 6: People staying with family/friends	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
Metadata: Type of count: Flow Included in headline estimate: Children: Yes Temporary accommodation for: Asylum seekers: No Refugees: No Victims/survivors of domestic violence: No

Note: 1. Sub-groups are not mutually exclusive. 2. Each ETHOS Light group includes one or more sub-categories of living situations. ETHOS Light groups are considered as “included” in the data collection approach if at least one of the sub-categories is counted. 3. The headline estimate corresponds to the total number of registered homeless individuals (including self-registry and those registered in institutions providing accommodation for the homeless). 4. Women’s refuges (corresponding to ETHOS 4) and long-term accommodation for the elderly experiencing homelessness (which corresponds to ETHOS 7.1) are reported under ETHOS Light 2 and included in the headline estimate.

Source: OECD Questionnaire on Affordable and Social Housing (QuASH); “Registrierte Obdach- und Wohnungslosigkeit 2024” provided by Federal Ministry of Social Affairs; Data Collection Statistik Austria,

Source: Statistik des Bevölkerungsstandes.

Table 4. Legal framework to collect data on homelessness

	Legal framework
Law that governs data collection on homelessness	None.
Legal obligations	None.

Table 5. Homelessness strategy

	Homelessness strategies in place
National Homelessness Strategy	None.
Regional and/or local homelessness strategies exist	Yes

Table 6. Approaches to collect data on homelessness

6.1. Key Figures on Living Conditions
Description The Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection retrieves information on registered homelessness from service centres providing accommodation to people experiencing homelessness (about 132 registered in a census by the federal government). Individuals also have the capacity to self-register as being roofless (experiencing homelessness) if they show proof that they have ties with the municipality in which they are registering themselves and if they provide an address they frequently visit. Data are collected/provided by Statistik Austria. Service centres providing accommodation specific to refugees or the elderly are not considered in the count.
Type of count generated Flow (period)	Methods Service‑based method Administrative data
Lead authority(ies) Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection (through Statistik Austria)	Source(s) of information Registry data from service (accommodation) providers to the homeless Administrative data submitted directly by individuals experiencing homelessness
Scope National and regional level	Depth of data Data presented and disaggregated by sociodemographic characteristics: gender, age, citizenship, etc.
Frequency Annual
ETHOS Light groups included: ETHOS Light 1: Living on the streets, in public spaces ETHOS Light 2: Emergency accommodation (e.g. shelters) ETHOS Light 3: Accommodation for the homeless (e.g. hostels and women’s refuges) Note: Each ETHOS Light group includes one or more sub-categories of living situations. ETHOS Light groups are considered as “included” in the data collection approach if at least one of the sub-categories is counted.
Notes and sources Kennzahlen zu Lebensbedingungen 2022: Indikatorendefinitionen (statistik.at); From 2023 with retrospective adaptions; exact definitions and remarks on integrated accommodation to find in new tables presented by Federal Ministry of Social Affairs “Regstistrierte Wohnungs- und Obdachlosigkeit”
6.2. Full Census and Administrative Data/Service based
Description The Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection retrieves information on registered homelessness from service centres providing accommodation to people experiencing homelessness (about 132 registered in a census by the federal government). Individuals also have the capacity to self-register as being roofless (experiencing homelessness) if they show proof that they have ties with the municipality in which they are registering themselves and if they provide an address they frequently visit. Data are collected/provided by Statistik Austria. Service centres providing accommodation specific to refugees, and the elderly are not considered in the count.
Type of count generated Flow (period)	Methods Service‑based method Administrative data
Lead authority(ies) Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection (through Statistics Austria)	Source(s) of information Registry data from service (accommodation) providers to the homeless Administrative data submitted directly by individuals experiencing homelessness
Scope National + regional	Depth of data Data set of individual cases and different variables
Frequency Annual
ETHOS Light groups included: ETHOS Light 1: Living on the streets, in public spaces ETHOS Light 2: Emergency accommodation (e.g. shelters) ETHOS Light 3: Accommodation for the homeless (e.g. hostels and women’s refuges) Note: Each ETHOS Light group includes one or more sub-categories of living situations. ETHOS Light groups are considered as “included” in the data collection approach if at least one of the sub-categories is counted.
Notes and sources Kennzahlen zu Lebensbedingungen 2022: Indikatorendefinitionen (statistik.at); From 2023 with retrospective adaptions; exact definitions and remarks on integrated accommodation to find in new tables presented by Federal Ministry of Social Affairs “Regstistrierte Wohnungs- und Obdachlosigkeit”

Please refer to the OECD Affordable Housing Database, indicator HC3.1.Population experiencing homelessness, https://www.oecd.org/content/oecd/en/data/datasets/oecd-affordable-housing-database.html.

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