In 2021, I created a post that described the (registered) US American population in Styria at the time. Back then, 643 U.S. Americans called Styria their home, and 475 of these listed their main residence as Graz (as of 1.1.2021)?
In mid-January 2025, I wanted to revisit these statistics.
As of Jan. 1, 2025, around 29% of the Graz population is ‘not from here’ (i.e., they do not have Austrian citizenship). This is somewhat higher than the share of the country population without Austrian citizenship: 20.2% as of 1.1.2025. As of this date, the statistics show us that 540 US Americans are registered in Graz, with 463 of these listing the city as their main residence. Among the non-EU citizens living in Graz, US Americans are not in the top 20. These statistics also show, however, that the US American population has remained relatively stable over the past few years.
Who are all these US Americans and why have they chosen to live in Graz?
In my 2021 blog post, I cited an article that appeared in The Local newspaper. One man said he came to Austria to stay for a year…then remained for 30 years. Others came to Austria to explore exciting career opportunities abroad. Even more joined spouses or life partners in Austria. All bravely faced the challenges associated with integrating in a new culture and learning a new language…normally without the support of friends or family. The reasons why US Americans living in Graz have not changed much in recent years.
Would you like to learn more about other populations and communities in Graz? Check out the foreign resident statistics available via the Graz Migrants’ Advisory Council (Migrant:innenbeirat Graz) website.
An article published in July 2021 mapped out where U.S. Americans lived in Austria and revealed some surprising results! Vienna came out the clear winner at that time, and the statistics from 2025 show an impressive 5,163 American residents. As of January 1, 2025, 9,267 people with U.S. American citizenship called Austria their home, but their populations in the provinces naturally differed. Burgenland (130), Carinthia (330), Lower Austria (1047), Upper Austria (653), Salzburg (772), Styria (700), Tyrol (609), Vorarlberg (223), and Vienna (5163).
An interesting detail of these statistics is that 14,083 people living in Austria as of Jan. 1, 2025, named the USA as their land of origin (Herkunftsland), but only 66% of these (still) have US citizenship. An interesting question that arises is whether the more than 34% who renounced US citizenship did so because they plan to stay in (Austria) Europe permanently or for other reasons.
The US Americans in Graz and Styria Facebook group currently (as of January 2025) welcomes more than 200 members, more than 90% of whom are US citizens. Since 2020, the group has shared information of specific interest to US Americans living and/or working in Graz, providing a forum where members can connect, network, and exchange helpful information and support. See this post for even more details about the Facebook group!
