No stopping: Hungarians on the brink of overtaking Germans as largest foreign working group in Austria

In recent years, Austria has witnessed a significant influx of Hungarian workers, with their numbers steadily increasing to the point where they are now on the cusp of surpassing Germans as the largest foreign working group in the country. As of January 2025, a total of 129,802 Hungarian citizens were employed in Austria, marking a substantial rise from the previous month and continuing a trend that has been observed over the past few years.

This surge in Hungarian workers is part of a broader pattern where foreign labour has become increasingly crucial to Austria’s economy. The country’s domestic workforce has been declining, with a notable drop in the number of Austrian citizens employed. In January 2025, there were 2,888,878 Austrian workers, down from the previous year’s figure, Privátbankár reports. Due to this decline, Austria’s reliance on international labour is growing, particularly in healthcare and retail.

Hungarians in Austria: an ever-growing number

The Hungarian workforce in Austria has shown remarkable resilience and growth. In January 2024, there were 124,820 Hungarian workers, which increased to a peak of 131,948 by July of the same year. Although the numbers dipped slightly during the autumn months, they rebounded by the end of the year, reaching 127,209 in December and further increasing to 129,802 in January 2025.