Austrian Purchasing Power Defies Crisis

Austrian`s purchasing power continued to grow for around 1% in year 2009. This is the result of the latest RegioData survey, which disposes of 20 years time series regarding the purchasing power of the Austrian population.

With about 17 900 Euro per capita for 2009 Austrians had in average around 1% more purchasing power at their disposal than the year before. The low inflation rate also lead to an increase in real income. RegioData`s long term analyses show that the Austrian purchasing power is incredible crisis-proof. Currently the effects of the crisis are compensated by the low inflation rate and the positive impacts of the last fiscal reform. However in times of crisis the purchasing power is growing at a slower pace. For the year 2010 RegioData`s experts expect an increase of purchasing power of 2%. As the expected inflation this year will be higher than it was in 2009, not very much will be left of the increase in purchasing power.

All Austrian federal states have achieved nominal purchasing power increases – of course to a different extent in each state. The best development was registered in Salzburg and Lower Austria. Whilst Vienna still takes in the first place, Burgenland is last placed, as it was also the case in the past two years. Salzburg and Lower Austria had a dynamic development in 2009 and minimised the gap to Vienna. Bur-genland and Upper Austria have gained as well.

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